Background and objective: Although the refractive outcome can change for months after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), early visual results are of particular importance during pre-operative counseling of prospective PRK candidates. The expected vision in the first week post-operatively, following 6.0 mm or larger zone photoablation for myopia with the Summit OmniMed (Apex) laser, has not been analyzed in the literature to date. This study is intended to provide an indication of the early visual acuity that may be experienced by a patient undergoing PRK for myopia.
Patients and methods: The visual acuity recorded for 123 consecutive patients, (79 low myopes [-1.00 to -5.90 diopters (D)], 44 high extreme myopes [-6.00 to -19.00 D]), one week after they had undergone PRK, was analyzed. All patients included in the study had undergone PRK with the Summit OmniMed (Apex) excimer laser, leaving small degrees of astigmatism uncorrected.
Results: One week after PRK, uncorrected visual acuity was better for low myopes than high myopes. Of the low myopes, 83.0% were 20/40 or better compared with high myopes of whom 61.4% were 20/40 or better.
Conclusion: Patients can be counseled that functional vision will be present in the period immediately after re-epithelialization.