Topography-guided transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy for irregular astigmatism using a 213 nm solid-state laser.

PURPOSE

To explore the use of the Pulsar Z1 solid-state 213 nm photorefractive laser platform in topography-guided transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for irregular astigmatism.

SETTING

Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

DESIGN

Prospective clinical case series.

METHODS

Patients with irregular astigmatism after previous refractive surgery or corneal transplantation were treated with topography-guided transepithelial PRK. Preoperatively and 1-year postoperatively, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and secondary outcome measures (including manifest refraction, contrast sensitivity, haze score, index of surface variation, root-mean-square higher-order aberrations, and subjective visual change) were compared between groups. Adjunctive mitomycin-C was not used.

RESULTS

Seven patients had previous refractive surgery, and 7 had previous corneal transplantation. All but 2 patients with a marked haze response had subjective gains in vision and improved CDVA. Gains in CDVA for patients with irregular astigmatism after previous refractive surgery (median 2 lines gain; range 0 to 2 lines gained) were higher than for patients with irregular astigmatism after keratoplasty (median 0 lines; range 5 lines lost to 4 lines gained). Trends in secondary outcome measures were similar, with greater variation in post-keratoplasty patients. Haze scores were higher in post-keratoplasty patients.

CONCLUSIONS

213 nm topography-guided transepithelial PRK was easy to perform and well tolerated by patients with irregular astigmatism. Most patients gained CDVA; however, increased haze responses were observed in post-keratoplasty cases.