Clinical Effectiveness of Laser-Induced Increased Depth of Field for the Simultaneous Correction of Hyperopia and Presbyopia

PURPOSE: To evaluate the visual outcomes of patients with presbyopic hyperopia, comparing the current standard of monovision treatment with a novel bilateral presbyopic LASIK (Custom-Q mode) technique. METHODS: This prospective comparative study of consecutive eligible patients with presbyopic hyperopia undergoing a bilateral presbyopic laser in situ keratomileusis technique was conducted between January 2018 and February 2019. After contact lens–simulated monovision measurements were obtained, the non-dominant eyes had a negative aspheric ablation profile planned using the Custom-Q nomogram (Alcon Laboratories, Inc). The dominant eye was operated on with a positive aspheric ablation profile. Visual acuity testing, refraction, corneal asphericity (▵Q), higher order aberrations, and a satisfaction questionnaire (National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life) were evaluated after the monovision trial and postoperatively. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients, with a mean age of 56.03 ± 4.31 years, were included in the study. At 6 months, 100% of patients achieved 20/20 or better binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) versus 57% in the monovision group, 100% of patients achieved 20/25 or better binocular uncorrected intermediate visual acuity versus 32% in the monovision group, and 92.86% of patients achieved 20/25 or better binocular uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) in both groups. In contact lens monovision simulation, no patient reached a UDVA of 20/50 or better, with only 3.6% having a UNVA of 20/40 or better. The questionnaire demonstrated high patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes confirm the superiority of increased depth of focus using negative spherical aberration modulation in the non-dominant eye compared with contact lens monovision. They also demonstrate the effectiveness of positive spherical aberration induction to improve intermediate and near vision in the dominant eye. [ J Refract Surg . 2021;37(1):16–24.]