One-Year Results of Photorefractive Keratectomy for Myopia and Compound Myopic Astigmatism with 210 nm Wavelength All Solid-State Laser for Refractive Surgery.

BACKGROUND

To examine the 12-month clinical and refractive outcomes of PRK performed with a UV all-solid-state laser.

METHODS

The study included healthy patients with myopia and/or compound myopic astigmatism enrolled for refractive surgery and treated with PRK using a 210 nm wavelength, 2 kHz repetition rate, UV all-solid-state laser (LaserSoft, Katana Technologies GmbH, Kleinmachnow, Germany). All subjects were examined at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the treatment with a slit lamp, refraction, visual acuity assessment (logMAR chart), tonometry, ophthalmoscopy, and corneal tomography with a Scheimpflug camera. The outcome measures considered were uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, refraction, central corneal thickness, and transparency. The efficacy, safety, predictability, and stability were determined.

RESULTS

The study included 34 eyes of 19 patients. The mean UDVA changed from 1.20 ± 0.43 to -0.05 ± 0.10 logMAR at 12 months, and the mean CDVA changed from -0.03 ± 0.06 to -0.06 ± 0.09 logMAR, respectively. The mean spherical equivalent (SE) changed from -4.90 ± 2.12 D to -0.01 ± 0.40 D and was within ±0.50 D of the intended correction in 91% of eyes and within ±1.00 D in 97% of eyes at 12 months. No eyes lost lines of visual acuity, and 64% of eyes gained one or more lines.

CONCLUSIONS

PRK with the 210 nm wavelength, 2 kHz repetition rate, all-solid-state laser LaserSoft system proved to have good visual, refractive, and clinical outcomes after the follow-up at 12 months. The emerging gas-free, solid-state technology might be considered a valid alternative for the gas operating lasers for corneal refractive surgery.