Excimer photorefractive keratectomy after undercorrected radial keratotomy

Radial keratotomy has been used for the treatment of myopia since 1979. Until recently, patients with undercorrected myopia had recourse only to repeated keratotomy. Now patients undercorrected after two or more radial keratotomy procedures can be treated with the excimer laser to reduce the residual myopia. Nineteen eyes of 17 patients with undercorrected myopia after repeated radial had excimer photoradial keratectomy performed. The mean residual spherical equivalent refractive error after radial keratotomy was -2.74 +/- 1.06 diopters (D). This was further reduced after PRK. Final uncorrected visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/70. Excimer laser PRK offers a safe and more controlled method of treating residual after radial keratotomy.