Evaluation of peripapillary - macular microvascularity and choroidal vascularity index after refractive surgery

To evaluate the microvascularity and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and OCT following femtosecond laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) procedures.

Patients with myopia (<-6.0D sphere) or myopic astigmatism (<-4.0D astigmatism) were enroled. The percentage of vessel density and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) size, optic disc flux index and perfusion were noted and the CVI was calculated before and after surgery.

Twenty-nine eyes of 16 patients in the FS-LASIK group and 30 eyes of 16 patients in the SMILE group were enroled. Macular vessel density, FAZ size, and optic disc flux index were significantly higher on postoperative 1st day compared to preoperative day (p = 0.001, p = 0.007, and p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in terms of macular and peripapillary CVI between postoperative 1st day and preoperative day (p > 0.05). All microvascular parameters were similar on postoperative 7th day and preoperative day (p > 0.05).

It was detected that there is a transient alteration in macular and peripapillary microvascularity after FS-LASIK/SMILE, whereas choroidal circularity is not significantly affected by these refractive surgeries.