ONE-YEAR EVALUATION OF EXCIMER-LASER PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY FOR MYOPIA AND MYOPIC ASTIGMATISM

Objective: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy in the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism. Methods: Up to 15 diopters (D) of myopia with or without astigmatism of less than 6 D was treated with an excimer laser (VISX Twenty/Twenty). One hundred fifty procedures have been followed up for more than 12 months. Results: Postoperative refractions were generally stable after 3 months without significant early overcorrection. Of those eyes treated with spherical equivalents of 5 D or less, 95% were within 1 D of the targeted refraction after photorefractive keratectomy and 88% had uncorrected visual acuities of 20/40 or better. At 12 months, 77% of all 150 eyes treated achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better and 81% were within 1 D of the intended correction. Nine eyes (6%) lost 2 or more lines of best corrected visual acuity and 14 (9%) gained 2 or more lines. Adverse reactions were reported in 12 patients (8%) during the postoperative period. Conclusions: Photorefractive keratectomy is capable of correcting low and moderate myopic errors with a relatively high degree of accuracy and safety. The predictability and stability of the postoperative refraction during the first 12 months seem to be good.