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.
Salz
J J
JJ
Department of Ophthalmology, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
Maguen
E
E
Nesburn
A B
AB
Warren
C
C
Macy
J I
JI
Hofbauer
J D
JD
Papaioannou
T
T
Berlin
M
M
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