title: Epithelial debridement for secondary hyperopia following myopic excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate epithelial debridement for the treatment of persistent hyperopia in eyes that had photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).
  
  
  METHODS
  Optimax Laser Eye Clinics, Manchester, London, Bristol, England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epithelial debridement was performed on 46 eyes to reduce the hypermetropia following excimer laser PRK.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the patients was 43 years +/- 9.7 (SD). Mean refractive change was -0.51 diopter (D) +/- 0.76 (range +0.75 to -2.50 D). Mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.00 Logmar units (range +0.40 to -0.20 units), although 33% of eyes lost one line or more of Logmar BCVA. Mean follow-up after debridement was 61.0 +/- 26.9 weeks (range 26 to 140 weeks).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epithelial debridement is an unpredictable procedure to treat secondary hyperopia after PRK, producing a small mean change in spherical equivalent with a wide range of results. A significant number of eyes lost one line or more of Logmar BCVA. We therefore do not advocate epithelial debridement after PRK.
authors.affiliation: Optimax Laser Eye Clinic, Manchester, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bessant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity