{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T20:39:52Z","timestamp":1786653592349,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"Suppl 1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777507200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aims to characterize and compare the patterns of epithelial remodeling following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction (Femto-SMILE) using high-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this prospective comparative study, 48 eyes of 24 myopic patients underwent PRK (Group A) or Femto-SMILE (Group B). Preoperative assessments included a full ophthalmologic examination, corneal topography, and epithelial mapping using the MS-39 anterior segment OCT. Postoperative evaluations were conducted at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months, with epithelial thickness changes analyzed and compared.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The mean preoperative minimum epithelial thickness was 42.33 \u00b5m in Group A and 44.25 \u00b5m in Group B, while the mean maximum epithelial thickness was 54.46 \u00b5m and 54.25 \u00b5m, respectively. At 6 months, the thinnest epithelial point increased in all patients. There were no statistically significant differences in epithelial thickness in the paracentral quadrants between the two groups. However, the central 3-mm zone exhibited early postoperative epithelial thickening after PRK, which later normalized over time.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PRK and Femto-SMILE exhibited different patterns of epithelial remodeling, with more pronounced early changes observed after PRK. By 6 months, both procedures showed stable epithelial profiles. These findings highlight the value of epithelial mapping in postoperative evaluation and suggest the need for further studies to validate these trends.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/ijo.ijo_2151_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T16:00:28Z","timestamp":1777564828000},"page":"S85-S91","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative analysis of epithelial remodeling after photorefractive keratectomy and keratorefractive lenticule extraction for myopia"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"74","author":[{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Elmassry","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amr","family":"Habib","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ihab M","family":"Osman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Safaa M","family":"Abozahra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Alexandria General Ophthalmology Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ramy","family":"Awad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, 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