Outcomes of Photorefractive Keratectomy in Patients Who Underwent Keratoplasty

Abstract

<i>Purpose</i>: To assess the efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients who underwent corneal transplantation, and to determine the influencing factors. <i>Methods</i>: The present study was a retrospective chart review research that was conducted at Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital between 2014 and 2017. <i>Results</i>: Seventy-nine eyes were included in the study. The mean BCVA showed an improvement of two lines post-PRK as compared to that before PRK (0.73 ± 0.1 and 0.54 ± 0.2, respectively). There was a statistically significant decrease in the cylindrical value postoperatively as compared to that preoperatively (−2.15 ± 1.4 and−3.25 ± 1.8, respectively; p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in spherical equivalent and sphere. Three eyes (4%) developed postoperative complications. There was a medium positive correlation between residual stroma and achieved spherical equivalent (SE) (r = 0.305, p = 0.006), as well as between optical zone and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (r = 0.350, p = 0.001), in addition to post SE (r = 0.307, p = 0.006). However, the depth of ablation showed a medium negative correlation with achieved SE (r = −0.375, p = 0.001). <i>Conclusion</i>: PRK may be an option for correcting refractive errors in patients who underwent keratoplasty. The optical zone and residual stromal thickness have a positive correlation with the effects of the outcomes, whereas the depth of ablation has a negative correlation with the outcomes.