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22nd International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgeons

18. to 21.06.2009, Nürnberg

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Epithelial Photorefractive Keratectomy (E-PRK): Refractive correction by removing only the surface corneal epithelial layer

Meeting Abstract

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  • Tsutomu Hara - Hara Eye Hospital, Utsunomiya, Japan
  • Takeshi Hara - Hara Eye Hospital, Utsunomiya, Japan

22. Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Ophthalmochirurgen. Nürnberg, 18.-21.06.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. Doc09docVI 2.2

doi: 10.3205/09doc076, urn:nbn:de:0183-09doc0765

Published: July 9, 2009

© 2009 Hara et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Purpose: To confirm the effect of the removal of the surface corneal epithelium as a refractive surgery.

Methods: Removed only the surface corneal epithelial layer (16ħ9 µm) by excimer laser.

Results: In post LASIK eyes, average of -1.0 d myopic eyes recovered emmetropia after this procedure and maintained the condition for average of 3 months. By 6 months, most eyes returned to preoperative dioptor. There were no noticeable complications including ocular pain. However, in virgin cornea all patients felt severe ocular pain with no refractive improvement.

Conclusion: This procedure can be an alternate enhance method for eyes with limited corneal thickness.