Risk Factors for Opaque Bubble Layer in Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE)

As one of the major intraoperative complications of femtosecond laser –assisted lamellar refractive surgeries, opaque bubble layer (OBL) has aroused widespread concern.1–3 The OBL can be explained as temporary “debris” as a result of the intracorneal femtosecond laser photodisruption, which progressively generates gas bubbles that cannot escape in a timely man ner.4 These gas bubbles generally do not last for a long time after the femtosecond laser photodisruption; however, they sometimes diffuse into the corneal stroma, subconjunctival space, and anterior chamber.3 Also, a dense OBL may

Source: Journal of Refractive Surgery - November 8, 2017 Category: Opthalmology Authors: Liuyang Li, MD Source Type: research