Radial keratotomy: 500 consecutive cases

A report on 500 consecutive eyes having radial keratotomy for myopia and myopic astigmatism is presented. Surgery was on an out-patient basis under local anaesthetic, with a follow-up of 99.2% of cases, 91.8% of the 294 patients elected to have radial keratotomy on the fellow eye. The surgical protocol was designed to minimise side effects and complications rather than maximise the reduction in myopia. 6/12 unaided vision or better was achieved by 99% of cases in the low myopia group, 91% in the middle and 41% in the high myopia group. Persistent hypermetropia of +1.00D or greater occurred in only 0.4% of cases and secondary astigmatism of 1.00D or greater in 1% of cases. Corneal perforations were minimised by single-pass incisions, but this was at the cost of lesser myopic corrections in the higher myopic group. Centering on the visual axis rather than the centre of the pupil minimised glare sensitivity. No patient developed potentially blinding complications.