• Nadav Shemesh, Nadav Levinger, Shmuel Levinger, Ami Hirsch, Asaf Achiron, and Eliya Levinger.
• Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel, Enaim Refractive Surgery Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
• Isr Med Assoc J. 2024 Dec 1; 26 (11): 688693688-693.

BackgroundOne of the major causes of reversible visual impairment is a refractive error, which can be corrected through refractive surgery. Data regarding the outcomes and complications of these procedures exist; however, there is a notable gap in understanding the factors leading to patient rejection, particularly in diverse populations like Israel.ObjectivesTo detect clinical risk factors of patients who intend to undergo LASIK procedure and to improve the conversion rates of LASIK procedure in this population.MethodsThe study included a retrospective analysis of patients who were rejected from having refractive surgery in two Enaim Refractive Surgery Centers: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Comparisons between centers were conducted using the t-test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical data.ResultsOur study included 337 patients who were rejected from having refractive surgery, including 152 (45.1%) who were rejected permanently and 185 (54.9%) rejected temporarily. The most common reasons for permanent rejection were corneal irregularity (n=81, 53.3%), keratoconus (n=27, 17.8%), thin corneas (n=13, 8.6%), and amblyopia (n=10, 6.6%). The most common temporary reasons were unstable refraction (n=96, 51.9%), prolonged use of contact lenses (n=54, 29.2%), and corneal irregularity (n=16, 8.6%).ConclusionsThe leading permanent cause of rejection for refractive surgery was a corneal irregularity, whereas the primary temporary cause was unstable refraction. In a time of rapid technological advancements and growing demand for freedom from glasses, there is an increasing need for more informed and patient-focused refractive correction approaches.

18 keywords...

hide…