title: Surface quality of porcine corneal lenticules after Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the surface characteristics of porcine corneal lenticules after Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Carl Zeiss Meditec AG VisuMax® femtosecond laser system was used to create refractive corneal lenticules on 10 freshly isolated porcine eyes. The surface regularity on the corneal lenticules recovered was evaluated by assessing scanning electron microscopy images using an established scoring system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All specimens yielded comparable score results of 5-7 points (SD = 0.59) per lenticule (score range minimum 4 to maximum 11 points). Surface irregularities were caused by tissue bridges, cavitation bubbles or scratches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction procedure is capable of creating corneal lenticules of predictable surface quality. However, future studies should focus on the optimization of laser parameters as well as surgical technique to improve the regularity of the corneal stromal bed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heichel
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Gernot I W
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Duncker
authors.forename: Rabea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sietmann
authors.forename: Kathleen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kunert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013499:Surface Properties; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013552:Swine