ASCRS 2025: Karl Stonecipher, MD, on LASIK outcomes using an aspheric excimer laser for high myopia

Karl G. Stonecipher, MD, presented data on LASIK outcomes in high myopia using an advanced excimer laser system with an aspheric ablation algorithm at the 2025 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting, held April 25 to 28 in Los Angeles, California. The study focused on patients averaging -5.6 D of myopia, with some as high as -8 D. Stonecipher emphasized both visual outcomes and patient-reported satisfaction.

“What were the key figures that we were kind of excited about with regards to outcomes in this particular arm of the trial?” he asked. “We’re really looking at high myopia. So we're talking about -8.”

One of the features of the laser platform, the Teneo, is its ease of use and speed, he noted. “It’s a GUI interface, which is really easy to understand. My staff loves that. It's very comfortable for the patient, and it's extremely fast at 1.2 seconds per diopter,” said Stonecipher. These attributes, he noted, contributed to patient satisfaction rates of 98% to 99%.

On the topic of visual quality, particularly dysphotopsias, he reported significant improvement compared with earlier platforms. “Patients come in, we don't see as much glare and halos... we show improvements across all platforms at this high level, and we don't see dysphotopsias like we saw with a lot of those earlier platforms.” The PROWL questionnaire was used to assess subjective outcomes.

The laser’s simplicity was another highlight: “We just put the manifest in the box. This is not nomogrammed information... you had 20/20, 20/25 level of vision that was stable in the high 90 range.”

Stonecipher concluded by noting, “It’s a very convenient laser,” adding that patients are satisfied in varied lighting conditions and daily activities.