Reasons for Re-treatment Following Monovision Laser Refractive Surgery

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence and causes for re-treatment following monovision laser refractive surgery in a large data study spanning a decade. METHODS: The setting for this retrospective comparative study was Care Vision Laser Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. This study included patients aged 36 to 60 years who underwent monovision laser vision correction at the Care Vision Laser Centers, Israel, from January 2012 to December 2022. Demographic, preoperative, and postoperative data were retrieved for analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 3,674 eyes of 1,847 patients were included. Re-treatment was performed in 1.28% (n = 47) of eyes, 0.84% (n = 31) distance-targeted and 0.44% (n = 16) near-targeted. Monovision reversal in near-targeted eyes occurred due to overcorrection (37.5%, n = 6 of 16), despite being on target (25%, n = 4 of 16), insufficient myopia (18.8%, n = 3 of 16), and de novo astigmatism (12.5%, n = 2 of 16). One eye was targeted for near vision due to de novo astigmatism. Re-treatment in distance-targeted eyes was due to myopic undercorrection (45.2%, n = 14 of 31), myopic regression (19.4%, n = 6 of 31), myopic overcorrection (12.9%, n = 4 of 31), hyperopic regression (6.5%, n = 2 of 31), astigmatism undercorrection (6.5%, n = 2 of 31), de novo astigmatism (6.5%, n = 2 of 31), and astigmatism regression (3.2%, n = 1 of 31). Re-treatment was more likely in distance targeted eyes of patients with monovision compared to near-targeted eyes (P = .025) and patients without monovision (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In monovision laser vision correction, retreatment in the near-targeted eye is rare when the ideal near target (-1.50 to -1.25 diopters) is achieved. However, the distance-targeted eye is more likely to require re-treatment. Surgeons can plan monovision surgery and advise patients accordingly.