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Comparison of mechanical and transepithelial debridement during photorefractive keratectomy
T E Clinch1, M Moshirfar, J R Weis
1University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, USA.
Objective:
Comparison of clinical results from mechanical and transepithelial debridement during photorefractive keratectomy.
Design:
Randomized, prospective study.
Participants:
Two hundred seventy-eight eyes in 173 patients between November 1995 and June 1997.
Intervention:
Photorefractive keratectomy treatments with a Summit Omnimed excimer laser (6-mm). Clinical results were measured at 1, 3, and 6 months.
Main Outcomes Measures:
Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean spherical equivalent (MSE), astigmatism, corneal haze, and subjective vision (day, night, glare, and halo).
Results:
At all postoperative intervals, no significant difference was present between mean values of MSE, haze, or any subjective parameters. For mean UCVA, BCVA, and astigmatism values, a significant difference (P < 0.05) was present only at 6 months. At all postoperative intervals, mechanical values tended to be superior to transepithelial valves.
Conclusion:
Clinical results were not statistically different between the two techniques; however, the mechanical technique tended to have superior values for almost all tested parameters.