PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY FOR COMPOUND MYOPIC ASTIGMATISM WITH AN EYE CUP ERODIBLE MASK DELIVERY SYSTEM

BACKGROUND: The erodible mask is a new energy delivery system for the 193-nm argon fluoride excimer laser. It consists of a polymethylmethac rylate button, whose profile is transferred by photoablation onto the corneal surface. We present the 6- and 12-month results of this techni que in the correction of compound myopic astigmatism. METHODS: We perf ormed the mask procedure on 21 eyes of 16 subjects (mean age, 30.7 yea rs; range, 24 to 46) to correct combined myopia and astigmatism. Attem pted myopic correction ranged between -1.50 diopters (D) and -10.00 D (mean, -7.07 D). Attempted astigmatic correction ranged between -1.50 D and -4.00 D (mean, -2.46 D). RESULTS: Mean procedure error was: sphe re +0.74 D (range, -3.00/+5.00), cylinder -1.41 D (range, -3.50/0.00) at 1 month after surgery; sphere +0.18 D (range, -2.50/+3.50), cylinde r -1.56 D (range, -4.00/0.00) at 6 months; and sphere -1.30 D (range, -3.00/0.00), cylinder was -1.25 D (range, -2.00/-0.50) at 12 months (1 0 eyes). During follow up, haze values were never higher than 1, excep t for one case of haze 2 that regressed to 0 during follow up. Postope rative uncorrected visual acuity improved in all eyes where emmetropia was envisaged; none of the eyes lost spectacle-corrected visual acuit y lines 6 or 12 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The erodible mask p roved effective and fairly predictable mainly in the correction of the spherical component of refractive error, while the correction of asti gmatism revealed greater unpredictability, with a constant trend to un dercorrection.