Case Report: Bilateral Corneal Ectasia Developed during Pregnancy after Small-incision Lenticule Extraction

This case highlights that hormonal changes during pregnancy could affect the biomechanical stability of the cornea and lead to corneal ectasia during pregnancy after corneal refractive surgery.

We report an unusual case of bilateral corneal ectasia after small-incision lenticule extraction that developed during pregnancy.

A 27-year-old woman experienced post-small-incision lenticule extraction corneal ectasia. Her pre-operative corneal topography was normal, with a minimum central corneal thickness of 538 μm in the right eye and 530 μm in the left eye. The manifest refraction was -7.75 -0.25 × 180 and -7.50 -0.75 × 10, and the lenticule thickness was 140 and 139 μm in the right and left eyes, respectively. After 11 months, in her first trimester, the patient began to experience gradually deteriorating blurred vision. Two years post-operatively, corneal ectasia was diagnosed based on topographic data. The automatic optometer examination was -7.25 -2.50 × 42 in the right eye and -11.00 -5.00 × 140 in the left eye. Later, the patient underwent corneal collagen cross-linking to control further progression and was recommended to wear rigid gas-permeable contact lenses.

Surgeons should be alert for cornea ectasia after refractive surgery in pregnant patients, as hormonal changes during pregnancy may affect corneal biomechanical stability.