Purpose: Lamellar surgeries with SMILE lenticules are an evolving field of refractive surgery. This chapter intends to discuss the reported clinical results of using SMILE derived lenticules in terms of feasibility, safety and predictability; or the potential management of hyperopia, keratoconus, SMILE ectasia and presbyopia.
Materials and methods: Donor SMILE lenticules were prepared under microscope tocreate doughnut shaped lenticules. For hyperopia, this tissue was then inserted into afemtosecond laser enabled pocket created using VisuMax FS Laser at a depth of 160µm. For ectasia induced by keratoconus and post refractive procedure (SMILE), 0.23% riboflavin dye was instilled into the interface and then lenticule was inserted followed by exposure to UV-A radiation with total energy of 6.3 J.
Results: Spherical equivalent (S.E.) of within ± 0.5 D was observed in 50% (n=21) eyes and within 1 D was seen in 71% eyes treated for hyperopia. A significant increase in the K mean anterior, central corneal thickness, Q-value and corneal aberrations was seen 2 weeks post-op. Clinical improvement in terms of S.E. and uncorrected distance visual acuity in eyes treated for ectasia after keratoconus and post refractive procedure (SMILE) was seen.
Conclusion: With the ample availability of SMILE- derived lenticules, researchers are exploring the possibility of using this tissue for the treatment of various refractive and corneal conditions.
Keywords: Ectasia; SMILE; hyperopia; lenticule.
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