| pubmed-article:4058885 | pubmed:abstractText | A major criticism of radial keratotomy (RK) has been its lack of predictability, a lack due in large measure to the use of simple correlational statistics assessing the relationship between refractive result and each predictor-variable being evaluated separately. This report utilizes multivariate analysis in an attempt to account for the effects of a number of predictor-variables simultaneously. Variables studied are patient age, optical zone size, number of incisions, mean incision depth, preoperative average keratometry, preoperative average applanation tension, patient sex, and age-sex interrelationship. The area of the optical clear zone selected by the surgeon was found to be the most important factor determining refractive change as a result of RK, explaining one-quarter to one-half of the variability of the procedure. The effects of the other factors and the limitations of the method are discussed. Although this method cannot produce a fully predictive equation, we believe this analysis can serve as a good starting point for beginning RK surgeons and a method by which experienced RK surgeons can improve their techniques. | lld:pubmed |
