Abstracts of Selected Publications:
A Two year Experience with Excimer Laser Photorefractive Keratectomy for Myopia
James J. Salz, MD, Ezra Maguen, MD, Anthony B. Nesburn, MD, Cathy Warren, RN, Jonathan I. Macy, MD, John D. Hofbauer, MD, Thanassis Papaioannou, MSc, Michael Berlin, MD
PURPOSE: This report summarizes the authors' 2-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on 160 eyes of 128 patients.
METHODS: All eyes were treated with an excimer laser: fluence, 160 mJ/cm² frequency, 5 Hz; ablation zone diameter, 5.0 to 5.5 mm; and depth per pulse, 0.21 to 0.27 µm. A suction fixation ring was used in all eyes either with nitrogen flow (79 eyes) or without nitrogen flow (81 eyes) across the cornea. Follow-up ranged from 1 month (152 eyes) to 24 months (12 eyes).
RESULTS: At 3 months, 82% (139) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 83% were corrected within ±1 diopter (D) of intended correction and 30% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 6 months, 88% (124) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84% were corrected to within ±1 D of intended correction and 15% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 12 months, 91% (71) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84 were corrected to within ±1 D of intended correction and 17% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 24 months, 100% (12) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 91.6% were within ±1 D of intended correction and 0% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity.
CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with a follow-up of 6 to 24 months, 77% to 100% achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better and 84% to 92% were corrected to within ±1 D of the intended correction. The authors conclude that excimer laser PRK appears to be a safe procedure capable of correcting the eyes of patients with low to moderate myopia with approximately the same degree of accuracy as radial keratotomy.
OPHTHALMOLOGY, Volume 100, No. 6 June 1993