title: Recurrence rate and subjective symptoms after standardized (Hamburg protocol) phototherapeutic keratectomy on recurrent corneal erosions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the objective and subjective outcome after phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) on recurrent corneal erosions (Hamburg protocol).
  
  
  METHODS
  For the standardized PTK according to Hamburg protocol a manual abrasio corneae performed with 20 % alcohol is followed by an excimer ablation depth of ≥15 μm (group1 15 μm; group 2 > 15 μm ablation depth) and 7 mm optical zone. All patients (N = 48) were invited for follow-up examinations and the evaluation of changes concerning subjective symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significantly reduced subjective impairment of night vision, significantly less pain and less foreign body sensations (for all p < 0.05) were noted in 48 patients that met the inclusion criteria (26 women, 22 men). In the follow-up period an improvement of corrected distance visual acuities (cdva) from 0.80 to 1.08 (group 1) and from 0.58 to 0.99 (group 2) was demonstrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTK (Hamburg Schema) is a safe and effective procedure to reduce subjective symptoms and improve discomfort in recurrent corneal erosion.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Ophthalmology, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehlan
authors.affiliation: zentrumsehstärke, Hamburg, Germany. j.mehlan@uke.de.|CareVision Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. j.mehlan@uke.de.|Universitäts-Augenklinik Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. j.mehlan@uke.de.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Ophthalmology, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traber
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Ophthalmology, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.|CareVision Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Ophthalmology, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.|zentrumsehstärke, Hamburg, Germany.|CareVision Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Linke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Cornea; Excimer laser; PTK; Recurrent corneal erosion