Laser in situ keratomileusis in children 8 to 15 years old.

Purpose: To determine the safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) to correct high myopia or high myopic astigmatism in patients with high anisometropia in whom conventional treatments have failed.

Methods: Nine eyes of nine patients, three boys and six girls with high anisometropia (>3.50 D), were included in this study. Patient age was 8 to 15 years. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. All patients were treated with the Chiron Technolas 217 excimer laser.

Results: Three months after LASIK, uncorrected visual acuity improved by at least five Snellen lines in all eyes. Three eyes (33.3%) were 20/40 or better without correction. Due to dense amblyopia, no eye had uncorrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better. The mean spherical equivalent refraction decreased from -7.66 to -0.22 D, and mean preoperative astigmatism decreased from -3.11 to -0.69 D. Eight eyes (88.8%) were within +/-1.00 D of emmetropia. Two eyes (22.2%) were within +/-0.50 D of the desired outcome. All patients were able to function binocularly.

Conclusion: In this study of selected older children, LASIK was a safe and effective option for the correction of high anisometropia and for improved binocularity, when conventional therapies had failed. Further study is necessary to determine the long-term refractive stability in these young patients.