Surgically induced astigmatism after photorefractive keratectomy with the excimer laser.

PURPOSE: To evaluate retrospectively the effect of spherical excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on astigmatism. METHODS: Four hundred seventy consecutive eyes of patients who had PRK for the treatment of myopia without astigmatic keratotomy, PRK reoperation, or other surgical procedures were evaluated in a retrospective clinical study. PRK was performed using the Summit Apex excimer laser with attempted corrections from 1 to 7 diopters (D) of myopia. Preoperative and postoperative astigmatism was determined by manifest refraction refined with a 0.25-D Jackson cross cylinder and evaluated with vector analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-five ( 18%) eyes continued to have a spherical refraction after PRK, 53 (11%) eyes had the same preoperative astigmatism, and 332 (71%) eyes had a change in magnitude of astigmatism > or =0.25 D after spherical PRK. The absolute change in astigmatism magnitude irrespective of axis was +0.4 +/- 0.4 (standard deviation) D at 6 months after PRK. Eyes with change in astigmatism power tended to have higher preoperative myopia and higher preoperative astigmatism. Vector analysis revealed surgically induced astigmatism was 0.68 +/- 0.50 D (range, 0-3.25 D) at 1 month and 0.56 +/- 0.47 D (range, 0-3.1 D) at 12 months after spherical PRK. CONCLUSION: Spherical excimer laser PRK is associated with significant surgically induced astigmatism that is likely related to decentration of the ablation, excimer laser beam irregularities, and variations in wound healing across the ablated zone. Surgically induced astigmatism will complicate attempts to correct astigmatism simultaneously at the time of PRK and suggest that such attempts are likely to be problematic for lower levels of astigmatism.

One-year results of PRK in low and moderate myopia: fewer than 0.5% of eyes lose two or more lines of vision.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the results of myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for different levels of intended correction, including analysis of loss of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. METHODS: Four hundred seventy-five consecutive eyes with 1 year of follow-up that had PRK for the correction of 1-7 diopters (D) of myopia by using the Summit SVS Apex excimer laser. Three hundred forty-eight eyes were examined at 1 year. This study was confined to the 236 eyes with 1 year of follow-up that had PRK without astigmatic keratotomy. Eyes also were analyzed according to the range of attempted correction (0-3 D, low; 3.1-6D, moderate; and > or =6.1 D, high moderate). Manifest refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), surface regularity index (SRI), and surface asymmetry index (SAI) were evaluated for each group. RESULTS: One year after PRK, 91% of all eyes were within 1 diopter and 73% of eyes were within 0.5 diopter of emmetropia. Uncorrected visual acuity was 20/25 or better in 79% and 20/40 or better in 96% of eyes. Two lines of BSCVA were lost in only 0.4% of eyes (one of 236). No eye lost >2 lines of BSCVA, and 30% gained one line. Mean SRI and SAI were increased as compared with preoperative values, but were within the normal range for our patient population (ranges, 0.2-1.0 and 0.1-0.7, respectively). UCVA, BSCVA, and predictability decreased, whereas SAI and SRI increased, with increasing attempted correction. CONCLUSION: PRK effectively reduced myopia in all eyes with 12 months' follow-up. Predictability tended to decrease with increasing attempted correction, even for low to moderate myopia. PRK may induce mild surface asymmetry and irregularity, and these alterations tend to increase with higher attempted correction. Fewer than 0.5% of eyes lost > or =2 lines of best-corrected visual acuity.

Arcuate transverse keratotomy remains a useful adjunct to correct astigmatism in conjunction with photorefractive keratectomy.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of paired, arcuate transverse keratotomy (Arc-T) performed prior to or after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) to correct low to moderate amounts of natural or laser-induced astigmatism. METHODS: Spherical PRK was performed in 730 eyes for myopia of -1.00 to -7.00 D. PRK with arcuate transverse keratotomy was performed in 150 of these eyes; we studied 123 eyes that did not have PRK enhancement. Arc-T was performed prior to PRK in all 37 study eyes with astigmatism of 1.50 D or more at the preoperative examination. Arc-T keratotomy was performed after PRK in 86 study eyes for residual astigmatism of +0.75 D or more and uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 or worse. RESULTS: Arc-T before PRK group: PRK was performed at a mean 1.0 +/- 1.5 months after Arc-T. Mean astigmatism decreased from +2.40 +/- 0.6 D (range, 1.00 to 4.00 D) before Arc-T to 0.60 +/- 0.60 D (range, 0 to 2.25 D) after Arc-T (P < .0001). Net change in astigmatism was 1.80 +/- 0.60 D (range, 0.80 to 2.80 D) and mean reduction was 75%. Spherical equivalent refraction changed from -4.10 +/- 1.90 D (range, -0.25 to -8.10 D) to -4.40 +/- 1.80 D after Arc-T (P = .002). Mean change in spherical equivalent refraction after Arc-T was -0.30 +/- 0.50 D (range, -1.10 to +0.40 D). Arc-T after PRK group: Arc-T was performed at a mean 3.5 +/- 1.9 months after PRK. Six months after Arc-T, astigmatism was decreased from +1.50 +/- 0.60 D to 0.40 +/- 0.40 D (P = .04). Net change in astigmatism at 6 months was 1.10 +/- 0.60 D and mean reduction was 74%. Vector change in astigmatism magnitude was 1.30 +/- 0.60 D (range, 0 to 4.00 D) at 6 months and vector change in astigmatism axis was 65 degrees +/- 68 degrees. Spherical equivalent refraction did not change when Arc-T was performed after PRK for eyes with low astigmatism (P = .4). Arc-T retreatment was performed in 6 of 37 (16%) eyes that had Arc-T before PRK and 18 of 86 (21%) eyes that had Arc-T after PRK (P = .12). CONCLUSION: Arcuate transverse keratotomy performed prior to PRK for high astigmatism or after PRK for lower levels of residual astigmatism effectively improved visual outcome. Coupling was less predictable for high levels of astigmatism correction with Arc-T.

Epithelial scrape for photorefractive keratectomy overcorrection associated with induced regression.

PURPOSE: To study the effect of combined corneal epithelial scrape and contact lens wear treatment on regression in eyes with symptomatic overcorrection after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or PRK retreatment. METHODS: Fifteen eyes had corneal epithelial scrape with a scalpel followed by soft contact lens wear for approximately 1 month. Eight of the eyes were treated 3-4 months after the laser procedure, and seven eyes were treated >4 months after laser treatment. Fifteen eyes that had the same level of PRK correction and monitored during the same interval after PRK were used as matched control eyes. RESULTS: Epithelial scrape was performed for mean spherical equivalent (SE) of +1.1+/-0.4 diopters (D) (range, +0.50 to +1.75 D) at mean 6.1+/-3.2 months after PRK or PRK retreatment. The SE in these eyes was +0.5+/-0.6 D (range, -0.25 to +1.25 D) 3 months after epithelial scrape and +0.4+/-0.5 D (range, -0.75 to +1.25 D) 6 months after scrape. The change in scraped eyes at 3 and 6 months compared to before scrape was statistically significant (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The change in mean SE at 6 months after scrape (-0.7+/-0.5 D) was significantly different than the change noted in matched control eyes that were not scraped (-0.1+/-0.2 D) over the same interval after the PRK or PRK retreatment procedure. The change in SE at 6 months after epithelial scrape was greater for the eyes scraped 4 months or less (mean, 3.6+/-0.5 months) after PRK (-0.9+/-0.3 D) than eyes scraped >4 months (9.0+/-2.6 months) after PRK (-0.4+/-0.5 D). This difference approached statistical significance (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Epithelial scrape and soft contact lens treatment for symptomatic overcorrection after PRK may induce regression and is more likely to be effective when performed <4 months after the primary PRK or PRK retreatment procedure.

Binocular function and patient satisfaction after monovision induced by myopic photorefractive keratectomy.

PURPOSE: To measure binocular function and patient satisfaction with monovision induced by photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in myopic presbyopic patients. SETTING: Refractive Department, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. METHODS: This study comprised 21 myopic presbyopic patients with monovision induced by PRK. Sixteen emmetropic patients who had PRK served as a control group. Monovision was induced by undercorrecting the nondominant eye by 1.25 diopters for near vision and correcting the dominant eye with emmetropia for distance vision. Monocular and binocular uncorrected Snellen visual acuities at 20 feet and 13 inches, manifest refraction, ocular dominance, stereopsis at 20 feet and 13 inches, monocular and binocular contrast sensitivities, Worth-4-Dot test at 20 feet and 1/3 of a meter, and fusional convergence amplitudes were examined in each patient. RESULTS: In the monovision group at near and distance, 20 patients (95.3%) had binocular visual acuity of 20/25 or better. No patient in the monovision group used reading glasses postoperatively; 4 of 16 patients (25.0%) in the control group used such glasses. All patients maintained binocular fusion and stereo acuity ranging from 40 to 800 seconds of arc. Mean patient satisfaction was 86% (range 40% to 100%). In the control group, 12 patients (75.0%) had binocular distance visual acuity of 20/25 or better and 11 (68.8%) had binocular near visual acuity of 20/25 or better. CONCLUSION: Monovision PRK patients had better near vision than control PRK patients, with minimal compromise in stereo acuity and overall high patient satisfaction.

Epithelial removal with the excimer laser (laser-scrape) in photorefractive keratectomy retreatment.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate refractive and topographic outcomes after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) retreatment using the laser-scrape technique for epithelial removal. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty eyes of patients who had PRK retreatment for undercorrection after primary PRK were examined. INTERVENTION: The PRK retreatment was performed using a laser-scrape technique in which the excimer laser was used to remove the majority of the epithelium overlying the anterior stromal surface before additional PRK ablation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), surface regularity index (SRI), and surface asymmetry index were measured. RESULTS: Primary PRK was performed for myopia of -5.1 +/- 1.7 diopters (range, -1.1 to -7.5 diopters). Mean spherical equivalent (SE) was -1.3 +/- 0.4 diopters (range, -0.6 to -2.0 diopters) before retreatment. Mean SE 6 months after retreatment decreased to +0.1 +/- 0.4 diopter (range, +1.25 to -0.75 diopters; P < 0.0001). Four eyes (15%) were more than +0.5 diopter overcorrected at 6 months. Ninety-six percent of eyes achieved mean SE within +/- 1 diopter and 77% within +/- 0.5 diopter of emmetropia after retreatment. Visual acuity improved significantly 6 months after reablation (P < 0.0001) with 100% 20/40 or better and 73% 20/25 or better without correction. Final BCVA also improved compared with before retreatment (P = 0.02). Twelve eyes gained 1 line of BCVA and no eye lost more than 1 line of BCVA. The SRI before retreatment was 0.6 +/- 0.3 (range, 0.0-0.9) and remained the same 0.6 +/- 0.2 (range, 0.1-1.0; P = 0.8), 6 months after retreatment. CONCLUSION: Excimer laser PRK retreatment using the laser-scrape technique for epithelial removal is an accurate and safe procedure for treating undercorrection of eyes after PRK for low-to-moderate myopia.

Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy for treatment of thin flaps or caps after complicated laser in situ keratomileusis.

PURPOSE: To report transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy treatment of corneal irregularities produced during laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in which there is a thin flap or cap associated with central corneal scarring or epithelial ingrowth that threatens vision. METHODS: Case reports. The thickness of the abnormal corneal flap or cap and associated scarring or epithelial ingrowth is estimated at the slit lamp or measured with an optical pachymeter. If residual myopia is sufficiently high to allow complete ablation of the flap or cap in the central cornea, a transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy is performed in which the epithelium is completely ablated with the excimer laser in phototherapeutic keratectomy mode; residual myopia is corrected using photorefractive keratectomy. RESULTS: This method was used successfully in two eyes of two patients in which a thin cap was associated with a transverse cut through the central cornea or a donut-shaped flap associated with epithelial ingrowth in the central cornea. In both cases, the abnormal cap or flap was ablated, central corneal clarity restored, and visual function improved. CONCLUSION: Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy may be effective in treating central corneal thin cap or flap abnormalities associated with LASIK.

Photorefractive keratectomy using the summit SVS Apex laser with or without astigmatic keratotomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with or without astigmatic keratotomy (AK) for different levels of intended correction by using the SVS Apex laser. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 226 eyes that had PRK for myopia ranging from -1.0 to -7.6 diopters and 6 months of follow-up. In addition, 64 of these eyes had AK for naturally occurring or laser-induced astigmatism. Uncorrected visual acuity, spectacle-corrected visual acuity, and corneal topography with quantitative descriptors of surface regularity (SRI) and surface asymmetry (SAI) were used to monitor the results of PRK with or without AK. RESULTS: At 6 months, 95.6% eyes had an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better, 90% eyes were within +/-1.0 diopter of emmetropia, and 3.1% eyes lost two lines of best-corrected vision. No eyes lost more than two lines of best-corrected vision. Mean refractive astigmatism was reduced, but mean SAI and SRI were increased, 6 months after PRK. Uncorrected vision, best-corrected vision, and predictability decreased, whereas SAI and SRI increased, with increasing attempted correction. CONCLUSION: PRK, with or without AK, effectively reduced myopia in all eyes by 6 months after surgery. Predictability tended to decrease with increasing attempted correction, even for eyes with relatively low to moderate myopia. PRK may induce surface asymmetry and irregularity at 6 months, and these alterations tend to be greater as the attempted correction increases.