title: Five-year results of refractive lenticule extraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 5-year results of femtosecond laser-assisted refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx-FLEx) for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Departments of Ophthalmology, Helios Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, and Phillips Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a follow-up of a prospective study that evaluated the first patients treated with refractive lenticule extraction, in which a flap and a refractive lenticule of intrastromal corneal tissue were simultaneously cut using a 200 kHz Visumax femtosecond laser system. Thereafter, the lenticule was manually removed and the flap repositioned. The main outcome measures were the uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities, objective and manifest refractions, slitlamp examination findings, and side effects after 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one of 108 eyes in the original treatment group were available for a reexamination. Five years postoperatively, 100% of eyes were within ±1.00 diopter (D) of the intended correction and 73% were within ±0.50 D. By 5 years, no eye had lost 2 or more Snellen lines and 1 eye had lost 1 Snellen line. The mean regression was 0.07 D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term data indicate that refractive lenticule extraction is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism and has excellent stability.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (Blum, Flach, Kunert), HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Sekundo), Phillips University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (Blum, Flach, Kunert), HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Sekundo), Phillips University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (Blum, Flach, Kunert), HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Sekundo), Phillips University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: kathleen.kunert@helios-kliniken.de.
authors.forename: Kathleen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kunert
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology (Blum, Flach, Kunert), HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Sekundo), Phillips University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sekundo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery*; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology