Single-step Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in the treatment of mild, moderate, and high myopia: six month results

Background: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and the refractive outcomes of single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) for the correction of mild, moderate, and high myopia.

Methods: This study consecutively recruited 32 high myopic eyes, 32 mild myopic and 32 moderate myopic eyes. Eyes with myopia that had undergone TransPRK treatment. Pre- and post-operative visual and refractive data, corneal Higher Order Aberration (HOA) as well as safety and efficacy indices were analyzed at 6 months postoperatively.

Results: Six months after TransPRK, the manifest refraction spherical equivalent (SE) was not significantly between high myopia group and moderate myopia group (p = 0.636). No eyes lost ≥2 lines of corrected distant visual acuity (CDVA) in high myopic eyes. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was significantly higher in low and moderate myopia groups than the high myopia group (P < 0.001; P = 0.002). The CDVA was not significantly different between moderate and high myopia groups (P = 0.057). There was no significant difference in mean safety index between high myopia group (1.01 ± 0.14) and mild myopia group (1.08 ± 0.15) (P > 0.05). The mean safety index was significantly higher in the moderate myopia group (1.16 ± 0.23) than in the high myopia group (1.01 ± 0.14) (P = 0.002). The efficacy index was significantly higher in the moderate myopia group (1.05 ± 0.20) than in the high myopia group (0.89 ± 0.17) (P = 0.02), and there was no significant difference between the high myopia group (0.89 ± 0.17) and the low myopia group (0.96 ± 0.16) (P = 0.14).

Conclusions: The mean safety index was over 1.0 in the three groups. TransPRK showed acceptable safety and efficacy in the moderate myopic eyes, as well as mild and high myopic eyes. High myopic eyes got very similar refractive results with moderate myopic eyes six months postoperatively. The safety and efficacy indexes were not significantly different between the high myopia group and the low myopia group.