Photorefractive keratectomy for myopic anisometropia : a retrospective study on 18 children

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) performed under topical anesthesia in children with myopic anisometropia. METHODS: Medium to high unilateral myopia was corrected in 18 patients by PRK. At the time of surgery patients were between 7 and 17 years of age (mean 10 years). All the surgical procedures were performed under topical anesthesia. Pre- and postoperative data regarding visual acuity, eye alignment, and binocular vision were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean correction (SE) obtained with excimer laser was -8.21 D (range: -2.25 to -14.50, SD 3.90). The mean preoperative best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was 20/70, and the postoperative mean BSCVA was 20/50. A significant difference was observed between the arithmetic mean of the preoperative and postoperative BSCVA (p=0.001). Two of 18 patients improved stereopsis; furthermore, surgery variation strabismus was registered in 33.3% of the patients, following PRK. Patients were followed up for a mean of 39 months. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of medium to high unilateral myopia with PRK under local anesthesia was found effective and safe in pediatric and adolescent patients. This procedure may improve ocular alignment and stereopsis. Further studies are needed to increase the patient experience and extend follow-up time in order to assess the long-term stability of the RESULTS.