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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Ye's Swing Technique for Small-incision Lenticule Extraction Surgery
Published on: June 27, 2025
Case of Presumed Transient Light-Sensitivity Syndrome After Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction
Jordan D Desautels1, Majid Moshirfar, Tyler S Quist
1*HDR Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT; †Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA; ‡Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; §University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and ¶McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX.
Purpose:
To report the first presumed case of transient light-sensitivity syndrome (TLSS) after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).
Methods:
A 27-year-old male patient was treated for severe photophobic symptoms occurring 7 weeks after undergoing a bilateral SMILE procedure. His comprehensive ocular examination was unremarkable and his visual acuity was unaffected. Treatment was a month-long tapering dose of topical steroids.
Results:
Photophobic symptoms fully resolved after steroid treatment. TLSS related to SMILE mirrors TLSS after laser in situ keratomileusis in both onset and steroid responsiveness.
Conclusions:
TLSS is a rare and minor complication of SMILE. Photophobic symptoms associated with post-SMILE TLSS are fully responsive to topical corticosteroids.
