title: Treatment of myopic astigmatism with the 193 nm excimer laser utilizing aperture elements.
abstract: In this paper, we examine the 193 nm excimer laser's efficacy and safety in treating myopic astigmatism. The VISX Twenty/Twenty excimer laser uses aperture elements to effect astigmatic photorefractive keratectomy. In 70 patients with six months follow-up, the average postoperative sphere was -0.14 and the average postoperative cylinder was -0.54. Seventy-one percent of these patients had uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better at six months. In 12 patients with one year follow-up, the average postoperative sphere was -0.05 and the average postoperative cylinder was -0.59. Eighty-three percent of these patients had uncorrected acuities of 20/40 or better; none had a clinically significant loss of best corrected acuity. This investigation demonstrates that the excimer laser can be used to treat myopic astigmatism successfully.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Spigelman
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cozean
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pender
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimmick
mesh_terms: D001251:Astigmatism / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity