Near Visual Acuity Following Hyperopic Photorefractive Keratectomy in a Presbyopic Age Group

Purpose. To assess near visual acuity in a presbyopic age group following hyperopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).Setting. Private practice in Siena, Italy.Methods. In this retrospective single-surgeon comparative study, PRK with mitomycin C was performed to correct hyperopia using Bausch & Lomb 217z laser for 120 eyes of 60 patients in the presbyopic age group (mean spherical equivalent SE +2.38 D ± 0.71 D and mean age ). 120 eyes of 60 age-matched controls (mean age ) had their unaided near vision measured.Results. At 12 months mean SE was −0.10 D ± 0.27 D in the PRK group. Mean best corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was log MAR; 2 eyes lost ≥0.1 log MAR. Mean uncorrected visual acuity was log MAR. Mean distance corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA) in the PRK group was . This was statistically better () than the mean unaided near visual acuity in the control group .Conclusion. PRK was found to be safe, predictable, and an effective way of correcting hyperopia in this age group. It was also found to give better than expected near vision.