Prompt re-treatment after photorefractive keratectomy

To study eyes that received a photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) retreatment 1 to 4 months after the first treatment and describe refractive stability and complications.

Michael Pop CLinics, Montreal, Canada.

Twenty-six eyes of 20 patients were re-treated for undercorrection and, regression with or without haze. Postoperative refractions were performed at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Haze was evaluated on a scale of 0 to 4.

Ninety percent of the 21 eyes followed for 6 months after re-treatment achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40. At 6 months, 67 and 95% of eyes were within +/- 0.50 diopter (D) and +/- 1.00 D, respectively. Regression between 1 and 6 months after re-treatment was 0.71 D, which represented less than one half that observed after the initial treatment. Six months after re-treatment, haze decreased by half, and no eye had haze above 1. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before treatment was well correlated with values 6 months after re-treatment (P < .001). At 6 months, 1 eye lost two lines of BCVA but had an acuity of 20/30 and 2 eyes lost one line of BCVA.

Prompt re-treatment after PRK for myopia allowed management of undercorrections and regressions with low morbidity and high refractive stability. By re-treating promptly, no additional complications were created and patients avoided long periods of unsatisfactory vision.