Purpose: To determine the association between anterior corneal curvature and optical zone centration as well as its impact on aberration profiles in small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
Methods: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients treated with SMILE (45 eyes) and LASIK (33 eyes) were included. The centration of the optical zone was evaluated on the instantaneous curvature difference map between the preoperative and 3-month postoperative scans using a superimposed set of concentric circles. The correlation between optical zone decentration and anterior keratometry values was evaluated. The effect of optical zone decentration on vector components of astigmatic correction and induction of higher-order aberrations (HOA) was assessed.
Results: The mean decentration distance was 0.21 ± 0.11 mm for SMILE and 0.20 ± 0.09 mm for LASIK (p = 0.808). There was a significant correlation between anterior keratometric astigmatism and decentration distance (r = 0.653, p < 0.001) for SMILE but not for LASIK (r = - 0.264, p = 0.138). Astigmatic correction was performed in 67 eyes. Optical zone decentration and the vector components of astigmatic correction were not correlated (p ≥ 0.420). Significant correlation was demonstrated between the decentration distance and the induced total coma (SMILE: r = 0.384, p = 0.009; LASIK: r = 0.553, p = 0.001) as well as the induced total HOA (SMILE: r = 0.498, p = 0.001; LASIK: r = 0.555, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Anterior cornea astigmatism affected the treatment centration in SMILE but not LASIK. Subclinical decentration was associated with the induction of total coma and total HOA, but it did not affect the lower-order astigmatic correction.
Keywords: Astigmatism; Centration; Higher-order aberrations; SMILE; Small-incision lenticule extraction.