CIRCLE Enhancement After Myopic SMILE.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Corneal Surgery

Background:

• Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) is a popular refractive surgery procedure.
• Enhancement or retreatment may be necessary for suboptimal outcomes after initial SMILE surgery.
• Current retreatment options include photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of the VisuMax CIRCLE procedure as a method for enhancing eyes after SMILE.
• To assess the safety, efficacy, and visual recovery following CIRCLE retreatment.
• To compare CIRCLE retreatment with other available options for post-SMILE enhancement.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 22 eyes that underwent CIRCLE retreatment after SMILE.
• SMILE was performed, followed by CIRCLE procedure with flap creation and excimer laser ablation.
• Follow-up included assessment of visual acuity and refractive error at 3 months post-retreatment.

Main Results:

• CIRCLE enhancement significantly improved refractive outcomes, with 90.9% of eyes within 0.50 D of target refraction.
• Mean uncorrected distance visual acuity improved from 0.37 to 0.08 logMAR at 1 week and 0.03 logMAR at 3 months.
• All eyes gained at least one line of uncorrected distance visual acuity, with high safety and efficacy indices.

Conclusions:

• The CIRCLE procedure is an effective and safe retreatment option for eyes after SMILE.
• CIRCLE offers faster visual recovery, improved safety, and predictability compared to surface ablation.
• The creation of a flap is a consideration for this enhancement technique.