Changes in the values of optical power of cornea in patients after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) obtained by Fourier analysis of videotopographic picture of cornea were investigated. The authors compared changes of cornea surface (optical power) in patients with preoperation myopia up to 6 and more than 6 diopters. Moreover, the changes of absolute values of corneal optical power were compared with the development of refraction of the optical system as a whole. In patients with a lower degree of myopia the cornea optical power became stable up to 6 months after the operation. The cornea surface in patients with higher myopia was still changing one year after the operation. The changes of optical power of cornea in patients with a higher myopia were more marked, but the differences were not statistically significant (except for the period after cornea ablation). There was not any significant difference between the changes of objective refraction and the changes of cornea optical power. The main cause of fluctuating postoperative refraction is apparently the change of cornea surface associated with healing of cornea.

        Key words: optical power of cornea, stability of cornea surface, healing of cornea and photorefractive keratectomy