title: Results of a prospective evaluation of photorefractive keratectomy at 1 year after surgery.
abstract: The 1-year results obtained in 193 eyes of 146 patients who were enrolled in a prospective study investigating photorefractive keratectomy for myopia correction with the excimer laser are reported. Because of lost follow-up (17 eyes) and reoperations (15 eyes), a complete 1-year follow-up was available in 161 eyes of 115 patients that were included in the analysis. At 12 months after surgery, the percentage of eyes showing refractions within +/- 1.0 D of the attempted refraction was 97.6% in the lower group (up to -3.0 D), 91.8% in the middle group (-3.1 to -6.0 D), 44.4% in the higher group (-6.1 to -9.0 D), and 25% in the high-myopia group (more than -9.0 D). Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was unchanged in 95% of the eyes, two eyes (1.2%) lost two lines, and six eyes (3.7%) gained two lines. Visual acuity under glare conditions was reduced from 0.71 at baseline to 0.625 at 1 year after surgery (P < 0.001). The incidence of manifest corneal scars was significantly related to the attempted refractive change (P < 0.0001). Complications were rare and not severe. These data suggest that photorefractive keratectomy is an effective and relatively safe procedure for the correction of myopia of up to -6.0 D, once long-term stability is proven. However, in eyes involving an attempted correction of more than 6.0 D (52 eyes), we found high rates of scarring in 8 eyes (15.4%) and undercorrection in 27 eyes (52%), and reoperations were needed because of scarring or undercorrection in 14 eyes (25%).
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wollensak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D014792:Visual Acuity