Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the long term stability and safety of LASEK over a 10 years postoperative period.
Methods: :
One hundred and two eyes of 63 patients with high myopia, who underwent LASEK to correct their refractive error and received regular postoperative assesments for 10 years, were included in this retrospective study. Changes in uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), manifest refraction, best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and complications were evaluated.
Results: :
42 female and 21 male patients were enrolled, mean age at time of surgery was 33.52a (range from 20 to 56a). The mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) was -7.71 D (range from -6.00 to -12.50D), and -0.50 D ( range from +0.75 to -2.75D) at the ten years follow up. Preoperative UCVA (logMAR) improved from a mean 1.30 (range from 2.00 to 1.20) to 0.00 (range from -0.10 to 0.20) after surgery, and revealed faint but significant decrease in the ten years follow-up. No change in BSCVA was observed in any eye.The efficacy index (ratio between preop BSCVA and postop UCVA) was 83% at 1 month, 91% after one year and 89% after ten years. No serious complications were observed.
Conclusions: :
LASEK surgery has been shown to be a safe and effective procedure to correct high myopia. The minimal myopic regression after ten years is more pronounced in the younger patient group and may be attributable to natural occuring myopic progression.
Keywords: refractive surgery: PRK • myopia