[The excimer laser and severe myopia--comparison of LASIK and PRK]

The aim of this study is to compare the results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with method of laser-assisted keratomileusis (LASIK) in the treatment of high myopia by excimer laser. The study compares 100 eyes after PRK operated on by technique of multizonal ablation divided into group of moderately high myopia (-6.0 ... -9.0 Dsph/85 eyes) and severely high myopia (over -9.25 Dsph/15 eyes) with a group o 100 eyes operated on by LASIK similarly classified (moderately high myopia/67 eyes and severely high myopia/33 eyes). The eyes were treated by excimer laser Keracor 117 manufactured by Technolas company. Statistic analysis used one-way analysis of variance. One year after operation emmetropia within +/- 1.0 Dsph was 52% in the first and 47% in the second group after PRK. After LASIK it was 71% and 54% respectively. No statistically significant differences have been found between the groups. In spite of this, analysis of postoperative complications, line loss of the preoperative best spectacle corrected acuity and patients satistaction shows that LASIK is a better method in correction of high myopia by excimer laser.