AIM:To investigate the clinical effect and safety of modified Synder-Thompson posterior scleral reinforcement for pathological myopia in teenagers.

METHODS:Forty eyes in 21 teenagers with pathological myopia who underwent the posterior scleral reinforcement using bovine pericardium(PSR group)were retrospectively studied, and at the same time 26 eyes in 13 age- and myopia-matched children who wore spectacles were analyzed as the control group. They were followed for 3a. The changes of best-corrected visual acuity, myopic diopter and axial length before and after treatments were measured and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS:The mean spherical equivalent degree after 3a in PSR group was -12.90±3.22D, and which in the control group was -13.40±1.85D. The mean spherical equivalent degree at the end of the follow-up period in the PSR group and the control group were increased by -1.13±0.45D and -1.93±0.44D respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.01). The best-corrected visual acuity were increased by 0.25±0.11 and 0.16±0.07 respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.01). The increase of axial length were 0.71±0.34 and 1.18±0.40mm respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.01). There was no serious complication such as retinal detachment, anterior segment ischemia syndrome, rejection reaction and intraocular hemorrhage in the PSR group after the surgery.

CONCLUSION:Posterior scleral reinforcement surgery can not only effectively slow down high myopic axial progression and control the myopia development, but also elevate the visual acuity.