Prospective contra-lateral study of surface refractive treatments: a clinical and confocal microscopy evaluation

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session 18: Refractive Surgery - Hot Issues

Session Date/Time: Monday 15/09/2014 | 15:00-17:00

Paper Time: 15:15

Venue: Pod 3 (Poster Village)

First Author: : V.Diakonis GREECE

Co Author(s): :    V. Kankariya   G. Kounis   A. Pallikaris   S. Yoo   I. Pallikaris   G. Kymionis

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare the visual and refractive outcomes along with corneal structural changes in myopic patients after surface refractive treatments: photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with adjuvant mitomycin C (MMC) versus epipolis laser in situ keratomileusis (Epi-LASIK).

Setting:

Institute of Vision and Optics, University of Crete, Greece.

Methods:

This prospective randomized clinical study included, consecutive myopic patients scheduled to undergo corneal surface refractive treatment were included in this study. One eye of each patient was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative use of topical 0.02% MMC (15 seconds), while the fellow eye was treated with Epi-LASIK. Visual and refractive outcomes were evaluated; along with corneal confocal microscopy findings to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze corneal structural alterations. All patients were examined preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postoperative intervals.

Results:

Twenty-six eyes of thirteen patients were included in this study. Mean follow up was 2.47 +/- 0.35 (range, 1.64 to 2.93 years). Mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction (SEQ) was -3.84 +/- 1.59 (range, -1.5 to -8.75 D) and -3.91 +/- 1.48 (range, -1.5 to -8.5), which reduced to -0.21 +/- 0.44 (range, -0.5 to 1) and -0.18 +/- 0.36 (range, +0.5 to -0.5) at the last follow up, for the PRK MMC eyes and Epi-LASIK, respectively. Qualitative analysis of the sub-epithelial nerve plexus along with haze development and keratocyte distribution was similar in both groups, further more there was no statistical significant difference between both the groups through-out the follow up (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

Epi-LASIK and PRK MMC offer similar visual, refractive and corneal structural outcomes in patients with myopia up to two years of follow up.

Financial Interest:

NONE