This study attempted to assess the impact of preoperative effective factors on patients' postoperative pain after laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) surgery.

In this study patients who underwent lasek for the first time were enrolled. The lasek surgery was performed following a standardized protocol on both eyes of each patient simultaneously. Visual analogue scales for pain at the first and fourth day after surgery was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire. Preoperatively, the anxiety and depression scale were completed using the self rating speilberger and beck questionnaires. Notably, similar methodologies were used in pre and post-surgical patients.

All 40 patients (52.5% men, the mean (SD) of age : 26.82±4.12), completed pre and post operative questionnaires on days 1 and 4. Based on 11-point numerical rating scale the mean pain severity score were 5.15±1.93 (moderate to severe discomfort) and 1.92±1.67 (no pain to mild discomfort) on the first and fourth postoperative day (P<0.001). The prevalance of severe first post operative day pain was higher in female gender and patients with moderate to high score of anxiety.

LASEK surgery was associated with more post operative pain in first day than 4th. Refracctive surgens should consider predictable factors of post operative pain perception such as individuall factors , operative setting , psychological situation ....following LASEK surgery.