Excimer laser correction of myopic astigmatism

Abstract

The excimer laser allows the controlled ablation of corneal tissue to correct refractive error. By using a combination of spherical and slit apertures, it is possible to correct both myopia and astigmatism. We report the results of 139 consecutive eyes that had photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (PARK) for myopic astigmatism (myopia ≤15.00 diopters [D] with astigmatism ≤6.00 D) and compare these results with 107 consecutive and concurrent eyes that received photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia (≤-15.00 D). The same excimer laser was used by 27 different surgeons. All patients were followed for at least three months. In the PARK group, 68% were within ±1.00 D at six months and 77%..