Long-term results of thin corneas after refractive laser surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To report the long-term refractive results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in patients with thin corneas.


METHODS
A long-term, retrospective, non-randomized follow-up study.


METHODS
Sixty-three patients (124 eyes) (28 males and 35 females), who had a preoperative central corneal thickness (CCT) of less than 500 microns and completed at least one year of follow-up examinations after surgery. Thirty-five patients (68 eyes) underwent PRK and 28 patients (56 eyes) underwent LASIK.


RESULTS
Mean preoperative corneal pachymetry was 484.95 +/- 6.65 microm (range, 470 to 498 microm) and 482.38 +/- 10.73 microm (range, 453 to 499 microm) for LASIK and PRK, respectively. No intraoperative complications were found in both groups. None of the included eyes developed postrefractive corneal ectasia. The mean predictability for the PRK group was 0.08 diopters (D) with a standard deviation of 0.40 D (range, -1.38 to 1.00 D), and the mean predictability for the LASIK group was 0.14 D with a standard deviation of 0.55 D (range, -1.25 to 1.33 D).


CONCLUSIONS
Refractive laser surgery with LASIK or PRK in patients with thin corneas (less than 500 microm) seems to be a safe and predictable technique for myopic refractive corrections.
Kymionis
George D
GD
Department of Ophthalmology, Vardinoyannion Eye Institute of Crete, University of Crete, Greece. kymionis@med.uoc.gr
Bouzoukis
Dimitrios
D
Diakonis
Vasilios
V
Tsiklis
Nikolaos
N
Gkenos
Eirineos
E
Pallikaris
Aristofanis I
AI
Giaconi
Joann A
JA
Yoo
Sonia H
SH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography