Visual and refractive outcomes after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and femto-SMILE (small-incision lenticule extraction) for Myopia

Background The objective of refractive surgery is to lessen the patient’s reliance on contact lenses or glasses for everyday activities. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a popular surgical procedure that reshapes the cornea in individuals with refractive errors in order to enhance their vision. PRK differs from previous laser-based eye operations in that there are no corneal incisions created during the procedure. Objective To compare the visual and refractive outcomes following PRK and femto-small-incision Lenticule extraction (SMILE) for myopic patients. Patients and methods This retrospective comparative research was conducted in Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine–Tanta University on 80 eyes (of 40 cases) who underwent Corneal Refractive Surgery. They were equally allocated into two groups; PRK group and 2- femto-SMILE group. They were compared before surgery and 6 months after surgery for clinical and topographical outcomes. Results There was a significant difference between both groups as regard of Postoperative UCVA, Degree of Myopia before and after surgery, and Analysis of thinnest location. There were no significant difference between both groups as regard of demographic data or degree of Astigmatism. Conclusion After 6 months of surgery, the visual outcome of PRK was better than femto-SMILE, however, femto- SMILE was more effective in astigmatic correction compared with PRK.