title: The early results of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for compound myopic astigmatism.
abstract: An excimer laser (VISX Twenty/Twenty Excimer Refractive System) was used to treat 51 eyes for myopia and astigmatism. Uncorrected pretreatment visual acuity was between 6/18 and 6/60 (log unit +0.45 to +1.0) in 59% and worse than 6/60 in 29%. The mean pretreatment spherical refractive error was -4.05 dioptre (range 1.25 to 13.25), and the mean pretreatment cylindrical error was -0.97 dioptre (range 0.25 to 4.00).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uncorrected visual acuity measured 6/6 or better (log unit 0.0 or less) in 80% at three months, and averaged 6/6 for all eyes at six months post-treatment, with 75% eyes obtaining 6/6 or better. The mean post-treatment spherical error decayed according to pre-treatment values, with a mean sphere of -0.20 dioptre for eyes initially less than -2.00 dioptre, -0.40 dioptre (for those between -2.25 and -3.00), -0.71 dioptre (for those between -4.25 and -5.00), and -1.15 dioptre for eyes initially above -6.25 dioptre. Vectored cylindrical correction exhibited response proportional to initial refraction, with a mean post-treatment cylinder of -1.83 dioptre for eyes formerly averaging -3.08 dioptre, -0.55 dioptre (eyes initially averaging -1.63 dioptre), and -0.51 dioptre (eyes initially averaging -0.67 dioptre). Vector analysis of post-treatment astigmatism showed 58% eyes exhibiting 51 or more degrees of axis shift, although 34% eyes remained within 20 degrees of their pretreatment axis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An effective reduction in spherocylindrical error was achieved with all eyes, although axis misalignment was a common event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Southend Hospital, Westcliff on Sea, Essex., U.K.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Horgan
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity