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Purpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and stability of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and mitomycin-C (MMC) 0.02% for consecutive hyperopia after radial keratotomy (RK)., Methods: A prospective, nonrandomized, noncomparative interventional case series of 35 eyes (22 patients) with consecutive hyperopia after RK. All eyes were treated with PRK, using a single intraoperative topical application of MMC 0.02% for 60 seconds. Uncorrected visual acuity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, refraction, slit-lamp evidence of corneal haze, and endothelial cell counts were evaluated for up to 18 months after surgery., Results: Postoperative follow-up was 9.6 +/- 5.5 months (ranged from 3 to 18 months). The mean spherical equivalent was +3.36 +/- 1.94 diopters preoperatively and +0.27 +/- 1.38 diopters 12 months after surgery. The uncorrected visual acuity was > or =20/30 in 37.1% of the eyes at 1 month and 78.6% of the eyes at 12 months. At 12 months, 14% of the eyes lost up to 1 line of Snellen acuity in the best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. No corneal haze was observed and the endothelial cell counts remained unchanged postoperatively (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: PRK with MMC 0.02% for consecutive hyperopia after RK seems to be a safe and effective procedure at least in the short-term period of 6 months.

Mitomycin C is an antimetabolite agent that blocks DNA and RNA replication and protein synthesis. It has been used in several ophthalmologic areas, and recently as a modulator of corneal wound healing in excimer laser surgeries. A single application of mitomycin C during surface corneal photoablative surgery seems a safe and efficient therapeutic option for eyes with corneal opacity and/or as prophylaxis in eyes with high risk for corneal opacity development. The use of this drug in photoablative surgery should be cautious until long-term safety results have been reported. The present text presents a review about corneal wound healing with the use of mitomycin C.