[Choice of a surgical correction method in hypermetropic anisotropia in children]

The results of surgical techniques applicable to hypermetropia correction, i.e. lamellar keratotomy (LK), lamellar keratotomy with thermal keratocoagulation (LKTKC) and sub-flap photokeratectomy (LASIK), in 80 children, aged 6 to 14, with hypermetropia ranging from 3.5 to 9.5 diopters and with astigmatism ranging from 0.75 to 2.75 diopters are analyzed. The follow-up varied from 1 to 3 years. LASIK (reduction of astigmatism by 1.61 +/- 0.43 diopters or 78%) was proven to be an optimal method in the correction of astigmatic hypermetropic anisometropia. LASIK (reduction of anisometropia by 3.44 +/- 0.44 diopters or 80%) is preferable in the correction of a spherical hypermetropic anisometropia of up to 3.0 diopters inclusively; the LK method (an improvement of clinical refraction by 4.37 +/- 0.87 diopters) is effective in anisometropia of 3.0 to 5.5 diopters; and LKTKC is effective in anisometropia of 5.5 to 7.5 diopters. The latter ensures an improvement of the corneal refraction by more than 2 diopters (2.15 +/- 0.44 diopters) versus LK. TKC is possible as a single-stage procedure made in the remote time period. LASIK is more preferable in astigmatism of more than 1.5 diopters.