Dr. Chynn and one of his Pre-Med Interns, Sze, had a study accepted by the www.ascrs.com most prestigious society of Refractive Surgeons in the world. ASCRS accepted this paper because they want other surgeons to learn more about how to successfully treat extreme prescriptions that are so high that they can’t be treated w LASIK! Please review this study, and know that if LASEK is the safest for extreme prescriptions, it’s safest for you, too!
Dr. Chynn was asked by this journal as 1 of 3 experts in the US to explain to other surgeons tips on how to treat complicated enhancements. Please review this article, understand Dr. Chynn’s thought process, and how your choosing him as your surgeon makes sense, even if you’re case is relatively simple!
Safety and Efficancy of Advanced Surface Ablation for Extreme Myopia, Hyperopia, and Astigmatism
Purpose
To determine whether extreme prescriptions may be safely and effectively treated with advanced surface ablation techniques
Method
Retrospective review of eyes that underwent LASEK or Epi-LASEK with a VISX S4IR excimer laser. Eyes that had monovision were excluded
Adjunctive treatment to prevent scarring:
- Mitomycin C (MMC) 0.01% intraoperatively
- Oral steroids: 1-3 wks postop
- Topical steroids: 2-6 mo postop
- Vitamin C: 2-6 mo postop
- UV protection: 3-12 mo postop
Study Population: Characteristics
Results: Uncorrected Visual Acuity (UCVA)
Gain in VA at 3 months Postop USCVA vs. Preop Best Ccorrected Visual Acuity (BCVA)
100 % of eyes had postop UCVA > preop UCVA
Postop UCVA vs. Preop BCVA
Post UCVA vs. Preop BCVA (%)
Eyes with Postop UCVA < Preop BCVA
Complications
- 11/153 (7 %) of eyes had postop haze (tr to 2+)
- 3/153 (2%) of eyes lost ≥ 1 line of BCVA due to postop haze
- 1/153 (0.7%) of eyes lost ≥ 2 lines of BCVA due to postop haze
Conclusion
- Extreme prescriptions may be safely and effectively treated with advanced surface ablation, combined with adjunctive treatments to prevent scarring
- 72% eyes: 3-mo. postop UCVA ≥ preop BCVA
- Further studies are needed to determine whether extremely hyperopic eyes are more likely to lose BCVA and how to avoid this loss