Evaluation of Corneal Irregular Astigmatism and Visual Quality Following Bilateral Sequential Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) and Laser Subepithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK): A Six-Year Comparative Study

Evaluation of Corneal Irregular Astigmatism and Visual Quality Following Bilateral Sequential Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) and Laser Subepithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK): A Six-Year Comparative Study

To compare the corneal spherical component (SC), regular astigmatism (RA), irregular astigmatism (IA, including Asymmetry and Irregularity) and visual quality six years after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) for mild to moderate myopia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) patients aged over 18 years; (2) absence of corneal, ocular, or systemic diseases; (3) stable refractive diopter maintained for the past 2 years with a change of ± 0.50 diopter; (4) discontinuation of soft contact lens wear for at least 2 weeks and rigid contact lenses for at least 4 weeks prior to surgery; (5) preoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) less than -6.00 diopter (D)

Exclusion Criteria:

A history of moderate to severe dry eye as well as any ocular or systemic disease that would contraindicate laser refractive surgery