RETREATMENT OF DECENTERED EXCIMER PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY ABLATIONS

PURPOSE: To present two cases of excimer photorefractive keratectomy d ecentration associated with visual distortion secondary to irregular a stigmatism. METHOD: Patients were retreated with a repeat photorefract ive keratectomy using a technique whereby the circle oi: adherent epit helium overlying the decentered ablation served as a mask, RESULTS: Af ter retreatment, there was significant improvement in the patients' vi sual symptoms, decreased astigmatism on refraction, and better centrat ion on corneal topography. CONCLUSION: This method appears to offer an effective means to treat: photorefractive keratectomy ablation zone d ecentration by improving the abnormalities introduced by the initial d ecentration.