Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40078792›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology2025

Unraveling the impact of laser refractive surgery on corneal ectasia: an

Benedetta Fantaci, José Félix Rodriguez Matas, Vittoria Squartecchia, Lucia Vavassori, Begoña Calvo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Benedetta FantaciAragon Institute of Research Engineering (I3A), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
José Félix Rodriguez MatasLaBS, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Vittoria SquartecchiaLaBS, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Lucia VavassoriLaBS, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Begoña CalvoAragon Institute of Research Engineering (I3A), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Laser refractive surgeries are a safe option for low-to-moderate refractive corrections, providing excellent visual outcomes. Over the years, various procedures have been introduced into clinical practice, but the most performed today remain Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Laser Methods: An average 3D finite-element corneal model is developed and a pathological area, characterized by reduced stiffness of varying severity grades, is defined to analyze its influence on ectasia development and progression in the pre-surgical state. Three laser treatments (PRK, LASIK and SMILE) are simulated on healthy and pathological models. Pre- and post-surgical conditions are compared to check whether any procedure worsens the pre-surgical pathological state. The optomechanical effect of each procedure on the cornea is analyzed at both healthy and pathological conditions and compared to establish which refractive procedure mostly affects corneal structure. Results and discussion: While the three refractive procedures showed different behaviors in terms of mechanical changes affecting the cornea, from an optical perspective, as the pathology severity worsened, none of the surgeries caused a worsening in the cone's severity with respect to pre-surgical pathological conditions. This result suggests that surgeries may have a limited role in causing post-surgical ectasia, as it seems more plausible that they accelerate the progression of an underlying pathological condition. Among the three procedures, PRK was found to be the least invasive treatment from a mechanical perspective, while SMILE showed the greatest impact on the posterior surface, suggesting a potential long-term risk for ectasia progression.

Indexed as

corneal biomechanicsectasiafinite element modelin silico analysislaser refractive surgeryLASIKPRKSMILE

Identifiers

PMID40078792
PMCPMC11897516

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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.