Refractive results after photorefractive excimer laser treatment in mild myopic and in mild hyperopic eyes.

Evaluation of 12-month results of photorefractive keratectomies (PRK) performed in low myopic (0 to -6.0 D) and low hyperopic (0 to +6.0 D) eyes. Myopic and hyperopic PRK treatments with the Aesculap Meditec MEL 60 ArF excimer laser. Prospective study, 30 eyes per group. The change in best corrected visual acuity (VA), refraction required, uncorrected VA and the postoperative haze were compared at the 12th postoperative month. The average preoperative correction in the low myopic eyes (Group I) was -4.65 +/- 1.24 D, which decreased to -0.17 +/- 0.56 D during the follow-up. In mild hyperopic eyes (Group II) the preoperative refraction was +3.9 +/- 0.93 D and decreased to +1.23 +/- 1.59 D post-PRK. Comparing the pre- and postoperative average best corrected VA values, there was no statistical change in either group. In the low myopic group all eyes had a 20/40 or better uncorrected VA, in hyperopic eyes 11 had a VA of 20/40 or better, four had a worse uncorrected VA. In Group I, 86.6% of the eyes were within +/-1.0 D of the intended refraction at 12 months postoperatively. In Group II, 46.7% of the eyes were within +/-1.0 D of final refraction. There were no intergroup differences in subjective complaints, reepithelization and average postoperative haze. Both methods are able to alter the refractive power of the cornea toward emmetropia. The predictability of the method was to be found higher in cases of mild myopia than in mild hyperopia. The upper limit of myopia is above -6.0 D, but in hyperopia, with the present technical facilities, good postoperative results can be obtained only as far as +4.25 D of preoperative refractive error.