Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) refractive surgery: Our initial experience.

Background: Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) is femtosecond laser based, minimally invasive, flap-free refractive surgery gaining worldwide acceptance as a safe alternative to flap based refractive surgeries.

Methods: A retrospective data review study was done where preoperative and postoperative data were collected for 202 eyes of 101 patients who underwent SMILE surgery at a tertiary care Armed Forces hospital from Jan 2019 to Dec 2019. All participants included in the study were followed up for 3 months postoperative period.

Results: Mean age of the participants was 24.139 ± 0.515 years (males 22.1 years, females 25.3 years). Male participants were 36 (72 eyes) while female participants were 65 (130 eyes). Of the participants, 75.2% underwent the procedure for cosmetic indication, while 24.8% underwent clearing some medical examination later. Preoperative UCVA was 1.049 ± 0.028 logMAR units, which improved on first postoperative day to 0.038 ± 0.01 logMAR units, at 1 wk 0.015 ± 0.01 logMAR units, at 1 month 0.006 ± 0.005 logMAR units and at 3 months postoperative period to 0.03 ± 0.003 logMAR units. There were two adverse events of difficult lenticule extraction with small (<1 mm) cap tear.

Conclusion: SMILE surgery is a flap-free refractive surgical technique. It reduces postoperative complications like dry eyes and flap-related complications. Hence, it may be recommended for all serving personnel after a thorough preoperative screening protocol.