PURPOSE: to evaluate the long-term results of the prophylactic use of Mitomycin C in inhibiting haze formation after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for high myopia. METHODS: This retrospective, descriptive and longitudinal study comprised 59 eyes (30 patients). The inclusion criteria were a spherical equivalent correction over -4,00 diopters, corneal thickness greater than 480 µm, no prior surgery, ocular trauma and ocular and systemic diseases. After PRK, the eyes were treated with a single intraoperative dose of MMC 0.02% applied topically with a soaked micro sponge placed over the ablated area for two minutes. Refraction, uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity and slit lamp evidence of corneal opacity (haze) were performed on the two years of follow up. RESULTS: No toxic or side effects, either immediate or delayed, were encountered postoperatively. Haze was not observed in any eye after two years of surgery. In one eye haze rate 2,00 was observed from the third until the sixth month of follow-up. In the other eyes, no haze rate higher than 1.0 was observed. The uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 96.91% of the eyes and 20/20 in 81.35% of the eyes. Best corrected visual acuity was unchanged in 57 eyes and improved one line in 2 eyes. CONCLUSION: The prophylactic use of mitomycin C 0.02% after PRK suggested effectiveness in reducing haze formation.
Mitomycin C; Myopia; Ophthalmologic surgical procedures; Corneal opacity
