Posterior scleral reinforcement combined with patching therapy for pre-school children with unilateral high myopia

Abstract

Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate the effect of posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) combined with patching therapy for pre-school children with unilateral high myopia.

Methods: A total of 32 pre-school children with unilateral high myopia were recruited. They were randomly divided into the PSR and control group, each of which had 16 patients. The patients in the PSR group underwent the simplified PSR surgery followed by rigid gas permeable contact lens wear and traditional patching therapy, while the patients in the control group were only prescribed contact lens wear and patching. Patients were reviewed and the axial length, refraction, best-corrected visual acuity, and stereoscopic vision were respectively examined postoperatively at yearly intervals for three years.

Results: The best-corrected visual acuity was significantly higher in the PSR group than that in the control group at any study visit. A statistically significant difference in axial length was found between the PSR group (27.38 ± 1.30 mm) and the control group (28.29 ± 0.74 mm) at the postoperative three-year (p = 0.03) time point. There was a statistical difference in refractive error between the PSR group (-13.13 ± 2.55 D) and the control group (-15.42 ± 1.83 D) at 3-year follow-up. No significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to the stereoscopic vision by the end of follow-up at 3 years (p =0.103).

Conclusions: PSR combined with the patching therapy has the potential to arrest the progression of high myopia and to help the treatment for amblyopia.