PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY FOR CORRECTION OF ASTIGMATISM AFTER PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY

Astigmatism is a common reason for reduced or suboptimal visual acuity after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), despite meticulous attention to surgical factors such as trephination of the recipient bed and donor button, graft-host size disparity, wound alignment, and suture placeme nt, and to postoperative factors such as vascularization, wound healin g, and timing of suture removal. Astigmatic correction may include spe ctacle correction or contact lenses. Surgical options for patients int olerant of spectacles or contact lenses include various corneal incisi ons and even a repeat keratoplasty on a clear graft. However, the outc ome predictability of these surgical procedures is not always satisfac tory and, furthermore, they may be associated with significant complic ations. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with the excimer laser is ef fective in treating naturally occurring astigmatism. This study assess es the safety and efficacy of PRK for correction of astigmatism induce d by PKP.