AzTrials
AzTrials

Photorefractive KeratectomyNCT07203976

Visual and Refractive Outcomes Following Stream Light Photorefractive Keratectomy (55μm Epithelial Removal) Versus Conventional Photorefractive Keratectomy

An observational study of Photorefractive Keratectomy, run by Assiut University at 1 site in Egypt.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a well-established corneal refractive surgery that involves epithelial removal followed by stromal ablation to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The method of epithelial removal in PRK significantly impacts healing, pain levels, and visual outcomes. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 40 years
Conditions the study is for
Photorefractive Keratectomy
How many people
100 participants
Where
1 siteEgypt
Study dates
3 May 2025to Sep 2027
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 40 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Study population: Patients aged 18-40 years with myopia up to -6.00 D and astigmatism up to -3.00 D and Stable refraction for at least one year.

Who may be able to join

  • Patients aged 18-40 years.
  • Myopia up to -6.00 D and astigmatism up to -3.00 D.
  • Stable refraction for at least one year.
  • No history of ocular surgery or corneal pathology.

Who cannot join

  • Presence of keratoconus or suspected corneal ectasia.
  • Severe dry eye disease or significant ocular surface disease.
  • History of autoimmune disease or systemic conditions affecting wound healing.
  • Prior herpetic eye disease.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Egypt1 site
  • Faculty of medicine, Assiut

    Asyut

Other trials in Egypt

About this study

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a well-established corneal refractive surgery that involves epithelial removal followed by stromal ablation to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The method of epithelial removal in PRK significantly impacts healing, pain levels, and visual outcomes.

Trans-epithelial PRK (StreamLight) performed on the EX500 excimer laser platform removes the epithelium and reshapes the corneal stroma in a single laser-guided step, potentially reducing tissue manipulation and enhancing epithelial healing. In contrast, manual epithelial removal PRK involves mechanical debridement, with epithelial removal depth being manually controlled. The variability of epithelial thickness in StreamLight PRK may influence visual outcomes, whereas in manual PRK, a fixed epithelial removal depth of 55 microns provides a standardized approach.

Read the detailed description

This study aimed to compare the visual and refractive outcomes of StreamLight PRK versus manual PRK with fixed epithelial removal.

Type of the study: Retrospective cross-sectional study

  • Study Setting: Alforsan Eye Centre
  • Study subjects:
  1. Inclusion criteria:
  • Patients aged 18-40 years.
  • Myopia up to -6.00 D and astigmatism up to -3.00 D.
  • Stable refraction for at least one year.
  • No history of ocular surgery or corneal pathology. b. Exclusion criteria:
  • Presence of keratoconus or suspected corneal ectasia.
  • Severe dry eye disease or significant ocular surface disease.
  • History of autoimmune disease or systemic conditions affecting wound healing.
  • Prior herpetic eye disease. c. Sample Size Calculation: A sample size calculation will be performed to ensure adequate statistical power. Anticipated enrollment: [e.g., 50 eyes per group] based on previous PRK outcome studies (Marshall et al., 2018).
  • Study tools (in detail, e.g., lab methods, instruments,steps, chemicals, …):
  • Alcon Wavelight EX500 excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX, USA)
  • Wavelight Oculyzer II Am Wolfsmantel 5, Erlangen, Germany
  • Autorefractor KR-8900 (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan)
Keywords
stream light photorefractive keratectomy, conventional photorefractive keratectomy

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT07203976
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Patients aged 18-40 years, myopia up to -6.00 D and astigmatism up to -3.00 D and Stable refractionThe visual and refractive outcomes of Stream Light Photorefractive keratectomy with fixed epithelial removal.
Patients aged 18-40 years, myopia up to -6.00 D and astigmatism up to -3.00 D and Stable refractionThe visual and refractive outcomes of manual Photorefractive keratectomy with fixed epithelial removal.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Post operative distant uncorrected visual acuity

    using snellen chart

    Measured: 1 year

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Post operative spherical equivalent of refractive error

    using autorefractometer

    Measured: 1 year

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Oct 2025
  2. Study start3 May 2025
  3. Primary completionSep 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07203976
Sponsor's protocol ID
04-2025-300627
Status last verified
Nov 2026
First submitted
24 Sep 2025
Last updated
3 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • 3. Marshall, J., Trokel, S. L., Rothery, S., & Krueger, R. R. (2018). Refractive corneal surgery: The role of epithelial healing and biomechanics. Cornea, 37(7), 853-860.

  • Fantes FE, Hanna KD, Waring GO 3rd, Pouliquen Y, Thompson KP, Savoldelli M. Wound healing after excimer laser keratomileusis (photorefractive keratectomy) in monkeys. Arch Ophthalmol. 1990 May;108(5):665-75. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1990.01070070051034.

    PubMed 2334323

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Photorefractive Keratectomy, run by Assiut University at 1 site in Egypt.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Post operative distant uncorrected visual acuity (time frame: 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07203976, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Nov 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in