Effects of femtosecond laser-assisted multilayer intrastromal ablation in the midperipheral cornea

We describe the femtosecond laser–assisted midperipheral multilayer intrastromal ablation technique, which combines the benefit of radial keratotomy, ie, not disturbing the optical zone, with currently available technology to correct myopia. The technique was performed in 2 patients, both of whom experienced a decrease in mean corneal power. In 1 patient, the manifest refraction improved, with a 1-line increase in uncorrected visual acuity 1 day postoperatively. The multilayer intrastromal ablation technique, which flattens the cornea and decreases corneal power, can be used to correct moderate myopia without injuring the corneal epithelium.Financial DisclosureDrs. Xing-Ru Zhang, Matthew R. Hoffman, and Xing-Tao Zhou have no financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Additional disclosures are found in the footnotes.