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Achieved Lenticule Diameter and Functional Optical Zone in Hyperopic Eyes After Lenticule Intrastromal Keratoplasty
Purpose:
To investigate achieved lenticule diameter (ALD) and functional optical zone (FOZ) following femtosecond laser-assisted lenticule intrastromal keratoplasty (FS-LIKE) or small incision lenticule intrastromal keratoplasty (SMI-LIKE).
Methods:
Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE)-derived human lenticules were placed on the surface of a contact glass (CG) and model eye (ME). Ex vivo ALDs were assessed at different hydration times. The ALD and FOZ were obtained using optical coherence tomography and Scheimpflug tomography at 6 months after lenticule implantation.
Results:
At 1 hour after hydration, lenticules achieved a slightly larger CG-loading ALD (6.63 ± 0.07 mm) and similar ME-loading ALD (6.53 ± 0.07 mm) as compared to a programmed optical zone (POZ) of 6.5 mm (P < .001). At 6 months after surgery, FS-LIKE with a POZ of 6.5 mm obtained an ALD of 6.20 ± 0.21 mm, which was larger than SMI-LIKE with a POZ of 6.64 mm (5.90 ± 0.14 mm, P = .001). The mean FOZ diameters were 5.33 ± 0.28 and 5.11 ± 0.14 mm for the FS-LIKE and SMI-LIKE groups, respectively (P = .022). The absence of significant differences in the ALD and FOZ among the different meridians indicated that the achieved lenticule and optical zone shapes were circular.
Conclusions:
An accurate lenticular size could be obtained from SMILE, and FS-LIKE could achieve a larger FOZ than SMI-LIKE, attributed to attaining a larger ALD. [.

