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H. R. Taylor, MD, FRACO, FRACS; C. A. McCarty, PhD, MPH; G. F. Aldred, BBus; Melbourne Excimer Laser Group

Arch Ophthalmol. 1996;114(3):248-251.

Abstract
Objective
To prospectively examine the predictability of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy and photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy for myopia that ranged from –1 to –18 diopters (D).

Methods
Patients were treated with an excimer laser and followed up prospectively for 12 months. Low myopia was treated in one ablation zone (6.0 mm), high myopia in two ablation zones (5.0 and 6.0 mm), and extreme myopia in three ablation zones (4.5, 5.0, and 6.0 mm) with a maximum treatment of 15 D. Data were analyzed to determine the distribution of the various postoperative outcomes by preoperative myopia.

Results
Two hundred seventy-four low myopes, 189 high myopes, and 41 extreme myopes were available for 12-month follow-up. The re-treatment rate increased with preoperative myopia. The predictability of refraction and uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity progressively decreased with increasing myopia. The likelihood of losing lines of best corrected visual acuity and corneal haze increased with increasing myopia.

Conclusion
These data should help in the counseling of patients about the likely outcome if they have excimer laser surgery to correct myopia.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Melbourne (Australia).

Footnotes
The members of the Melbourne Excimer Laser Group are listed in the acknowledgment section at the end of this article.

The authors have no proprietary interest in the development or marketing of the VisX excimer laser or a competing laser.

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