Abstract
Purpose :
To determine the effect of a liquid dissection technique on clinical outcomes with ultra-structural analysis of the lenticule surface in small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).
Methods :
Fifty-eight eyes of 29 consecutive patients with myopia scheduled for SMILE were included. The liquid dissection technique was performed in 1 eye and the traditional dissection technique was performed in the other eye by randomized assignment. Ophthalmic examinations were evaluated preoperatively and at different time point follow-up after SMILE. Ten human corneal lenticules were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Results :
Uncorrected distance visual acuity (logMAR UDVA) postoperative measurements at 2 and 4 hours were significantly better in the liquid dissection group than in the traditional dissection group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively), but there was no significant difference between the two groups at 1 day, 1 week and 1 month postoperatively. Compared with the traditional dissection technique, the liquid dissection technique induced significantly fewer corneal aberrations at 2 hours and 1 month after the procedures (P =0.031 and P =0.016, respectively), the postoperative contrast sensitivity in the liquid dissection group was significantly higher after 1 day (P = 0.01). The liquid dissection samples showed smoother lenticule surfaces compared to the traditional dissection samples qualitatively and quantitatively (P = 0.004 and P<0.001, respectively).
Conclusions :
The liquid dissection technique can be of great help in facilitating better visual acuity recovery and produces smooth cuts with less surface irregularities in the early postoperative period.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.