To examine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of utilizing a donor lenticule made amid small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) in an epikeratophakia procedure joined with phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK).

Five patients with diminished visual acuity because of a repeat of corneal dystrophy were incorporated into this imminent pilot examine. PTK was accomplished utilizing the MEL 80 excimer laser (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) trailed by the transplantation of donor lenticules onto the beneficiary eyes. These lenticules were separated amid SMILE procedures utilizing the VisuMax femtosecond laser (Carl Zeiss Meditec) on 5 givers with myopia and filled in as the epikeratophakia tissue.

The surgery and postsurgically follow-up examinations were uneventful and no entanglements were noted more than 3 months of development. The epithelium rebuilding was accomplished inside one month. At the last estimation, the rectified distance visual acuity of all beneficiary eyes picked up at least three lines. Four eyes (80.3%) picked up at least three lines of uncorrected distance visual acuity contrasted with their preoperative dimensions. Mean keratometric power expanded by 4.96 ± 3.63 diopters and apex corneal thickness expanded by 54.25 ± 34.28 µm. The epithelium mended and the lenticules stayed clear over the subsequent period as saw under slit-lamp examination. Anterior segment OCT perception demonstrated the lenticule was transparent with a noticeable boundary line amid the follow-up examination.

The utilization of a SMILE lenticule as a donor lenticule for an epikeratophakia strategy seems achievable and safe for the time being. The predictability and long-term impacts require further examination.