AIM: To study the recovery of cornea sensitivity after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery by different incision sites.

METHODS: Totally 30 SMILE patients(60 eyes)were selected from 05/12/2016-01/18/2018. The incision in the right eye was designed at 135° while that in the left eye was designed at 90°. Cornea sensitivity were examined and noted by an experienced examiner preoperative, 1d, 7d,1mo and 3mo 3mm from central cornea postoperative at 3, 6, 9,12 o'clock and the central cornea. The eye surface disease index(ocular surface disease index, OSDI)was also noted at the same time.

RESULTS: The comparison of corneal sensitivity results from different eyes showed that there was no significant difference on all time points at different position(P>0.05). After further comparison, cornea sensitivity of both eyes was found to be lower on 1d postoperative than that preoperative, 1mo postoperative and 3mo postoperative(P<0.05), while restored to the level of preoperative at 1mo and 3mo(P>0.05). The OSDI scores on different time points are 10.739±7.576, 15.003±11.296, 16.357±14.467, 14.020±10.128, 11.968±7.586 respectively. The comparison showed no significant difference(F=1.583, P=0.204).

CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference on cornea sensitivity between two eyes after SMILE surgeries. The corneal sensitivity declined at 1d postoperative and the recovery was faster at about 1mo.