SUMMARY
Developed since 1991, laser intrastromal keratomileusis (LAS1K) is a new surgical choice for high myopic patients.
This study was conducted with 12 eyes of 9 high myopic patients (4 men and 5 women), submitted to intra stromal refractive photokeratectomy. A microkeratotomo (Clear corneal molder®) and a 193 nm ArF excimer laser OmniMED (Summit Technology, Walthan, MA, EUA), with a radiant exposure of 160 to 180 mJ/cm2, a repetition rate of 10 Hz and maximum ablation diameter of 5 mm, was used.
The mean spherical equivalent preoperative refraction reduced from -13.39 to +0.89 on the sixth month of postoperative follow up.
The mean pre operative visual acuity of O. 65 changed to O. 64, which was not a significant difference. It was observed a significant variation of 6. 91 between the keratometric means pre and post opera tive follow up of 6 months and a relationship of 0.50, between the mean keratometric and the mean spherical equivalent refraction variations. The following complications were observed: disc loss in one patient (8. 33%), disc dislocation in 2 patients (16. 66%), interface metallic deposit in 7 patients (58.33%), folds in the cap in 8 patients (66. 64%), epithelial cysts in 4 patients (33.32%), infection in one patient (8.16%) and ocular hipertension in two patients (16. 66%).
Based on the results, laser intrastromal keratomileusis (LASIK) have shown to be a promissing procedure for its efficiency in improving the visual acuity without correction and reducing the myopic spherical equivalent. However, it doesn't offer much safety due to the high incidence of complications observed and the loss of the best corrected visual acuity line.
Key words:
High myopia; Keratomileusis; Excimer laser; Photo refractive keratectomy