title: Topography and raytracing analysis of patients with excellent visual acuity 3 months after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia.
abstract: We performed topography and raytracing analysis 3 months after surgery on five consecutive eyes of five patients, which had excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia. Three of the five eyes had uncorrected postoperative visual acuity of 20/20 or better. Two eyes had an uncorrected vision of 20/40. In three of five eyes, the area of excimer ablation was centered within 1.0 mm of the optical axis. Three other eyes showed decentration that ranged from 1.1 to 1.5 mm. The range of surface power seen within 2 mm of the central keratoscope ring was as follows: patient CK = 37.50 to 39.50 diopters; patient CA = 40.50 D to 44.80 D; patient CW = 37.90 D to 42.20 D; patient AC = 35.50 D to 39.00 D; patient DT = 34.50 D to 41.40 D. Topography patterns differed from eye to eye. A raytracing program modeled refraction of 20/80 and 20/20 "E" of 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5% and 6.25% contrast through all measured points on the central 10 keratoscope rings of the five postoperative corneas. The five computer-derived images were ranked subjectively according to the observed degree of image degradation by three observers. Two eyes showed discernible 20/20 E's even at the 12.5% contrast level. Little to no ghost image was seen. Two eyes showed degraded but discernible 20/20 letters at higher levels of contrast only. These eyes showed moderate ghost images that were most apparent in the high-contrast 20/80 letters. One eye showed poor resolution of the 100% contrast 20/20 letter and moderately severe ghost images.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Phillips Eye Institute, Minneapolis, Minn.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Zabel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Lindstrom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011182:Postoperative Care; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014945:Wound Healing