A two-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia.
OBJECTIVE
This report summarizes the authors' 2-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on 160 eyes of 128 patients.


METHODS
All eyes were treated with an excimer laser: fluence, 160 mJ/cm2; frequency, 5 Hz; ablation zone diameter, 5.0 to 5.5 mm; and depth per pulse, 0.21 to 0.27 microns. A suction fixation ring was used in all eyes either with nitrogen flow (79 eyes) or without nitrogen flow (81 eyes) across the cornea. Follow-up ranged from 1 month (152 eyes) to 24 months (12 eyes).


RESULTS
At 3 months, 82% (139) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 83% were corrected to within +/- 1 diopter (D) of intended correction and 30% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 6 months, 88% (124) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84% were corrected to within +/- 1 D of intended correction and 15% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 12 months, 91% (71) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84% were corrected to within +/- 1 D of intended correction and 17% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 24 months, 100% (12) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 91.6% were within +/- 1 D of intended correction and 0% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity.


CONCLUSIONS
In eyes with a follow-up of 6 to 24 months, 77% to 100% achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better and 84% to 92% were corrected to within +/- 1 D of the intended correction. The authors conclude that excimer laser PRK appears to be a safe procedure capable of correcting the eyes of patients with low to moderate myopia with approximately the same degree of accuracy as radial keratotomy.
Department of Ophthalmology, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
J J
JJ
Salz
E
E
Maguen
A B
AB
Nesburn
C
C
Warren
J I
JI
Macy
J D
JD
Hofbauer
T
T
Papaioannou
M
M
Berlin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D014792:Visual Acuity