Shahrokh Ramin
Lina Moallemi Rad
Ali Abbasi
Alireza Rafatifard
Yosra Rahimi
Somayeh Ghorbani
Hamideh Sabbaghi
Abasalt Hosseinzadeh Colagar

Abstract Background: Myopic regression is a major complication of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The rates and causes vary considerably among different studies. This study aimed to investigate myopic regression at six months after myopic PRK. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included all eligible patients with myopia ranging from - ۰.۷۵ to - ۹ D, aged ۱۸ to ۵۰ years, who underwent PRK by a single surgeon with the availability of preoperative and postoperative data at six months after the initial procedure. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations preoperatively and at six months post-PRK. Overcorrection was planned based on the participant’s age range to achieve the desired refractive result after PRK. All patients received the same postoperative antibiotic and steroid eye drops in a similar dosage regimen, and the contact lenses were removed after complete corneal epithelial healing. Based on the spherical equivalent of refraction six months after PRK, eyes without and with myopic regression were allocated into groups ۱ and ۲, respectively. Results: We included ۲۵۴ eyes of ۱۳۲ patients who underwent myopic PRK with a mean (standard deviation) age of ۳۰.۱۲ (۷.۴۸) years; ۸۲ (۶۲.۱۲%) were women and ۵۰ (۳۷.۸۸%) were men. The frequency of myopic regression was significantly lower in patients with younger age, lower preoperative cylindrical refraction, and lower ablation depth (all P < ۰.۰۵). Overcorrection was more successful in eyes with low myopia than in eyes with high myopia (P < ۰.۰۵). The highest frequency of myopic regression occurred in eyes with moderate myopia (۲۵.۶۸%), followed by eyes with high myopia (۲۰.۰%) and low myopia (۶.۵۴%). Among different age groups, patients aged less than or equal to ۳۰ years had a lower frequency of myopic regression. The frequency of myopic regression in the different age groups was ۵.۰% at ۱۸-۲۰ years, ۷.۴۶% at ۲۶-۳۰ years, ۱۲.۲۸% at ۲۱-۲۵ years, ۲۱.۳۱% at ۳۱-۳۵ years, and ۲۶.۵۳% at ۳۶-۵۰ years. Conclusions: Overcorrection was more successful in eyes with low myopia than in eyes with high myopia. The success rate was higher in younger patients with lower astigmatism and ablation depths. Myopic regression was most frequent in eyes with moderate myopia, followed by those with high and low myopia. Further studies should replicate our findings over a longer follow-up period with a larger sample size before generalization is warranted.