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Twelve-year Follow-up of Photorefractive Keratectomy for Low to Moderate Myopia

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PURPOSE

To evaluate long-term safety and stability in a group of myopic patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) >12 years ago.

METHODS

Myopic PRK was performed on 120 eyes of 80 patients using the Summit UV200 excimer laser with a 5-mm ablation zone. Of the original group, most of whom were followed for >2 years (mean 2.6±1.7 years), 34 patients (58 eyes) returned at 12 years (mean 12.7±0.79 years) and had refractive stability, refractive predictability, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), corneal haze, and subjective patient symptoms, such as glare/halos, recorded.

RESULTS

Preoperative mean refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE) ranged from –1.75 to –7.25 diopters (D) and astigmatism from 0.00 to 1.50 D. All eyes underwent a change in manifest refraction over 12 years. At 2 years, MRSE was –0.27±0.55 D and at 12 years was –0.58±0.72 D. In 87.9% of eyes, the level of preoperative BSCVA was maintained or improved, whereas 34.5% of eyes gained one line, and 12.1% lost one line of BSCVA. Uncorrected visual acuity >20/20 was noted in 67% of eyes, whereas 62.1% were within ±0.50 D of emmetropia. Trace haze was noted in 17.2% of eyes at 12 years. One patient had a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, but this was unlikely due to the PRK procedure. With respect to the small optical zone, 14 (41.1%) patients had night visual problems, particularly halos, which were severe in 2.7%. All patients questioned stated they would have the procedure done again.

CONCLUSIONS

Photorefractive keratectomy with the Summit UV200 excimer laser effectively reduced myopia and showed good refractive stability from year 2 to 12 with good patient satisfaction. [J Refract Surg. 2006;22:871-877.]

AUTHORS

From Mater Private Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the materials presented herein.

Correspondence: Michael O’Keeffe, FRCS, Mater Private Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7, Ireland. Tel: 353 1 8858626; Fax: 353 1 8858490; E-mail: mokeefe@materprivate.ie

Received: October 20, 2005

Accepted: June 27, 2006