Objective: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared excimer laser refractive surgery and phakic intraocular lenses (PIOLs) for the treatment of myopia and astigmatism.
Methods: An electronic literature search was performed using the PubMed, EBSCO, CNKI, and Cochrane Library database to identify prospective RCTs which compared excimer laser refractive surgery and PIOL with a follow-up time of at least 12 months. Efficacy, accuracy, safety outcomes, and complications were analyzed by standardized mean difference, risk ratio, and the pooled estimates according to a fixed effect model or random effect model.
Results: This review included 5 RCTs with a sum of 405 eyes. The range of myopia was 6.0 to 20.0 D with up to 4.0 D of astigmatism. The PIOL group was more likely to achieve a spherical equivalence within±1.0 D of target refraction at 12 months postoperatively (P=0.009), and was less likely to lose one or more lines of best spectacle corrected visual acuity than the LASER group (P=0.002). On the whole, there is no significant difference in efficacy and complications between the two kinds of surgeries.
Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that PIOLs were safer and more accurate within 12 months of follow-up compared with excimer laser surgical for refractive errors.