CLINICAL-RESULTS OF EXCIMER-LASER PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY - A MULTICENTER STUDY OF 265 EYES

Efficacy, predictability, and safety of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy were evaluated at centers in Paris and Brest, France. Phot oablation was performed with the VISX laser on 265 eyes (151 at the Pa ris center and 114 at the Brest center), The eyes were clinically and statistically evaluated over a six month follow-up. Initial myopia ran ged from -0.7 to -19.4 diopters (D) (mean spherical equivalent [SE] -5 .9 D) in the Paris center and from -0.9 to -14.5 D (SE -4.5 D) in the Brest center. At both centers, the mean uncorrected visual acuity was worse than 20/200; over 90% of cases in each center had a best uncorre cted visual acuity of 20/100 or worse. Results are reported globally a nd for subgroups of myopia: Group A, SE better than or equal to -3.0 D ; Group B, SE worse than -3.0 D and better than or equal to -7.0 D; Gr oup C, SE worse than -7.0 D. Uncorrected visual acuity was significant ly improved in the patients followed for six months; 64% of Paris case s and 62% of Brest cases obtained an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/4 0 or better. Predictability of the treatment was good; 67% of Paris ey es and 74% of Brest eyes were less than 1.0 D from the intended correc tion after six months, The data suggest that the initial myopia affect ed the efficacy and predictability of the treatment; results in the mi ld to moderate myopia eyes were significantly better than results in t he severe myopia eyes. One case of visual acuity regression (less than one line) was observed in the two groups. This was associated with co rneal haze of moderate intensity.