AIM: To evaluate the efficacy ofphotorefractive keratectomy(PRK)in correcting mild-to-moderate myopia with the low dose(0.02g/L)mitomycin C(LMMC)in eyes for 30 seconds.

METHODS: Fifty-seven eyes of 30 patients with mild-to-moderate myopia were treated with PRK, and theLMMC was administered topically for 30 seconds. Seventy-seven eyes of 39 patients with mild-to-moderate myopia were treated with LASIK. The follow-up was evaluated 6 months later. Independent samples t test, Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Significance level was set P<0.05.

RESULTS: In the PRK+LMMC group 6 months later, mean spherical equivalent refraction was 0.210±0.72D, spherical equivalent refraction within ±0.50D was obtained in 71.9% of eyes, uncorrected visual acuity≥1.0 was obtained in 77.2% of eyes, and mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 1.19±0.18, and they were-0.017±0.81D, 70.1%, 72.7% and 1.16±0.19, respectively, in the LASIK group 6 months later. The differences between two groups were not statistically significant(t=1.76; χ²=0.051; χ²=0.805; t=0.984, all P>0.05). No eye presented more than grade 1 haze in PRK+LMMC group. 1 eye occurred epithelial ingrowth in LASIK group.

CONCLUSION:PRK correcting mild-to-moderate myopia with LMMC administered topically for 30 seconds intraoperatively is equally effective with LASIK, and avoids LASIK flaps complications. PRK is an effective alternative to LASIK.