Research highlights predictors of delayed visual recovery after PRK surgery

Approximately 40% of myopic patients experience slow visual recovery following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), according to a study that found ey predictors of this slow recovery include older age, higher refractive astigmatism, recent contact lens wear, larger optic zone treatments, and the use of alcohol-assisted PRK techniques.

The study analyzed data from 4,868 eyes of patients who underwent PRK.

Patients were categorized into those who achieved normal recovery within 60 days and those with slow recovery taking >60 days to reach an efficacy index of 0.9 or greater. Approximately 39.3% of patients were found to have experienced slow visual recovery.

Key factors associated with slower visual recovery included older age, higher refractive astigmatism, and recent contact lens wear. In addition, patients in the slow recovery group tended to have larger optic zone treatments and were more likely to undergo alcohol-assisted PRK rather than transepithelial PRK, along with greater maximum ablation depth.

Reference
Safir M, Ramon D, Kaiserman I, et al. Factors Predicting Slow Visual Recovery Following Myopic Photorefractive Keratectomy. Cornea. 2024;doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003710. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39313776.