This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Healing, pain crux of PRK follow-up
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
ORLANDO, Fla.—Optometrists who venture into comanagement arrangements with ophthalmologists for photorefractive keratectomy patients need to evaluate the lasers, the healing process and pain management, says laser researcher John Marshall, MD, PhD.
In a presentation at the American Optometric Association's Contact Lens and Anterior Segment Symposium here, Marshall, of London, said he believes the optimum optical zone size is 6 or 7 mm. Wound healing involves debris removal, tissue replacement and repair, Marshall said. The goals are to stimulate rapid replacement of the epithelium while avoiding excessive replacement of the stroma.
Marshall recommended treating pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for about 20 hours, but said the epithelium may take three days to heal. Most patients have little discomfort and pain with limited and supervised use of topical anesthetics, he said.
More than 300 optometrists attended the symposium, which featured 27 exhibitors and offered more than 30 CE hours.