[Photorefractive keratectomy in high myopic anisometropia in children]

The authors evaluate the results of photorefractive keratectomy in children with high myopic anisometropia proved by intolerance of a contact lens and intolerance of full correction by glasses. The objective was to maintain or improve the already achieved binocular vision without or with feasible correction by glasses. The group is formed by 13 children, mean age 11.5 years at the time of surgery (range 7-15 years). The mean preoperative value of myopia was -8.9 dpt (SE), within the range of -7.0 to -11.75 dpt (SE) on the operated eye. The preprequisite condition for surgery was confirmed intolerance of a contact lens, intolerance of complete correction by glasses and previous systematic pleoptic treatment with training of binocular functions. The operation was always implemented during hospitalization. The follow-up after surgery in all children of the group is more than 2 years. The mean value of the refraction defect two years after surgery is -1.12 dpt (SE). The mean non-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.021 before surgery to 0.48 two years after surgery and the mean best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.51 before surgery to 0.61 two years after surgery. The authors compare results of binocular functions before and after operation. Two years after surgery all children had superposition and a normal Bagolini test, 12 children had fusion I, 9 children fusion II, and 6 children fusion III and stereopsis. Based on the results of the trial PRK appears to be an effective and safe method for correction of high myopic anisometropia in intolerance of contact lenses or complete correction by glasses. This operation thus makes it possible to preserve further the degree of binocular vision practised in advance or to improve it. This is the first group, though small, of thus treated children published in our professional literature.