title: Corneal limbal marking in the treatment of myopic astigmatism with the excimer laser.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether preoperative marking of the limbal cornea improves treatment of myopic astigmatism with the excimer laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study on 108 eyes with myopic astigmatism that underwent LASIK or laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) with the Technolas 217 (Bausch & Lomb) excimer laser. Preoperative limbal marking was performed in 47 eyes (marked group). The 12-month results were used for refractive and visual analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The achieved cylinder reduction, spherical reduction, and refractive predictability were similar for the marked and unmarked groups in the overall study collective, in the LASIK and LASEK subgroup analysis, and in a higher astigmatism (> 1.25 diopters) subgroup analysis. Limbal marking showed no influence on the refractive results, and vector analysis showed no significant difference in angle of error among groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal limbal marking failed to improve the refractive outcome in LASIK and LASEK for myopic astigmatism.
authors.affiliation: Augenklinik, Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zuberbuhler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goggin
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esterman
authors.forename: Isaak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schipper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049008:Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult