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Purpose To determine the outcome of patients who received phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for recurrent erosion syndrome due to anterior basement membrane dystrophy (ABMD). Design A retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants Forty-eight eyes of 43 consecutive patients who underwent PTK for recurrent erosions occurring in ABMD at the Hunkeler Eye Center from 1991 to April 1995. All patients had previously failed at least one method of medical or surgical treatment for recurrent erosions and had slit-lamp findings of ABMD on initial evaluation. Intervention The eyes each underwent manual superficial keratectomy and PTK with the Summit Omnimed excimer laser. Main outcome measures Data were analyzed by a retrospective chart review for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months for the 36 eyes with at least 12 months of follow-up data available. They were analyzed for preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, change in spherical equivalent, recurrence rate, and patient satisfaction. Results The preoperative mean visual acuity was not statistically significantly different at 1 month after PTK. Statistically significant improvement in mean visual acuity was present at 3, 6, and 12 months. Recurrence of symptoms of recurrent erosion was present in 5 (13.8%) of 36 eyes during the 12-month follow-up period, which was managed with repeat PTK over the area of the cornea initially treated with PTK; 1 of 5 required a third PTK treatment. All recurrences presented within 6 months of PTK or repeat PTK. The mean dioptric change in spherical equivalent was not statistically significant. Patient satisfaction levels after PTK for recurrent erosions in ABMD were assessed in 21 (58%) of 36 patients on a scale of 0 to 5 (5 = most satisfied); the mean response was 4.14 of 5. Conclusions Phototherapeutic keratectomy is an effective treatment for recurrent erosions occurring in the setting of ABMD, is well tolerated, and may improve visual acuity. The rate of recurrence of erosions in ABMD treated with PTK is low during a 12-month follow-up period.

Objective: The purpose of the study is to define qualitative patterns of corneal topography after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using a 6-mm beam diameter, investigate changes in patterns over time, and identify associations of topography patterns with clinical outcomes. Design: Multicenter, prospective cohort study. Participants: Ninety-eight eyes of 90 patients with myopia who had undergone PRK using the Summit Technology, Inc., excimer laser with a 6-mm beam diameter. Intervention: Computer-assisted videokeratography data were analyzed for eyes having undergone PRK. Topography patterns at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery were classified and associations with clinical outcomes assessed. Main Outcomes Measured: Topography patterns after PRK were determined at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Associations with preoperative characteristics of age and attempted correction, and postoperative outcomes of uncorrected and spectacle-corrected visual acuity, predictability, astigmatism, corneal haze, glare, halo, and patient satisfaction were analyzed. Results: At 1 year, 21.4% of corneas showed a homogeneous topography, 27.6% showed a toric-with-axis configuration, 10.2% showed a toric-against-axis configuration, 7.1% showed an irregularly irregular topography, 24.5% showed a keyhole/semicircular pattern, and 9.2% showed focal topographic variants. From 3 to 6 months, 40.1 % of maps changed; from 6 to 12 months, 53.1 % of maps changed, generally to optically smoother, regular patterns. Older age and higher attempted correction were associated with the development of more irregular patterns. The irregular groups showed worse predictability than did the regular groups and a tendency for slight overcorrection. The average reported glare/halo of 1.33 (scale = 0 to 5) in this study was less than in a previous study of the 4.5- to 5-mm treatment zone. However, of six patients expressing dissatisfaction with the results of surgery, three ranked their glare or halo at the maximum level. Conclusions: Topography patterns using a 6-mm beam diameter are identifiable, improve with time, and may affect clinical outcomes after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The keyhole/semicircular pattern is more prevalent with a 6 mm treatment zone than with smaller treatment zones. Although optical side effects of glare and halo appear to be reduced with the 6-mm treatment, a small number of patients still report substantial glare or halo after the procedure.

Purpose: To identify preoperative and intraoperative characteristics associated with outcomes of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods: In the phase III multicenter clinical trials of the Summit Technology excimer laser for corrections of 1.5 to 6.0 diopters (D) of myopia, three principal outcomes of PRK on 612 patients were examined: (1) uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better, (2) predictability of refractive outcome within 1.0 D of attempted correction, and (3) stability of refractive result between 12 and 24 months. Multiple logistic regression was used to test for independent associations of multiple preoperative and intraoperative characteristics with each of these outcomes. Results: Older age was independently associated with lesser likelihood of achieving 20/40 or better uncorrected visual acuity (odds ratio=1.08 per incremental year of age, 95% confidence interval [Cl] = 1.04–1.12) and with decreased predictability, specifically with overcorrection (odds ratio=1.09, 95% Cl=1.06–1.12), but age was not associated with stability of refraction. Greater attempted correction was associated independently with a decreased likelihood of 20/40 or better uncorrected visual acuity (odds ratio=2.78 for corrections of 3.5–5.5 D, 95% Cl=1.18–6.75; odds ratio=4.19 for corrections of ≥5.5 D, 95% Cl=1.66–10.58), with decreased predictability (odds ratio=1.72 for corrections of 3.5–5.5 D, 95% Cl=1.05–2.85; odds ratio=2.95 for corrections of ≥5.5 D, 95% Cl=1.65–5.26), and with a reduced likelihood of stability of refraction (odds ratio=3.46 for corrections of ≥5.0 D, 95% Cl=1.32–9.11). No intraoperative characteristics were associated with any of the outcomes assessed. Conclusions: Using this specific excimer laser system with an optical zone of 4.5 or 5.0 mm, patient age and attempted correction are important preoperative characteristics associated with postoperative uncorrected visual acuity and predictability of PRK. Stability of refraction is strongly associated with attempted correction. Such information may help guide patient selection, determine timing of fellow eye treatment, and suggest changes in the laser treatment algorithm for individual patients. Although these findings may be representative of PRK in general, similar analyses should be performed before modifying patient treatments using either a 6.0-mm treatment zone or other laser systems.

Purpose: To assess the influence of corneal surface microirregularities on objective and subjective visual performance after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Setting: Multicenter clinical trial. Methods: The alpha version of the Potential Corneal Acuity (PCA) computer program, currently under development, was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the corneal surface of 176 eyes of 176 patients 1 year after PRK. Color maps of corneal surface irregularities were reviewed and quantitative values (PCA) predicting best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) as limited by the cornea were evaluated for associations with qualitative topography patterns, optical zone decentration, and clinical outcomes of BSCVA, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), subjective patient satisfaction, and a subjective glare/halo index. Results: Qualitatively, corneas after PRK were generally characterized by a ring of optical irregularity at the juncture of the ablation zone and untreated cornea. Standard corneal topography maps graded as irregular after PRK had a significantly higher PCA value than those graded as regular. There was a trend toward higher PCA values with greater optical zone decentration that was not statistically significant. Actual BSCVA was identical to that which the PCA value predicted in 32% of patients and was within one Snellen line in 71 %, within two lines in 89%, and within three lines in 94%. The correlation between the PCA and the glare/halo index and with subjective patient satisfaction was statistically significant. The relationship between PCA and UCVA was not significant. Conclusions: A ring of optical microirregularity of the corneal surface can appear at the juncture of the treated and untreated cornea after PRK, indicating that the optical zone edge might affect objective and subjective postoperative visual outcomes. Further understanding of corneal surface topography and refinement of the PCA program should help explain visual outcome after PRK.

BACKGROUND: Variation in healing response has been noted after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 116 eyes that underwent PRK for myopia was performed. Standard surgical protocol and postoperative corticosteroid treatment were followed for all eyes. Scattergrams of achieved correction versus attempted correction at 6 months after surgery were analyzed. Subepithelial corneal haze was compared with refractive outcome. RESULTS: Three healing responses were observed. Normal responders (84.5%) showed a hyperopic overcorrection at 1 month with a gradual regression toward plano and good refractive outcome. Inadequate responders (11.2%) showed a pronounced early hyperopic overcorrection (greater than 1.50 diopters [D]) with minimal regression at 6 months. Aggressive responders (4.3%) displayed an early overcorrection with rapid regression toward myopia. Clear to trace subepithelial corneal haze was present at 6 months in 96% of normal and inadequate responders. Aggressive responders had more pronounced subepithelial haze at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Variation in the amount of subepithelial healing response occurs after excimer laser PRK. Abnormal healing responses may be detected early in the postoperative period by correlation of refractive error with the amount of subepithelial haze. [J Refract Surg. 1995;11:341-347.]

The centration of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is critical to the procedure's success. We evaluated PRK centration in 49 patients using the EyeSys topography system. Ablation zone centration was measured from the corneal vertex and from the pupillary center using the pupil-finding software. Centration was measured more accurately from the pupillary center (0.40 mm) than from the corneal vertex (0.44 mm). Right eyes were decentered less than left eyes. There was an unpredictable correlation between amount of decentration and postoperative visual acuities. The ability to measure centration of keratorefractive procedures precisely from the pupil is an important advance in topography technology.

The authors used computer-assisted videokeratoscopy to analyze the relation of photorefractive keratectomy ablation zone decentration to subjective patient assessments of disturbing visual symptoms.Ablation zone decentration was measured 1 month postoperatively. The study population was divided into two groups: group 1, patients whose ablation zone decentrations were less than 0.50 mm; group 2, patients whose ablation zone decentrations were greater than 0.50 mm. Visual symptoms including glare, rings or halos around lights and problems with night driving were scored preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The Hotelling T-square and chi-square tests were used.The mean decentration from the center of the ablation zone to the pupillary center was 0.30 mm and 190 degrees for group 1 compared with 0.66 mm and 198 degrees for group 2. The Hotelling T-square test showed a significant statistical preoperative/postoperative difference in group 1 (P0.03) for the halo symptom category. No other symptom category showed a significant statistical difference in either group for the mean scores. The Hotelling T-square test did not show a statistically significant difference between the two groups preoperatively to postoperatively regarding the mean scores of the individual patient differences for the three symptoms. The only significant statistical difference for the individual patient ratings preoperatively to postoperatively was for the halo symptom category (chi-square = 7.756; P0.03).Multivariate analysis did not show a significant statistical difference preoperatively between the two groups or postoperatively except for group 1 with regard to the halo symptom category. It appears from this study that ablation zone decentrations less than 0.89 mm from the pupillary center do not necessarily produce unwanted visual symptoms 6 months postoperatively.

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) was performed on 91 eyes of 71 patients who had previous radial keratotomy, radial combined with astigmatic keratotomy or astigmatic keratotomy alone (refractive keratotomy). Residual myopia, prior to photorefractive keratectomy, ranged from -1.50 to -8.00 D (mean -3.62) and cylinder from 0 to 2.25 D (mean 0.78). Uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 89.7% at one year. At the 12 month follow-up 75.9% of patients were within +/- 1.00 D of intended correction. [J Refract Corneal Surg. 1994;10:S235S238.1

Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) with the excimer laser has been shown to be effective in removing anterior corneal pathology and smoothing surface irregularities. Blocking agents are important in PTK. The techniques we present seek to balance therapeutic effect and refractive error change. Successful PTK depends on thorough preoperative assessment and attention to intraoperative detail. Clinical research has demonstrated that the excimer laser is an effective tool, not only for correcting myopic refractive errors,1,2 but also for treating various types of anterior corneal pathology.35 We present our PTK techniques that reflect recent refinements. (Refract Corneal Surg (suppl) 1993;9:S81-S85.)