Functional outcome and patient satisfaction 5y after laser vision correction

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Corneal Surgery

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is a critical metric for evaluating refractive surgical procedures.
• Long-term outcomes of small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) require continued investigation.
• Understanding factors influencing satisfaction can optimize patient selection and counseling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the 5-year postoperative patient satisfaction after SMILE and FS-LASIK.
• To investigate the association between functional outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• To identify predictors of dissatisfaction in patients undergoing SMILE or FS-LASIK.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Inclusion of 410 subjects (820 eyes) 5 years post-SMILE or FS-LASIK.
• Ophthalmic examinations, visual function tests, Quality of Vision (QoV) questionnaire, and behavioral habit assessment.

Main Results:

• Overall patient satisfaction was 91.70% at 5 years.
• Dissatisfied patients differed significantly in age, sex, preoperative myopia, visual symptoms, night driving difficulty, and accommodative amplitude.
• Female sex, severe visual symptoms, and difficulty driving at night were associated with lower satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction after SMILE and FS-LASIK is high and stable at 5 years.
• Difficulty driving at night, female sex, and visual symptom severity are key factors impacting satisfaction.
• Targeted counseling for younger, highly myopic females experiencing visual disturbances is recommended.