title: Non-contact holmium:YAG laser thermal keratoplasty for hyperopia: two-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the non-contact holmium:YAG laser thermal keratoplasty (LTK) for the treatment of mild to moderate hyperopia without astigmatism.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, non-comparative case series included 50 eyes of 28 patients (aged > or =40 years) who had stable refraction and an astigmatic component < +0.50 diopters (D). We applied the non-contact pulsed holmium:YAG laser to treat the hyperopic spherical component using the Hyperion LTK System. All patients had minimum 12-month follow-up and 64% (18 patients) had 24-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 48.4 +/- 8.23 years (range: 40 to 62 years). The preoperative hyperopic mean spherical equivalent refraction was +2.32 +/- 0.975 D (range: +1.00 to +4.75 D). Postoperatively, the subjective manifest refraction decreased from the preoperative mean value of +2.32 D to a mean -0.09 D at 1 month after surgery and regressed to +0.315 D at the last follow-up examination, resulting in a mean correction of +2.005 +/- 0.81 D at 24 months after surgery. Preoperatively, mean uncorrected visual acuity in LogMAR units was 0.798 +/- 0.353 and at 12 months after surgery, it was a mean 0.108 +/- 0.136. Keratometric power increased from 42.595 +/- 1.949 D before surgery to 44.605 +/- 1.626 D at 24 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Holmium:YAG LTK was an acceptable alternative for the correction of mild to moderate hyperopia in this middle-aged population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. papado@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Nick T h
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Miltiadis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balidis
authors.forename: Periklis D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Brazitikos
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Androudi
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fotiadis
authors.forename: Kostantinos A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kalinderis
authors.forename: Nikolaos T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Stangos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology