Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia: six-month results

Six eyes of six patients with myopia between -4.00 and -8.00 diopters underwent 193 nm Argon/fluoride excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy as part of a Phase II-A FDA Study. Six months after surgery, four of the six eyes had a spherical equivalent refraction within +/- 1.00 D; five eyes saw 22/30 or better without correction. All corneas demonstrated a faint reticulated subepithelial haze most visible by sclerotic scatter illumination. There were no episodes of delayed epithelial healing or recurrent erosions, and patients had no loss of contrast sensitivity, visual acuity under glare testing, or corneal sensation at the 3-month or 6-month visit. In this limited clinical trial, the excimer laser was capable of changing the refractive power of the cornea for correction of myopia. Long-term follow up of these patients will be necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of the procedure.