title: Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Myopic Patients Having Thin Residual Corneal Thickness after Excimer Laser Surface Ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and compare the long-term safety, efficacy, and accuracy of PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) in myopic corneas having residual corneal thickness less than 400 micron meters (µm).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical reports of the patients who had undergone excimer laser surface ablation between 2007-2011 and had a residual corneal thickness less than 400 µm were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two eyes of 42 patients with a mean age of 28.79±7.76 years were enrolled into the study. Twenty-two PRK and 20 LASEK procedures were performed. The mean follow-up time was 45.00±11.80 months. At the end of follow-up, no ectasia was detected. Nineteen percent of eyes had trace haze. No eyes lost any lines in corrected distance visual acuity. Eighty-one percent of the patients had an uncorrected distance visual acuity better than 20/40. The regression rate was 16.7%. Sixty-two percent of eyes were within ±1.00 D. The safety and efficacy indexes were 1.19±0.42 and 1.00±0.40, respectively. There was not any difference between LASEK and PRK regarding achieved spherical equivalent refraction, haze ratio, visual acuity, safety, efficacy, and regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both PRK and LASEK are safe and effective in myopic corneas having thin residual thickness.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hitit University , Çorum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sücattin İlker
authors.initials: Sİ
authors.lastname: Kocamış
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ophthalmology , Hacettepe University , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Basri
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Çakmak
authors.affiliation: c Kudret Eye Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sıdıka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerçeker
authors.affiliation: d Department of Ophthalmology , Yıldırım Beyazıt University , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurullah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Çağıl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000379:methods*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity
keywords: Ectasia; laser epithelial keratomileusis; mitomycin-C; photorefractive keratectomy; residual thin cornea