Corneal sensation 1 year after small incision lenticule extraction SMILE compared to previous LASIK studies

Session Details

Session Title: SMILE for Myopia I

Session Date/Time: Sunday 14/09/2014 | 08:00-09:30

Paper Time: 08:54

Venue: Capital Hall B

First Author: : E.Bartoli ITALY

Co Author(s): :    D. Reinstein   M. Gobbe   T. Archer        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To longitudinally evaluate the recovery of central corneal sensation after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and compare this to data from published studies after LASIK

Setting:

London Vision Clinic, London UK

Methods:

A retrospective non-comparative case series included 158 consecutive myopic eyes (81 patients) treated with SMILE using the VisuMax femtosecond laser. Central corneal sensation was measured using a Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer before and 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Baseline was defined as 5mm less than the preoperative value. A literature search was performed to find published studies reporting central corneal sensation using a Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer before and after LASIK. These data were averaged and used as a comparison

Results:

Mean spherical equivalent refraction treated was -6.56±2.74D (range: -2.25 to -13.00D). Median age was 33 years (range: 19 to 66 years). After SMILE, central corneal sensation dropped from 54-mm preoperatively to 32-mm (day one), rising to 40-mm (1 week), 44-mm (1 month), 49-mm (3 months), 54-mm (6 months), and 55-mm (12 months). Corneal sensation had reached baseline by 1, 3, 6, and 12 months in 62%, 76%, 89%, and 90% of eyes respectively. Twenty LASIK studies were identified; central corneal sensation dropped from 56-mm preoperatively to 9-mm (day one), rising to 15-mm (1 week), 22-mm (1 month), 33-mm (3 months), 44-mm (6 months), and 50-mm (12 months). Across the LASIK studies, mean spherical equivalent refraction treated was -4.30D and mean age was 34.2 years

Conclusions:

There was less reduction in central corneal sensation after SMILE than after LASIK at all time points and recovery to normal levels was reached in the majority of patients by 3 months after SMILE compared with 6-12 months after LASIK

Financial Interest:

One or more of the authors... receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented