Background: Myopia is a national epidemic in Singapore. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) for the treatment of myopia using the Argon Fluoride Excimer Laser commenced in January 1992 at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Methods: An open, prospective, non randomised clinical trial to assess the efficacy, predictability, stability, and safety of PRK for the correction of myopia between -2.0 to -6.0 dioptres.
Results: One hundred and fifty-five eyes of one hundred and thirty-five patients underwent PRK between January and September 1992, of which thirty-one had completed at least six months of follow-up. Twenty-nine of the thirty-one patients (93.5%) achieved an unaided visual acuity of at least 6/12. Twenty-six patients (83.9%) were within 1 dioptre of emmetropia. There was an initial over-correction in all patients which regressed to a plateau at around three or four months. Corneal haze did not pose a significant problem. Three patients had ocular hypertension, and another developed a mild allergic reaction to the antibiotic-steroid ointment.
Conclusions: Excimer Laser Photorefractive Keratectomy is a very effective, fairly predictable, stable and safe surgical method for the treatment of myopia.