PROMPT RETREATMENT AFTER PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY

Purpose: To study eyes that received a photorefractive keratectomy (PR K) re-treatment 1 to 4 months after the first treatment and describe r efractive stability and complications. Setting: Michel Pop Clinics, Mo ntreal, Canada. Methods: Twenty-six eyes of 20 patients were re-treate d for undercorrection and regression with or without haze. Postoperati ve refractions were performed at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Haze was evalu ated on a scale of 0 to 4. Results: Ninety percent of the 21 eyes foll owed for 6 months after re-treatment achieved an uncorrected visual ac uity of 20/40. At 6 months, 67 and 95% of eyes were within +/-0.50 dio pter (D) and +/-1.00 D, respectively. Regression between 1 and 6 month s after re-treatment was 0.71 D, which represented less than one half that observed after the initial treatment Six months after re-treatmen t, haze decreased by half, and no eye had haze above 1. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before treatment was well correlated with values 6 months after re-treatment (P < .001). At 6 months, 1 eye lost two l ines of BCVA but had an acuity of 20/30 and 2 eyes lost one line of BC VA. Conclusion: Prompt re-treatment after PRK for myopia allowed manag ement of undercorrections and regressions with low morbidity and high refractive stability. By re-treating promptly, no additional complicat ions were created and patients avoided long periods of unsatisfactory vision.