[Photorefractive keratectomy by excimer laser for correcting myopia and myopic astigmatism]

Photorefraction keratectomy (PRK) was carried out using Nidek EC-5000 eximer laser in patients with myopia of different degree and myopic astigmatism. After 12 months, visual acuity without correction was 0.6-1.0 diopters in all patients with slight myopia, 0.7-1.0 in 95% of patients with medium myopia, and 0.8-1.0 in 86% of patients with high myopia. A lower visual acuity in high myopia was caused by retinal complications of myopia. The results of refraction after PRK depended on the severity of myopia and patient's age. The degree of myopia regression depended on preoperative refraction and was more expressed in high myopia. Young patients developed a more expressed tendency to decrease of postoperative refraction. The results indicate that eximer laser is an effective and reliable tool for correcting myopia of different degree and myopic astigmatism.