PTK with the 193-nm excimer laser is a safe and effective treatment for many superficial diseases of the cornea.

In order to investigate the effects of 193nm excimer laser radiation on comeal wound healing 5bovine comeas were treated with subablative and ablative 193nm Excimer laser radiation, by simple light exposure and mechanial ablation of the corneal tissue or not treated. The comeas were metabolically labelled with a [35S]-labelling reagent. The proteoglycans were then extracted and radioactivity was measured with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. Corneas after ablative 193nm excimer laser radiation and after mechanical ablation had less radioactivity incorporated but had also less comeal tissue.

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We present our clinical strategy to treat corneal diseases with the excimer laser. Nine eyes with recurrent erosion after trauma, three eyes with band keratopathy, and one eye with secondary crystalline deposits and a leukoma adherens after perforating injury underwent excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). The patients with recurrent erosion had at least six episodes in the 12 months, the other patients suffered from severe pain. The recurrent erosions were treated with 15 pulses (193 nm, 180 mJ/cm2, 10 Hz) after removing the epithelium. There was only one new episode within 6 months after treatment in a patient who failed to follow the postoperative therapeutic regimen. In the patients with band keratopathy we removed the calcium deposits mechanically and then used masking fluids to obtain a smooth surface. The crystalline deposits in the patient with leukoma adherens could be removed but recurred after 4 months; the patient still suffered from glare. (Refractive and Corneal Surgery (suppl) 1993;9:S85-S90.)