[Surgery for moderate or mild myopia]

After a long period of hesitation and reluctance, surgery of moderate to mild myopia (1 to 6 dioptries) is currently practiced by specialists in refractive surgery. At present, two ambulatory techniques are in competition: radial keratotomy, a truly surgical procedure that is more than 10 years' old, and the much more recent photorefractive keratectomy performed with an excimer laser beam, which is still under evaluation but has a very promising future. The goal of these two techniques is to correct myopia by flattening the cornea. The degree of correction obtained depends on several variables (some of which can be mastered), which explains why the results are not fully predictable. However, the overall results are satisfactory, provided the indications have been strictly selected. Per- and postoperatory complications are extremely rare. The main risk is early under-correction (particularly when the initial myopia is pronounced) or late over correction, mainly observed with radial keratotomy. Visual rehabilitation is much slower with the laser technique than after radial keratotomy. The two techniques are applied to patients aged from 20 to 40 years who have stable myopia, do not tolerate contact lenses and need an excellent sight for their professional or sporting activities.