Indications, results, and complications of refractive corneal surgery with mechanical methods

Radial keratotomy (RK) incisions permanently weaken the cornea. This structural weakening can cause several complications and side effects, including diurnal fluctuation, progressive hyperopic shift, and the potential for traumatic rupture of the keratotomy scars. Minimally invasive-RK may be a useful alternative to reduce the invasiveness of RK while retaining its efficacy. Mild myopia can be treated by either RK or photorefractive keratectomy. Patients treated by RK in the first eye and photorefractive keratectomy in the second eye preferred the speed of recovery and the clarity of vision with RK. Combining the microkeratome and the excimer laser appears to be an ideal technique to correct high myopia. Laser ablation of the corneal lenticule while securely fixed by the suction ring in the Berlin microkeratome offers the advantage of perfect centration and fixation. Hexagonal keratotomy, used to treat hyperopia, appears to be an unpredictable, unsafe surgical procedure.