To compare the accuracy of myopic refraction using an aberrometer (WaveScan, Visx, Santa Clara, CA, USA) with manifest refraction using retinoscopy and an autorefractor.

The medical records of 200 eyes in 100 patients who visited our clinic from February 2005 to February 2007 for refractive surgery were reviewed retrospectively. We compared the refractive errors obtained using an aberrometer, retinoscopy, and an autorefractor (KR-7100, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). All of the measured refractive errors were converted to power vectors for statistical analysis. The power vectors consisted of the M vector (M), J₀ vector (J₀), and J₄₅ vector (J₄₅).

The mean sphere was -4.75 diopters (D) and the mean cylinder was -0.66D with retinoscopy. Power vectors of the aberrometer (PVw) were highly correlated with power vectors of retinoscopy (PVr) and the autrorefractor (PVa). The correlation coefficients (R₂) between PVw and PVr were 0.960 (M), 0.852 (J₀), and 0.679 (J₄₅) and the correlation coefficients between PVw and PVr were 0.963 (M), 0.685 (J₀), and 0.516 (J₄₅). Mean differences were -0.247±0.412D (M), 0.034±0.120D (J₀), and -0.017±1.07D (J₄₅) between PVw and PVr, and were -0.068±0.403D (M), -0.055±0.194D (J₀), and -0.052±0.165D (J₄₅) between PVw and PVa.

The measurement of refractive errors using a WaveScan aberrometer seems to be reliable and accurate, although some myopic shift was observed.