Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) refractive surgery: Our initial experience

Abstract

BackgroundSmall incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) is femtosecond laser based, minimally invasive, flap-free refractive surgery gaining worldwide acceptance as a safe alternative to flap based refractive surgeries. MethodsA retrospective data review study was done where preoperative and postoperative data were collected for 202 eyes of 101 patients who underwent SMILE surgery at a tertiary care Armed Forces hospital from Jan 2019 to Dec 2019. All participants included in the study were followed up for 3 months postoperative period. ResultsMean age of the participants was 24.139 ± 0.515 years (males 22.1 years, females 25.3 years). Male participants were 36 (72 eyes) while female participants were 65 (130 eyes). Of the participants, 75.2% underwent the procedure for cosmetic indication, while 24.8% underwent clearing some medical examination later. Preoperative UCVA was 1.049 ± 0.028 logMAR units, which improved on first postoperative day to 0.038 ± 0.01 logMAR units, at 1 wk 0.015 ± 0.01 logMAR units, at 1 month 0.006 ± 0.005 logMAR units and at 3 months postoperative period to 0.03 ± 0.003 logMAR units. There were two adverse events of difficult lenticule extraction with small (<1 mm) cap tear. ConclusionSMILE surgery is a flap-free refractive surgical technique. It reduces postoperative complications like dry eyes and flap-related complications. Hence, it may be recommended for all serving personnel after a thorough preoperative screening protocol.