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CONTRAINDICATIONS TO PRK
Adapted from the Guidelines of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK)
1997
ABSOLUTE CONTRAINDICATIONS
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Monocularity or severe amblyopia ("lazy eye") |
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Severe dry eye disease (minor dry eyes are not a
contraindication) |
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Severe local infective or allergic conditions: |
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Blepharitis |
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Previous Herpes Simplex or Zoster keratitis |
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Allergic eye disease severe enough to require regular treatment |
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Cataract |
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Corneal abnormalities: |
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Absent or decreased sensation |
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Unstable Keratoconus |
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Irregular astigmatism (with present lasers) |
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Corneal vascularisation |
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Systemic Conditions: |
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Collagen diseases - Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus |
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Cytotoxic or steroid drugs |
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Pregnancy |
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RELATIVE CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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Glaucoma (cf. Ophthalmology 104, 355-359, March
1997) |
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Diabetes Mellitus |
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Unstable refraction |
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Low myopes approaching presbyopia |
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Inappropriate motivation or unreasonable expectation |
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PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS |
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Perfectionist or obsessive personality: |
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Unrealistic expectations: |
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Bigger the prescription the bigger the spread of results. |
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Large astigmatism is less predictable than large pure sphere |
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