Beta-blocker effective to manage regression after refractive surgery

Lisbon, Portugal - Treatment with a topical beta-blocker is effective for preventing regression after LASIK to treat myopia. However, there is no way to predict which patients will respond to the therapy, according to Takayoshi Suzuki, MD, who reported his findings Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Dr. Suzuki and colleagues from the Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Suidobashi Hospital, Tokyo, studied 41 eyes of 30 patients (18 women, 12 men) who had undergone LASIK for myopia. Regression occurred in all of these eyes and the patients received 0.5% topical timolol (Santen) once daily for at least 3 months. Following the treatment, the patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment response. Group 1 included patients whose vision improved by 1 line or more and Group 2 included patients who showed no improvement.

Dr. Suzuki reported that the mean preoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent was –7 ± 0.57 D. Twenty-four eyes (58.5%) in Group 1 improved and 17 eyes in Group 2 (41.5%) either stayed the same or regressed.

“We found that topical timolol was effective to prevent regression after LASIK. However, there is no way to predict which patients will respond to treatment. The patient age, the preoperative spherical equivalent, and the amount of time after surgery were not factors that affected the results,” Dr. Suzuki concluded.