Posterior corneal elevation after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) in eyes of different myopia severity

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the changes in posterior corneal elevation after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery in eyes of different myopia severity. Methods: A total of 141 eyes of 86 patients were recruited and followed at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after SMILE surgery. The eyes were divided into four groups according to the spherical equivalent (SE): low myopia (LM, −3.00 D≤SE 0.05). There were significant reductions of post-operative PCAE compared to baseline in the LM group (P = 0.038) and HM group (P 0.05). TPC was significantly decreased after the surgery in the MM group (P = 0.022) and the HM group (P 0.05). TPC was significantly different among the three groups at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months (all P < 0.05), but not at baseline (P = 0.066) or 1 month (P = 0.080). Conclusion: In the first year after SMILE surgery, PCAE was decreased in both LM and HM eyes, and TPC were decreased in MM and HM eyes, but PME was stable after the surgery.

Keywords

• Posterior corneal elevation
• Corneal biometrics
• Refractive surgery
• Myopia