Refractive Surgery 2004 in Korea

Shyn, Kyung Hwan; Jung, Jee Woong

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study investigates both the current situation and future trends in the field of refractive surgery in Korea.
METHODS
Members of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (KSCRS) have been annually surveyed regarding cataract and refractive surgery since 1995. The 2004 annual survey, which consisted of 58 multiple-choice questions, was mailed in May 2004 to 322 KSCRS members; fifty-four (16.8%) members responded. Data from the 2004 survey was compared with that of previous annual surveys and similar studies from the USA.
RESULTS
The respondents indicated that patients in their forties accounted for the highest percentage (57%) of subjects, and LASIK accounted for the highest percentage (82%) of refractive surgeries. Degeneration of corrected vision, night halo, and glare accounted for a high proportion of the complications arising after refractive surgery. LASIK was the preferred method for treating myopia less than -12 diopters, while phakic IOL was preferred for myopia more than -12 diopters. Lastly, more respondents indicated that they had experienced legal problems associated with PRK or LASIK than the previous year.
CONCLUSIONS
LASIK remains the refractive surgery procedure of choice, although wavefront-guided ablation is gaining in popularity. Approximately half of the respondents indicated they used MMC in their refractive surgeries.