Ten years after Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) for Moderate to High Myopia (Control-Matched Study)

¹ Vissum-Instituto Oftalmologico de Alicante, Spain
² Vissum-Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Spain
³ Clinical research fellow. Vissum-Alicante, Spain

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jlalio{at}vissum.com.

Accepted 31 January 2008

	Abstract

Objective: To compare the long-term outcomes of PRK and LASIK for myopia between -6 and -10 D.

Methods: A retrospective, control-matched study including 68 eyes, 34 who underwent PRK and 34 LASIK, with myopia between -6 and -10 D, operated using the VISX 20/20 excimer laser was performed. Optical zones of 5.5 to 6 mm were used. All PRK-treated eyes were matched with LASIK-treated eyes having same age, spherical equivalent within ± 1.25 D, sphere within ± 1.5 D, and cylinder within ± 2.5 D. All patients were evaluated 3 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years after surgery. The main outcomes measures were refractive predictability and stability, safety, efficacy, retreatment rate.

Results: At ten years, 20 (71%) and 23 (88%) were within ± 1.00 D after PRK and LASIK respectively. The retreatment rate was 35% and 18% respectively. No eye lost more than 2 lines of BSCVA in both groups. The efficacy was 0.90 for PRK and 0.95 for LASIK.

Conclusions: Both PRK and LASIK were safe for moderate myopia. LASIK demonstrated slightly better efficacy, predictability, and less rate of retreatment after 10 years. The technical improvements should be taken into account where compare these results with those obtained more recently.

Keywords: Cornea, Vision, Treatment Surgery, Long-term follow up, PRK, LASIK, control-matched study, moderate myopia