Photorefractive keratectomy for 1.5 to 18 diopters of myopia

• Published in: Journal of refractive surgery (1995) Vol. 11; no. 3 Suppl; p. S265
• Main Authors: Hamberg-Nyström, H, Fagerholm, P, Sjöholm, C, Tengroth, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-05-1995
• Subjects: Adult; Cornea - physiology; Cornea - surgery; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Lasers, Excimer; Myopia - physiopathology; Myopia - surgery; Photorefractive Keratectomy; Postoperative Complications; Refraction, Ocular; Treatment Outcome; Visual Acuity - physiology
• ISSN: 1081-597X
• DOI: 10.3928/1081-597X-19950502-14

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the refractive outcome and the stability of refraction after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Forty-five eyes were treated in three different refractive groups: low myopes, 23 eyes, -1.50 diopters (D) to -6.00 D; intermediate myopes, 14 eyes, -6.10 D to -10.00 D; and high myopes, 8 eyes, -10.10 D to -18.00 D. At 9 months after surgery the low myopes had a mean refraction of -0.14 D (range -1.00 D to + 1.50 D) and were easy to refract. Intermediate myopes mean refraction was +0.14 D (range -1.50 D to +2.50 D). In the high myope group the mean refraction was -0.47 D (range -10.00 D to +2.50 D) and four eyes (50%) lost more than two lines of spectacle corrected visual acuity. Refraction the high myopes was more difficult compared to the lower myopes. PRK produced good results for myopes from -1.50 D to -10.00 D. Myopes greater than -10.00D are not stable at 9 months after PRK and are difficult to refract.