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. 2023 Jan 24;37(13):2693–2699. doi: 10.1038/s41433-023-02387-1

Table 2.

Postoperative secondary outcomes compared between the FE-DALK and S-DALK groups.

FE-DALK
Mean ± SD (n)
S-DALK
Mean ± SD (n)
Adjusted difference
FE-DALK - S-DALK (95% CI)
p-Value
(Overall)a
p-Value
(Interaction)b
Mean postoperative astigmatism (D)
 6 months 7.1 ± 3.8 (28) 7.2 ± 3.6 (23) −0.63 (−2.80, +1.55) 0.289 0.187
 12 months 7.3 ± 4.0 (24) 5.0 ± 2.2 (19) +1.66 (−0.68, +3.99)
 15 months 7.5 ± 4.5 (25) 6.3 ± 4.7 (23) +0.78 (−1.44, +3.00)
Surgically induced astigmatism (D)
 6 months 12.4 ± 7.0 (16) 7.8 ± 3.5 (13) +2.48 (−1.46, +6.42) 0.573 0.495
 12 months 9.9 ± 7.7 (20) 8.4 ± 4.0 (16) +1.02 (−2.75, +4.80)
 15 months 8.8 ± 8.8 (25) 7.9 ± 4.4 (22) +0.89 (−2.70, +4.47)
Uncorrected visual acuity (logMAR)
 6 months 0.90 ± 0.33 (27) 0.79 ± 0.27 (23) +0.076 (−0.121, +0.274) 0.809 0.940
 12 months 0.88 ± 0.41 (26) 0.79 ± 0.31 (19) +0.047 (−0.163, +0.258)
 15 months 0.91 ± 0.43 (25) 0.81 ± 0.37 (20) +0.085 (−0.120, +0.291)
Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (logMAR)
 6 months 0.54 ± 0.27 (27) 0.43 ± 0.17 (23) +0.042 (−0.122, +0.206) 0.172 0.333
 12 months 0.56 ± 0.31 (25) 0.41 ± 0.26 (20) +0.120 (−0.050, +0.290)
 15 months 0.57 ± 0.36 (25) 0.37 ± 0.29 (22) +0.170 (+0.003, +0.337)
Steep keratometry (D)
 6 months 47.7 ± 3.2 (28) 49.4 ± 3.0 (23) −1.77 (−3.47, −0.07) 0.057 0.035
 12 months 49.0 ± 3.0 (24) 48.3 ± 2.6 (19) +0.42 (−1.38, +2.22)
 15 months 48.4 ± 3.2 (25) 48.5 ± 2.8 (23) −0.32 (−2.05, +1.40)
Flat keratometry (D)
 6 months 40.6 ± 3.6 (28) 42.2 ± 2.5 (23) −0.99 (−3.20, +1.22) 0.786 1.000
 12 months 41.8 ± 3.9 (24) 43.2 ± 3.1 (19) −1.00 (−3.31, +1.31)
 15 months 40.8 ± 4.2 (25) 42.3 ± 5.3 (23) −0.98 (−3.22, +1.25)
Manifest sphere (D)
 6 months −5.9 ± 5.1 (27) −5.5 ± 5.5 (23) +0.59 (−2.23, +3.40) 0.885 0.811
 12 months −6.6 ± 5.1 (25) −6.7 ± 5.8 (20) +1.01 (−1.91, +3.93)
 15 months −6.0 ± 5.6 (24) −4.9 ± 5.6 (22) +0.02 (−2.89, +2.92)
Manifest astigmatism (D)
 6 months 4.1 ± 2.9 (25) 4.4 ± 2.4 (21) −0.22 (−1.66, +1.22) 0.956 0.854
 12 months 4.1 ± 2.7 (24) 3.9 ± 2.1 (20) +0.26 (−1.21, +1.74)
 15 months 4.4 ± 2.5 (24) 4.3 ± 2.0 (22) −0.12 (−1.55, +1.32)
Central corneal thickness (μm)
 6 months 572 ± 79 (28) 551 ± 34 (23) +16.8 (−14.5, +48.1) 0.220 0.148
 12 months 583 ± 72 (24) 561 ± 34 (18) +16.0 (−15.9, +48.0)
 15 months 564 ± 31 (25) 574 ± 40 (22) +2.1 (−29.4, +33.6)
Endothelial cell count (cells/mm2)
 6 months 2482 ± 537 (22) 2564 ± 438 (22) −253.5 (−639.6, +132.5) 0.419 0.265
 12 months 2543 ± 311 (22) 2611 ± 311 (17) −27.5 (−405.0, +350.0)
 15 months 2573 ± 312 (22) 2602 ± 300 (17) +131.7 (−233.8, +497.2)

FE-DALK femtosecond-enabled deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, S-DALK standard deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty.

aOverall difference (treatment and time by treatment interaction combined).

bTime by treatment interaction only.