Corneal Stromal Lenticule Rotation for High Astigmatism Correction

Purpose To evaluate the clinical outcome of laser-assisted surgical correction of high hyperopic or mixed astigmatism using small incision intrastromal lenticule rotation (SMILERO) alone or combined with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods This retrospective case series enrolled 25 eyes with high astigmatism that underwent SMILERO surgery. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), manifest refraction, central corneal thickness, and corneal higher order aberrations were analyzed before surgery and after 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. The postoperative residual refractive errors were fine-tuned using PRK. Results The median absolute preoperative cylinder of 4.50 diopters (D) decreased to 1.25 D at 3 months postoperatively. The lenticule rotation improved UDVA (0.80 vs 0.45 logMAR) due to a noticeable myopic shift. Regarding UNVA, 14 of 24 eyes were capable of reading Jaeger number 1 chart postoperatively in comparison to one eye preoperatively. The lenticule rotation led to successful correction of both astigmatic and spherical components in 13 of 25 eyes. The residual refractive errors in 12 of 25 eyes were fine-tuned postoperatively by PRK. The SMILERO and PRK combination led to a satisfactory refractive outcome with median absolute cylinder of 0.75 D, median spherical equivalent of -0.25 D, and median UDVA of 20/40 Snellen equivalent at 12 months postoperatively. Conclusions This study demonstrates that SMILERO is capable of correcting both corneal and refractive astigmatism with mid-term corneal stability. The residual refractive errors were further minimized with subsequent PRK fine-tuning. [ J Refract Surg . 2025;41(1):e5–e13.]