Topical Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Corneal Epithelium Healing after Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Randomized, Double-masked Contralateral Eye Study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical 1% medroxyprogesterone in corneal epithelial healing after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Methods: In this placebo-controlled double-masked randomized contralateral eye study, 66 eyes of 33 patients with myopia and myopia-astigmatism were assigned into two groups to receive either 1% topical medroxyprogesterone (intervention) or artificial tear (placebo) at the end of PRK surgery. The patients were followed up daily for 5 days until epithelial healing was achieved. The time taken for epithelial healing was the main outcome measure.

Findings: The mean age of the subjects was 32.97 ± 7.6 years and 46 individuals were female (69.7%). All baseline refractive characteristics were comparable between the groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of epithelial defect size on Day 1 (P: 0.67). Both groups exhibited a consistent pattern of decreasing epithelial defect size from Day 1 to Day 5, with the control group having slightly worse initial values. There were no significant differences between the groups in the following days. Both groups showed substantial reductions in the epithelial defect size, but the intervention group showed a more prominent decrease on Day 2. The intervention did not show a significant statistical difference compared to the control group, and both groups ended up with a similar outcome.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the topical 1% medroxyprogesterone does not significantly affect the healing of corneal epithelium after PRK.