Short-Term Visual Outcomes And Optical Quality After Small Incision Lenticule Extraction Using The Visumax 800 Femtosecond Laser: A Prospective Study

To evaluate short-term visual outcomes and optical quality following small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) using the VisuMax 800 femtosecond laser.

Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, China

This prospective study enrolled 193 eyes of 97 patients (45 males) with a mean spherical equivalent (SE) of -4.50 ± 1.66 D between November 2024 and January 2025. Refractive parameters and wavefront aberrations were assessed preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively. Of the enrolled patients, 96 (191 eyes) completed the 1-month follow-up.

At 1 month postoperatively, the efficacy index was 1.10 ± 0.16 and the safety index was 1.16 ± 0.15. A total of 99% of eyes achieved a logMAR uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0 or better , with a postoperative SE of 0.14 ± 0.27 D. Total higher-order aberrations (HOAs), coma, and trefoil increased significantly (p < 0.05), while spherical aberration showed no statistically significant change.

SMILE performed with the VisuMax 800 femtosecond laser demonstrates excellent safety, efficacy, and predictability in the short term, despite inducing significant increases in certain higher-order aberrations.