Over the past few years, laser in situ keratomileusis with a femtosecond laser-created flap (FS-LASIK)has been a popular ophthalmic procedure for the correction of refractive error. This first all-in-one FS-laser system was designed to perform the refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx) procedures, femtosecond lenticule extraction (FLEx).They have the same feature: corneal flap.~Ocular surface disruption during corneal refractive surgery is commonly considered to be closely related to the development of dry eye. Multiple etiologies contribute to this ocular surface disruption, including the flap creation and stromal ablation involved in previous refractive surgery techniques. Corneal nerve damage has been considered the main cause of dry eye, due to disrupted afferent sensory nerves, reduced blink reflex, and increased tear evaporation leading to tear film instability. In addition, postoperative inflammatory mediator fluctuations are also a key factor related to ocular surface damage. Extensive research has described the effects of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in modulating corneal wound healing, cell migration, and apoptosis on the ocular surface after refractive surgery.~This prospective clinical study is going to assess the short-term changes in ocular surface measures and tear inflammatory mediators after lenticule extraction (FLEx) and femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) procedures.
The aim is to evaluate the short-term changes in ocular surface measures and tear inflammatory mediators after lenticule extraction (FLEx) and femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) procedures.