Shallow ablations in phototherapeutic keratectomy: long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of shallow ablations in phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in patients with recurrent corneal erosions. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 13 consecutive eyes with recurrent corneal erosions treated by PTK from 1997 to 1999 was performed. All eyes failed to respond to conventional treatments, and all eyes had corneal erosions involving the visual axis. Outcome measures included number of recurrences, change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spherical equivalent (SE), and complications arising from the laser treatment. RESULTS: Indications for PTK were recurrent corneal erosions secondary to minor abrasive trauma (9 eyes) and map-dot-fingerprint corneal dystrophy (4 eyes). The mean ablation depth was 4.6 microm (range 3.4 to 5.8 microm). Mean postoperative follow-up was 49.5 months (range 24 to 68 months). The overall success rate after only 1 treatment was 84.6%. Eleven of 13 eyes had a preserved or improved BCVA, while 2 eyes showed deterioration of 1 line on Snellen testing. Seven of 13 patients had no change in SE; the rest had a change of less than +/-0.50 diopters. There were no major complications. CONCLUSIONS: The comparable success rate after a single treatment suggests that PTK may still be effective at a shallower depth than previously considered. Shallow ablations may have lower chances of complications associated with deeper ablations. Further studies involving a larger number of subjects are warranted.

Intraocular lens power calculation formulas in Chinese eyes with high axial myopia.

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulas in Chinese eyes with high axial myopia. SETTINGS: Department of Ophthalmology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 125 Chinese patients with high myopia and axial lengths (ALs) longer than 25.0 mm who had cataract surgery during the year 2000. Eyes with pathology or operative complications affecting the refractive status and those with missing data were excluded. In each case, the power of the implanted IOL was used to calculate the predicted postoperative refractive error by 4 IOL power calculation formulas: SRK II, SRK/T, Holladay 1, and Hoffer Q. The predictive accuracy of the formulas was analyzed by comparing the difference between the "actual" and "predicted" postoperative refractive errors. The Student t test was used for statistical analysis. The performance of the formulas in subcategories of long AL was also tested. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-five eyes (110 patients) were studied. Thirty-seven eyes (29.6%) were excluded. The Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, and SRK/T formulas showed a slight tendency toward resultant hyperopia, with a mean of +0.36 diopters (D), +0.53 D, and +0.74 D, respectively. The SRK II caused the largest hyperopic error, with a mean of +1.47 D. All 4 formulas caused a refractive error shift toward myopia in the subcategories of AL >28.0 mm, minus-power IOL, and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese eyes with high axial myopia with an AL longer than 25.0 mm, the 4 formulas caused a slight postoperative hyperopic refractive error that was less in eyes with a minus-power IOL or an AL longer than 28.0 mm and in those that had ECCE. The Hoffer Q formula provided the best predictive result, and Holladay 1 and SRK/T were comparable in IOL power calculation. The SRK II was the least accurate in all subgroups.