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Comparison of corneal sensation between small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia

Session Details

Session Title: Refractive Femtosecond

Session Date/Time: Sunday 06/10/2013 | 17:00-18:30

Paper Time: 18:00

Venue: Elicium 2 (First Floor)

First Author: : M.Li CHINA

Co Author(s): :    X. Zhou   J. Zhao   Y. Shen   Y. Yu   F. Lee   L. Gong

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare the impact on corneal sensation after Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) and Femtosecond Laser Assisted Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (Femto-LASIK) in myopic patients.

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Methods:

In this prospective nonrandomized comparative study, 71 patients were enrolled into this study. Thirty-eight eyes of 38 patients underwent SMILE surgeries, and 33 eyes of 33 patients underwent Femto-LASIK surgeries. Corneal sensation was tested with Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry in five areas (central, superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal quadrants) within caps or flaps preoperatively, and at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Comparison of corneal sensation was performed between the SMILE group and Femto-LASIK group. Additionally, the correlations were evaluated between the postoperative central corneal sensitivity and preoperative spherical equivalent (SE), and ablation depth at all postoperative visits.

Results:

All areas within the cap or flap demonstrated corneal hypoesthesia immediately after both surgeries. SMILE-treated eyes showed less compromised corneal sensation than Femto-LASIK-treated eyes at all postoperative visits in the central (all P < 0.05), inferior (all P < 0.05), nasal (all P < 0.05), and in the lateral area at the 1-week (P < 0.05) and 1-month (P < 0.05) visits. In the SMILE group, the inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants recovered faster than other areas. In the Femto-LASIK group, the sensation over the entire flap did not recover to preoperative levels by postoperative 6 months. There was no correlation between postoperative central corneal sensation and preoperative SE, and ablation depth at all postoperative follow-up visits in both groups (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

The impairment of corneal sensation is less severe in SMILE-treated eyes than in Femto-LASIK-treated eyes. Recovery of corneal sensation is faster after SMILE than after Femto-LASIK. The loss of central corneal sensation is independent of preoperative SE or ablation depth.

Financial Interest:

NONE