METHODS: SBK flaps were made by Moria microkeratome for 20 subjects and by femtosecond (FEMTO) laser for 21 subjects. Corneal sublayer thicknesses were measured by ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography before SBK and at 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month afterwards. Each subject was imaged twice on each visit. Thicknesses of central epithelium, Bowman\'s layer, flap, and total cornea were calculated using a custom-made automated image processing algorithm. The repeatability of sublayer thickness measurements was tested by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and by the coefficient of repeatability (CoR) at 1 week post-SBK.
RESULTS: ICCs of the Moria and FEMTO groups were ≥ 0.959 and ≥ 0.961 respectively for all sublayer measurements. The segmentation CoRs were less than 6.78% and 5.63% respectively. For both groups, microdistortions were present in the epithelium and Bowman\'s layer after SKB. The flap thickness of the Moria group was 9.8 μm (95% confidence interval: 4.8 - 14.8 μm) thinner than the FEMTO group one day after SBK (independent samples t-test, P < 0.05). Bowman\'s layer became thicker by 1.6 ± 1.1 μm and 1.7 ± 1.6 μm one day post-SBK for the Moria and FEMTO groups (repeated ANOVA, P < 0.05) and then remained stable. Corneal and sublayer thickness were similar between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Central Bowman\'s layer thickness increased 1 day post-SBK. Flap creation by Moria microkeratome and femtosecond laser did not have significantly different impacts on Bowman\'s layer thickness following SBK.
BACKGROUND: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) NO: ChiCTR-OCH-14004525.