To compare short-term clinical results of femtosecond LASIK with those of epi-LASIK.

Twenty subjects (40 eyes) underwent femtosecond LASIK and 20 subjects (40 eyes) underwent epi-LASIK for myopia with astigmatism. The results of each surgery were compared with regard to visual acuity, spherical equivalent, safety, efficacy, stability, predictability and high order aberration.

Postoperative uncorrected visual acuities were 0.51 ± 0.11, 0.95 ± 0.08, and 0.97 ± 0.08 for epi-LASIK and 0.76 ± 0.19, 0.97 ± 0.07, and 0.98 ± 0.06 for femtosecond LASIK at one week, one month, and two months after surgery, respectively. Femtosecond LASIK showed faster improvement in visual acuity. Postoperative spherical equivalents were -0.83 ± 0.24, -0.31 ± 0.19, and -0.27 ± 0.09 for epi-LASIK and -0.47 ± 0.21, -0.28 ± 0.15, and -0.25 ± 0.12 for femtosecond LASIK. Safety, efficacy, stability, and predictability showed no differences between the two groups. High order aberrations were increased significantly; however, no significant difference between the two groups was found.

Both epi-LASIK and femtosecond LASIK are effective for surgical correction of myopia with fast visual rehabilitation. In addition, epi-LASIK and femtosecond LASIK showed good safeties, efficacies, predictabilities, and stabilities.