[Photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy for low, moderate, and high astigmatism using a broad beam excimer laser: evaluataion according to new international criteria].
BACKGROUND
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is an accepted procedure to correct myopia in Germany. The purpose of this study was to evaluate photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (PARK) for myopic astigmatism.


METHODS
PARK using the VISX 20/20 excimer laser was performed in 50 eyes of 36 patients (25 female, 16 male) aged 22 to 68 years (mean 38 +/- 10 years) in the period of 1995 to 1996. Retrospective evaluation was done after dividing the patients into three astigmatic groups between -0.5 diopters (D) and -1.5 D (group I, n = 28), between -1.75 D and -3.0 D (group II, n = 16) und between -3.25 D and -5.5 D (group III, n = 6). The correction of myopic astigmatism was assessed concerning the criteria safety, efficacy, predictability and stability. Mean follow-up was 12 months (8-15 months).


RESULTS
Seventy-eight % of all eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of > 0.5. Sixty-eight % of the eyes were within +/- 1.0 D of the desired correction. Loss of 2 or more lines of best corrected visual acuity occurred in 6 eyes (12.0%). We observed in group I an astigmatic reduction of 36.0%, in group II of 66.5% and in group III of 68.0%. The surgically induced astigmatism was calculated with 1.29 +/- 1.0 D. Mean axis rotation of the refractive cylinder was 22.12 +/- 23.05 degrees.


CONCLUSIONS
PARK using the VISX 20/20 excimer laser is an acceptable procedure to correct myopic astigmatism. However, the study revealed that astigmatic reduction with a broad beam laser is not yet perfect in terms of efficacy, predictability and safety.
Schnitzler
E M
EM
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Zentrum für Augenheilkunde, Frankfurt am Main.
Kohnen
T
T
Steinkamp
G W
GW
Ohrloff
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity