Visual acuity after small incision lenticule extraction in the early postoperative period: Low myopia versus moderate to high myopia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION[|]To evaluate the effect of intended correction on early visual acuity after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).[¤]METHODS[|]Medical records of patients who underwent SMILE for surgical correction of myopia were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with preoperative visual acuity ≥1.0 and spherical equivalent (SE) of manifest refractive error within ≤+-025 D of emmetropia at 1 month were included in the study. The low-myopia group (Group 1, SE <3 D) was compared to the moderate-to-high-myopia (Group 2, SE > 3 D). The main outcome measure was the corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) at 1-day, 1-week, and 1-month visits. [¤]RESULTS[|]The mean attempted SE was -2.49+-0.35 D and -4.65+-1,29 D in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. There was no statistically significant correlation between the intended correction and CDVA at 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month. At 1-day post-operation, 33% and 8% of eyes in Groups 1 and 2 lost two or more lines of CDVA, respectively (p=0.026). No patients lost 2 or more lines at 1 month.[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]The loss of 2 or more lines of CDVA after SMILE in the early postoperative period was more common among patients who had low myopia preoperatively. CDVA improves during the first month after SMILE. [¤]

Keywords

• myopia
• refractive surgery
• safety
• smile