PURPOSE: To assess in monocular amblyopia patients the effectiveness of solitary part-time occlusion in overcoming the disadvantages of full-time occlusion. METHODS: Forty monocular amblyopia patients, aged from 3 to 8 years, who had more than 0.7 in visual acuity of the sound eye and more than 2 lines in binocular difference of visual acuity, were treated only with part-time occlusion for 6 hours per day. Patients were classified into three age groups: 3~4 years, 5~6 years, and 7~8 years. We compared best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and binocular difference of visual acuity, before and after 6-hour patching. We also compared the difference at the end of patching with that at the last follow-up visit. RESULTS: BCVA and binocular difference of visual acuity were significantly improved (p<0.001). Average duration of occlusion was 15.4 +/- 13.0 months (9~55months). Thirty-two of 40 patients had less than 2 lines of binocular difference of visual acuity after patching. Visual acuity of each age group was also significantly improved but there was no difference in the degree of improvement or the duration of occlusion among the three age groups. It was also maintained well until the last follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of amblyopia patients, solitary, 6-hour, part-time occlusion revealed effective improvement of BCVA and good maintenance of the improvement.
Amblyopia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Telescopes ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of amniotic membrane (AM) on the outcome of laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). METHODS: One hundred fifty-two eyes of 84 patients with myopia or myopic astigmatism were evaluated. Following LASEK, AM was placed on the inferior limbus as a strip in 94 eyes of 54 patients. Fifty eight eyes of 30 patients served as control. Postoperative epithelial healing time, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction and corneal haze were examined in both groups. RESULTS: AM-treated group showed shorter reepithelialization time (2.40 +/- 0.94 days vs 3.90 +/- 0.97 days, p<0.001) after LASEK. At 6 months, 48 eyes (82.8%) and 53 eyes (91.4%) of control group had a UCVA of 20/25 and 20/40 or better respectively. In AM-treated group, 86 eyes (91.5%) had 20/25 or better and 90 eyes (95.7%) had 20/40 or better. Mean spherical equivalents (SE) was 0.480.54 diopter (D) vs -0.94 +/- 0.60D (p<0.001). The corneal haze was significantly less in the AM-treated group than in the control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of AM after LASEK induced rapid epithelial healing with more favorable visual and refractive outcome and reduced score in corneal haze, compared with conventional LASEK.
Amnion* ; Astigmatism ; Humans ; Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted* ; Myopia ; Refractive Errors ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical usefulness of the pressure phosphene tonometer (Proview(R)) compared with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. METHODS: Ninety four eyes of 50 patients, aged from 3rd decade to 6th decade and with intraocular pressure (IOP) ranging from 9 to 21 mmHg, were measured by Proview(R) 5 times each. The average of these values was compared with the value measured with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. Twenty eyes of 10 patients, aged from 3rd decade to 4th decade, were trained repeatedly and measured again by the same method after 1 month. RESULTS: IOP measured by Proview(R) was statistically higher than that with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (p<0.05). The difference between the two measurements for patients in their 5th and 6th decades was more than in their 3rd and 4th decades. Nevertheless, the measurement difference decreased and the correlation coefficient increased between the devices in the repeatedly trained group (r=0.923). CONCLUSIONS: In measuring IOP, the pressure phosphene tonometer (Proview(R)) is not suitable in elderly or newly adapted patients, but it provides significant values in young and repeatedly trained group.
Aged ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Phosphenes*