Relation between corneal biomechanical alteration after small incision lenticule extraction and intraoperative cutting thickness

Objective: To explore the rule of corneal biomechanical alteration with residual stromal thickness (RST) and percent tissue altered (PTA) after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and to determine the factors influencing postoperative corneal biomechanical properties. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 184 patients (184 right eyes) who underwent SMILE in Tianjin Eye Hospital Refractive Surgery Center from January 2019 to January 2020 were enrolled. There were 83 males and 101 females with age of (24.6±5.8) years. Corneal biomechanical parameters, including DA ratio, stiffness parameter at the first applanation (SPA1) and integrated radius (IR), were measured with Corvis ST preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. The association between PTA, RST and the changes of DA ratio, SPA1 and IR was assessed by linear and nonlinear regression analyses. Stepwise multivariate regression analyses were conducted to explore the factors associated with postoperative corneal biomechanical parameters with age, sex, anterior mean keratometry, spherical equivalent, postoperative central corneal thickness (CCT) and preoperative corneal biomechanical parameters as covariates. Preoperative and postoperative data were compared using the paired t test. Correlations were determined by the Pearson or Spearman analysis. Results: The alterations at 3 months postoperatively of DA ratio, SPA1 and IR were 1.33 (30.0%), 28.05 (26.0%) and 2.56 (34.0%), respectively. The changes before and after surgery were statistically significant (t=35.52, -28.00, 36.95, P 28%, the slope of the change of DA ratio curve was significantly increased. Multivariate regression models showed that the factors with the greatest influence on postoperative DA ratio, SPA1 and IR were preoperative DA ratio (Sβ=0.489, P 28%, the alteration of DA ratio significantly accelerated. Preoperative corneal biomechanical properties and postoperative CCT were main factors influencing corneal biomechanical properties after SMILE. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 104-112).