Reduced application time for prophylactic mitomycin C in photorefractive keratectomy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Surgery
• Ophthalmic Pharmacology

Background:

• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a common refractive surgery.
• Mitomycin C (MMC) is used to prevent corneal haze after PRK.
• The optimal duration for MMC application is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of varying durations of prophylactic mitomycin C (MMC) 0.02% application on visual outcomes and subepithelial haze after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective comparative case series involving 269 eyes undergoing PRK.
• Eyes were divided into three groups based on MMC application duration: 120 seconds (n=74), 60 seconds (n=36), and 12 seconds (n=159).
• Outcomes assessed included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and corneal haze scores over a mean follow-up of 10-31 months.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in BCVA were observed among the groups (20/23, 20/20, 20/21 respectively).
• Mean corneal haze scores were low across all groups (0.11, 0.14, 0.07 respectively) with no scores exceeding 1.00.
• Follow-up durations varied: 31 months for 120s, 16 months for 60s, and 10 months for 12s.

Conclusions:

• The duration of prophylactic MMC 0.02% application after PRK does not significantly impact postoperative visual acuity or the incidence of subepithelial haze.
• A 12-second application of MMC appears to be as effective as longer durations (60 and 120 seconds) for haze prophylaxis.