Clinical outcomes of immediate transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy after suction loss during small-incision lenticule extraction

Purpose To investigate the surgical outcomes of immediate transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) after suction loss during small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and compare the outcomes with those of uneventful SMILE. Setting Eyereum Eye Clinic, Seoul, South Korea. Design Retrospective case series. Methods This study included 24 eyes of 12 patients who had uneventful SMILE in one eye and immediate transepithelial PRK after the development of suction loss during the lenticule cut in the contralateral eye. Visual acuity assessments, manifest refraction, and measurements of corneal wavefront aberrations were performed preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Results At 6 months, the mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and spherical equivalent were -0.04 ± 0.05, -0.09 ± 0.05, and -0.02 ± 0.24 diopter (D), respectively, in the transepithelial PRK group and -0.10 ± 0.07, -0.06 ± 0.07, and -0.04 ± 0.17 D, respectively (P = .036, P = .109, and P = .671, respectively), in the uneventful SMILE group. The 6-month Snellen UDVA was better than 20/20 for 11 (92%) and 12 (100%) of eyes in the transepithelial PRK and uneventful SMILE groups, respectively. All 24 eyes showed unchanged or improved CDVA and a significant increase in the total corneal higher-order aberrations postoperatively. Corneal spherical aberrations exhibited a significant postoperative increase only in the transepithelial PRK group. Conclusions Immediate transepithelial PRK after early suction loss during SMILE might be safe and effective, with refractive outcomes that are comparable with those after uneventful SMILE.