PRK Enhancement for Residual Refractive Error After Primary PRK: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) efficacy is established, but outcomes for PRK enhancement after prior PRK are less understood.
• Residual refractive error after primary PRK necessitates further investigation into enhancement procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and predictability of PRK enhancement for residual refractive errors post-PRK.
• To compare PRK enhancement outcomes with prior studies and FDA safety/efficacy endpoints.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 188 eyes undergoing PRK enhancement.
• Comparison with a control group that had primary PRK only.
• Assessment of visual acuity (UDVA, CDVA), manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), induced astigmatism, and adverse events at 3 months and 1 year.

Main Results:

• PRK enhancement achieved stable refractive outcomes, with 86% and 98% of eyes within ±0.50 D and ±1.00 D of target MRSE, respectively.
• Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20 or better was achieved in 75% of eyes.
• 75% of eyes maintained or improved UDVA by at least one Snellen line compared to pre-enhancement CDVA.

Conclusions:

• Modern PRK enhancement demonstrates improved visual acuity and refractive results compared to previous studies.
• Despite not being FDA-approved, PRK enhancement meets or surpasses FDA criteria for refractive error correction.