AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of phototherapeutic keratectomy(PTK)in the treatment of bullous keratopathy(BK).

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 60 cases(60 eyes)of BK patients from Department of Ophthalmology in our hospital October 2011 to July 2014 was undergone. Clinical data of all patients with treatment of PTK were analyzed. Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), corneal curvature, corneal astigmatism, corneal thickness and corneal endothelial cell density(ECD), postoperative complications before and after surgery were compared.

RESULTS: BCVA, corneal curvature, corneal astigmatism of patients before surgery were 0.05±0.01 and 37.02±5.38, 1.08±0.67D, which were significantly less than those of postoperative(respectively 0.45±0.13 and 46.27±7.02, 1.92±0.73D), the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). Corneal thickness of patients was 492.33±18.27μm before surgery, which was higher than that after surgery 377.27±22.49μm(P<0.05). The difference of visual acuity before and after surgery was statistically significant in this group(P<0.05). During the follow-up period of 6mo, no recurrence of the original corneal lesions, only 2 cases of postoperative slight haze, it was completely dissipated after given the hormone eye drops.

CONCLUSION: Excimer laser technology has high safety in the treatment of bullous keratopathy, it should be promoted in clinical practice.