IOLMaster versus Manual Keratometry after Photorefractive Keratectomy

Purpose: to compare keratometric measurements using a javal type manual keratometer with iolmaster in eyes undergoing photorefractive keratectomy (prk) for myopia. methods: in this comparative case series, we studied patients aged 21 to 27 years scheduled for myopic prk. keratometry was performed preoperatively and three months after the procedure using a javal type manual keratometer and the iolmaster. we compared postoperative measurements obtained by both instruments with the clinical history method (chm). results: seventy eyes of 35 patients with mean age of 23.45±1.55 years were studied. mean preoperative spherical equivalent was -4.53±1.3 d. average preoperative iolmaster and manual keratometric readings were 45.95±1.23 d and 46.32±1.18 d, respectively. postoperatively, mean iolmaster measurements was 38.03±0.68 d and that of manual keratometry was 43.15±1.1 d. compared to chm measurements, the 95% limits of agreement were -5.95 to -0.85 for the iolmaster and -1.44 to 4.04 for manual keratometry. conclusion: keratometric measurements with the iolmaster and a javal type manual device are comparable after prk; both are largely deviant from the chm and can yield misleading results.