Good results seen in prospective study of transepithelial PRK

PARIS — Transepithelial PRK leads to a faster recovery with a low risk of complications, according to one surgeon.

TransPRK (Schwind) is a one-step no-touch surface ablation technique based on a classic PRK profile with the addition of an epithelial component, Amine Chachoua, MD, explained at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology. The epithelium is included in the laser ablation profile, avoiding contact of the eye with instruments.

“The procedure is faster and leads to less dehydration than standard PRK. No alcohol is used, and the added advantage is that it takes into consideration that the epithelium is thicker in the periphery and thinner in the center. Only the amount of epithelium over the area of refractive treatment is removed, and recovery is faster. The procedure can be combined with customized wavefront-based treatments,” he said.

Chachoua presented the results of a prospective study of 240 eyes of 120 patients treated with TransPRK for myopia with or without astigmatism between January 2014 and January 2015 at the university hospital in Parnet, Alger, Algeria. Mean preoperative refraction was –4.6 D, ranging between –2.87 D and –6.25 D. Mean central pachymetry was 509 µm.

“Postoperatively, mean sphere was 0.16 D and mean cylinder was –0.3 D. The average optical zone was 6.45 mm. Nearly all the patients achieved VA 20/20 or better. Within 3 days, all eyes were re-epithelialized and the contact lens was removed. No haze was reported in 234 eyes, and haze grade 2 was reported in six eyes,” Chachoua said.

He noted that this group of patients, with a mean age of 25 years and a corneal thickness less than 510 µm, had a LASIK risk score of 2, a borderline value for iatrogenic ectasia. – by Michela Cimberle

Disclosure: Chachoua reports no relevant financial disclosures.