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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Correction of Presbyopia by Monocular Bi-Aspheric Ablation Profile
Published on: September 20, 2024
Five-year follow-up of photorefractive keratectomy for myopia
Norihiko Honda1, Naoki Hamada, Shiro Amano
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Purpose:
To analyze long-term results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia and myopic astigmatism.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 15 eyes of 8 patients who were examined annually for 5 years after PRK. The Nidek EC-5000 laser with an ablation zone of 5.0 mm was used. Evaluations included spherical equivalent manifest refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), corneal haze, and corneal astigmatism calculated by Fourier analysis of videokeratography data.
Results:
A tendency toward myopic regression was most evident within the first postoperative year, with manifest refraction changing from +0.80 +/- 1.62 D at 1 week to -0.45 +/- 0.70 D at 1 year postoperatively (P = .007). Regression continued after the second postoperative year. There was a statistically significant difference between manifest refraction at 2 years (-0.36 +/- 0.75 D) and 5 years (-1.11 +/- 1.12 D) (P = .002). Postoperative UCVA stabilized from 3 months up to 3 years, but slightly deteriorated at 4 years and thereafter due to the myopic refractive shift. BSCVA remained stable throughout the 5-year follow-up period. Several eyes developed mild corneal haze after surgery, but haze was minimal in the majority of patients by 1 year and continued to fade over time. The asymmetry component of the cornea significantly increased after surgery, with all postoperative values significantly higher than before PRK (P < .05). Higher order irregularity increased after surgery, with a statistically significant difference between preoperative and 1 year postoperative (P < .05), but values after 2 years were not different from preoperative baseline.
Conclusion:
Fifteen eyes with a baseline refraction of -3.00 to -9.00 D had PRK with the Nidek EC-5000 laser and a 5-mm-diameter ablation zone. Myopic regression occurred in the first year, with continued mild regression of approximately -0.75 D between 2 and 5 years. Nevertheless, the results show the procedure was relatively safe and effective in this group.
