Comparison of Corneal Densitometry and Visual Quality after Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) and Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK): One-Year Comparative Study
Table 3
Corneal wavefront aberrations at the front, back, and total layers in the SMILE and LASEK groups preoperatively and at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively.
Wavefront aberrations
Preoperative
Postoperative month 3
Postoperative year 1
SMILE
LASEK
SMILE
LASEK
SMILE
LASEK
Front cornea
HOAs
0.96
#
0.02†
#
0.02†
Spherical aberration
0.06
#
<0.001†
#
<0.001†
Z (3, -1)
0.07
#
0.03†
#
0.03†
Z (3, 1)
0.32
#
0.19
#
0.048†
Z (3, -3)
0.06
0.18
#
0.27
Z (3, 3)
0.38
0.13
0.90
Back cornea
HOAs
0.51
0.57
0.65
Spherical aberration
0.28
0.14
0.28
Z (3, -1)
0.10
0.91
0.53
Z (3, 1)
0.85
0.91
0.81
Z (3, -3)
0.08
0.35
0.69
Z (3, 3)
0.73
0.73
0.63
Total cornea
HOAs
0.62
#
0.03†
#
0.02†
Spherical aberration
0.06
#
<0.001†
#
<0.001†
Z (3, -1)
0.06
#
0.02†
#
0.01†
Z (3, 1)
0.25
#
0.17
#
0.04†
Z (3, -3)
0.26
0.48
#
0.23
Z (3, 3)
0.28
0.21
0.99
, significantly different from the preoperative values in the SMILE group. #, significantly different from the preoperative values in the LASEK group. †, significant difference between the SMILE and LASEK groups.