title: Efficacy, predictability, and safety of laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to report the refractive and visual outcomes of laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) for the treatment of myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, noncomparative consecutive case series of 173 of 91 patients who had undergone LASEK is presented. Primary outcome variables included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction, epithelialization time, pain, haze, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperatively, the mean spherical equivalent (SE) was -3.71 ± 1.63 D (range, -0.875 D to 8.25 D), and the mean LogMAR BSCVA was -0.0374 ± 0.0767 D (range, -0.47 D to 0.00 D). On the final visit, the mean SE was -0.05 ± 0.335 D (range, -1.63 D to 1.00 D), the mean LogMAR UCVA was 0.04674 ± 0.0771 D (range, -0.3010 D to 0.1249 D) and the mean LogMAR BSCVA was -0.0164 ± 0.0497 (range -0.3010 to 0.124). All eyes achieved vision of 20/40 or better, and 83.2% of the eyes achieved a vision of 20/25 or better. One 64 (94.94%) and all the eyes were within ± 0.50 D and ± 1.00 D of the attempted correction respectively. Complete epithelialization occurred in 4.70 ± 2.09 days (range, 2-10 days). At the final visit, 79.7% of eyes had a clear cornea. Grade 1 haze developed in 17.34% of the eyes, grade 2 haze developed in 2.89% of eyes developed; no eyes developed grade 3 or 4 haze.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LASEK is a safe, effective, and predictable method for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Faisal M
authors: FM
authors: Al-Tobaigy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D049008:Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult