Optimizing Plasma Formation and Minimizing Microcavitation to Enhance Clinical Outcomes in Keratorefractive Lenticule...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Corneal Surgery

Background:

• Keratorefractive lenticular extraction (KLEx) is a surgical procedure to correct refractive errors.
• Conventional KLEx (C-KLEx) and plasma-enhanced KLEx (P-KLEx) are two distinct techniques with varying laser parameters.
• Understanding the comparative outcomes of these techniques is crucial for optimizing patient vision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare early postoperative visual outcomes.
• To evaluate the induction of higher-order aberrations (HOAs) after refractive surgery.
• To assess the differences between plasma keratorefractive lenticular extraction (P-KLEx) and conventional keratorefractive lenticular extraction (C-KLEx).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series design was employed.
• Patient records undergoing C-KLEx and P-KLEx were reviewed.
• Postoperative visual acuity and corneal HOAs were analyzed at 1 day, 2 weeks, and 2 months.

Main Results:

• The P-KLEx group showed significantly better uncorrected distance visual acuities (UDVAs) at 2 weeks and 2 months postoperatively compared to the C-KLEx group.
• P-KLEx resulted in less induction of total HOAs, coma, and spherical aberration.
• No significant difference in UDVA was observed at postoperative day 1.

Conclusions:

• P-KLEx, utilizing near-pure plasma and minimizing microcavitation, demonstrates more favorable outcomes than C-KLEx.
• P-KLEx yields improved early postoperative visual acuity.
• P-KLEx leads to a reduced induction of corneal higher-order aberrations.