ReviewCureus2023
A Literature Review of the Incidence, Management, and Prognosis of Corneal Epithelial-Related Complications After Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), and Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE).
Review in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of SMILE on intraocular pressure and corneal biomechanics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International ophthalmology · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism-a systematic review.BMC ophthalmology · 2025Pooled it
- Management of Severe Epithelial Ingrowth Following KLEx Using Crocodile-Forceps Extraction: Surgical Technique and Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Changes in Melanopsin expression in the iris after corneal abrasion in an experimental rat model.Experimental eye research · 2026Article
- CLEAR Lenticule Extraction for Enhancement After Primary Lenticule Extraction Surgery.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adult patients with myopia toward refractive surgery and postoperative medications: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Flap amputation for severe epithelial ingrowth post-LASIK: a case report.International journal of ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Effect of Topical Vitamin A Eye Ointment on Pain Reduction and Accelerated Healing of Corneal Defect After Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- An objective assessment of vision performance at different reading distances after smooth incision lenticular keratomileusis (SILK) for myopia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Comparative analysis of myopia correction outcomes and aberration changes between PRK and SMILE: A study based on strict refractive criteria.BMC ophthalmology · 2025Article
- The effect of preoperative total antioxidant capacity on short-term outcomes after kerato-lenticule extraction surgery.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Editorial: Enhancing patient outcomes after cataract, corneal and refractive surgery.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Visual outcomes for the initial 500 eyes treated with keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx) for myopia and myopic astigmatism at a single-site.Medical hypothesis, discovery & innovation ophthalmology journal · 2025Article
- Safety and Effectiveness of Smooth Incision Lenticular Keratomileusis (SILKClinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Article
- Acute anterior uveitis after photorefractive keratectomy: Demographic profile and clinical characteristics.Romanian journal of ophthalmologyArticle
- Early postoperative changes in corneal densitometry after SMILE with 120-μm and 130-μm cap thickness: a comparative study.Advances in ophthalmology practice and researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Our purpose is to provide a comprehensive investigation into the incidence, treatment modalities, and visual prognosis of epithelial-related complications in corneal refractive surgeries, including laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted by two independent examiners using various search terms related to epithelial-related complications and corneal refractive surgeries. A total of 91 research articles were included, encompassing a sample size of 66,751 eyes across the three types of surgeries. The average incidence of epithelial-related complications varied across the different types of corneal refractive surgeries. LASIK had an average incidence of 4.9% for epithelial defects, while PRK and SMILE had lower rates of 3.3% and 3.9%, respectively. Our findings indicate that SMILE has a lower incidence of epithelial defects compared to LASIK, potentially due to the less invasive nature of lenticule incision in SMILE. Visual prognosis after epithelial complications (EC) is generally favorable, with various supportive care and surgical interventions leading to significant improvements in postoperative visual acuity and full recovery. Understanding the incidence rates and management approaches for epithelial-related complications can guide clinicians in enhancing patient safety, refining surgical techniques, and optimizing postoperative outcomes in corneal refractive surgeries.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.