To analyze and compare the corneal higher order aberration (HOA) after femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).

A non-randomized controlled study was conducted.Sixty myopic patients (60 eyes) who underwent FS-LASIK or SMILE correction at Shandong Eye Hospital from April 2018 to January 2020 were enrolled and the data from the right eye were collected for analysis.Thirty cases (30 eyes) who received FS-LASIK in FS-LASIK group and 30 cases (30 eyes) who received SMILE in SMILE group had a preoperative equivalent spherical diopter of (-5.36±1.11)D and (-4.93±1.03)D, respectively.The HOA of the 6-mm anterior surface, posterior surface, and whole cornea were measured before surgery and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery using Pentacam.The root mean square values (μm) of total corneal HOA, spherical aberration, coma and trefoil were obtained.Differences in the above root mean square values at different time points were compared between the two groups.The study protocol adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong Eye Hospital (No.SDSYKYY20180306). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.

The preoperative and 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-month postoperative total HOA of the anterior corneal surface were (0.428±0.126), (0.775±0.169), (0.811±0.194), (0.759±0.214), (0.704±0.199)μm in the FS-LASIK group and (0.409±0.094), (0.656±0.148), (0.681±0.161), (0.668±0.175), (0.648±0.160)μm in the SMILE group, with a significant overall difference (F_group=5.652, P=0.024; F_time=107.169, P<0.01). Compared with SMILE group, the postoperative total HOA of anterior corneal surface and spherical aberration at different time points were increased in FS-LASIK group, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Compared with before surgery, the postoperative total HOA of the anterior corneal surface and spherical aberration at different time points were increased in both groups, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). In the two groups, the 6- and 12-month postoperative total HOA of the anterior corneal surface were reduced in comparison with the 3-month postoperative ones of the anterior corneal surface, and the 12-month postoperative spherical aberrations of the anterior corneal surface were significantly reduced in comparison with the 1- and 3-month postoperative ones of the anterior corneal surface, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). There were significant differences in the coma and trefoil of the anterior corneal surface between before and after the operation (coma: F_time=47.848, P<0.01; trefoil: F_time=2.497, P=0.046). Compared with before surgery, the postoperative coma was significantly increased in the two groups (all at P<0.05). There were significant differences in total corneal HOA and spherical aberration at different postoperative time points between the two groups (total HOA: F_group=8.093, P=0.008; F_time=125.019, P<0.01.spherical aberration: F_group=4.771, P=0.037; F_time=34.033, P<0.01). Compared with SMILE group, the total corneal HOA and spherical aberration were significantly increased in FS-LASIK group at different postoperative time points (all at P<0.05). Compared with before surgery, postoperative total HOA of the anterior corneal surface and spherical aberration at different postoperative time points were significantly increased in both groups (all at P<0.05). In both groups, the 12-month postoperative corneal spherical aberration was significantly reduced in comparison with the 1- and 3-month postoperative ones (all at P<0.05). There was a significant difference in coma between before and after surgery (F_time=30.829, P<0.01). Compared with before surgery, the postoperative coma was significantly increased at different time points in both groups (all at P<0.05).

Both FS-LASIK and SMILE increase the HOA of the anterior corneal surface and the whole cornea.Compared with FS-LASIK, SMILE introduces less HOA of the anterior corneal surface and the whole cornea as well as spherical aberrations.

Myopia; Corneal surgery, laser; Corneal wavefront aberration; Femtosecond-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis; Small incision lenticule extraction; Higher order aberration