Laser Correction On Patients With Nystagmus

Patients with nystagmus always raises many questions in ophthalmologists. Wearing glasses or soft contact lenses is especially inconvenient for patients with nystagmus because of the oscillatory movements. Our aim was to investigate if laser correction affects on visual function in patients with nystagmus.

13 patients (26 eyes) with horizontal nystagmus before laser correction were carried out Kestenbaum surgery for compensatory head posture with null zone. Postoperatively all patients hadn’t compensatory head posture. Before laser correction all patients underwent standard ophthalmologic & special refractive examinations. We examined the amplitude of nystagmus using a videooculograph. We performed PRK in 10 patients, LASIK in 3 patients under general anesthesia. They were followed for 12 months.

All patients had myopic refraction. Mean age of patients was 22.5±6.28 (13-27) years. Best corrected visual acuity before laser correction was 0.41±0.25, after laser correction it was 0.51±0.29, P<0.1. Amplitude of oscillatory movements was 4.21±1.77, after laser correction it was 2.7±1.56, P<0.05.

Laser vision correction in patients with nystagmus after Kestenbaum surgery with absence of compensatory head posture can increase visual acuity and decrease amplitude of oscillatory movements. The mechanism of this increase needs further study.