Photorefractive keratectomy or laser in situ keratomileusis for residual refractive error after phakic intraocular lens implantation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of combining phakic posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and excimer corneal surgery to treat high myopia or myopia with astigmatism.

SETTING: Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpital Purpan, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France.

METHODS: Thirty-two eyes of 28 patients with extreme myopia or myopia combined with astigmatism were treated by implantation of a phakic posterior chamber IOL. Residual refractive errors were treated no earlier than 6 weeks after IOL implantation by photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in eyes with low refractive errors or by laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in eyes with higher residual refractive errors.

RESULTS: The mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) refraction was -18.7 diopters (D). The refractive astigmatism ranged from 0 to 3.5 D. After excimer laser treatment, the SE refraction ranged from -0.5 to -2.5 D and the refractive astigmatism, from 0 to 1.5 D in the PRK group. In the LASIK group, spherical ametropia ranged from -1.5 to +1.5 D and astigmatism, from 0 to 1.0 D. After excimer laser treatment, the uncorrected visual acuity improved in all eyes but a loss of 1 line of the corrected vision after IOL implantation occurred in 22.2% of PRK-treated eyes and in 13.6% of LASIK-treated eyes.

CONCLUSIONS: Bioptic treatment of extreme myopia and myopia associated with astigmatism appears to be safer and more predictable than other methods of treatment.