title: Long-term follow-up of excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate long-term follow-up results of excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in a Japanese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients (31 eyes) with corneal opacity were treated with excimer laser PTK. Preoperative diagnoses included 16 eyes with band keratopathy, 10 with granular dystrophy, and 5 with corneal scar. Mean postoperative follow-up was 27 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corneal opacity was reduced in all patients. At postoperative month 12, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) improved from the preoperative level in 22 eyes of 28 eyes, did not change in 3 eyes, and declined in 3 eyes. BSCVA at month 24 was better than the preoperative acuity in 17 eyes of 23 eyes, similar in 1 eye, and worse in 5 eyes. Eyes with granular dystrophy showed significantly better BSCVA improvement than those with band keratopathy. A hyperopic shift of +1.0 diopter or more occurred in 14 eyes of 28 eyes at month 12 and in 12 eyes of 23 eyes at month 24. No serious adverse effects were encountered during the 3-year follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excimer laser PTK is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of Japanese patients with superficial corneal opacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshika
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuru
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014945:Wound Healing