Posters

Pausing in the middle of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) treatment to reduce thermal effect and prevent PRK haze

Poster Details

First Author: D. Anwar IRAQ

Co Author(s):                     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

This is a case series of 28 eyes (including 4 post-PKP eyes) that underwent PRK for high refractive error in which the PRK treatment was paused for 30 seconds in the middle of treatment to reduce the thermal effect and hence reduce the incidence of PRK haze postoperatively.

Setting:

Niga Eye Center

Methods:

Twenty eight eyes with high refractive error (Mean spherical equivalent of -7.00 diopter) underwent PRK using this method. Four eyes were post-PKP with high cylinder. The mean ablation depth was 110 micrometer. The excimer laser machine Shwind Amaris [SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions, Germany] was used. Mitomycin C 0.02% was used for 70 seconds. PRK treatment was paused for 30 seconds in the middle of the treatment. The pausing was aimed at reducing the thermal effect of continuous prolonged treatment in high refractive error. Primary outcome was incidence of significant haze after PRK treatment during one-year follow-up.

Results:

Mean age was 27 years. Preoperative uncorrected-visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.032 and postoperative UCVA was 0.9 (p= 0.0001). Preoperative spherical equivalent refraction (SE) was -7.00, while postoperative SE refraction was -0.25 (p=0.0001). No eye developed haze during one-year follow-up of all 28 eyes.

Conclusions:

The thermal effect of PRK treatment for high refractive error and its relationship with the development of PRK haze has been pointed to in many studies. In our study we aimed at reducing the thermal effect of continuous prolonged PRK treatment of high refractive error by pausing in the middle of the PRK treatment. We concluded that the pausing for 30 seconds could have reduced the thermal effect and hence prevented the incidence of haze in treatment of such high refractive error. Further controlled study is needed to support this idea.

Financial Disclosure:

None