Assessment of IOP After Corneal Refractive Surgery Based on AI

Significance, Background, and Current Status Studies show the global average prevalence of myopia is 22%, with hyperopia incidence being similar. In China, the myopia prevalence is 31%, making it one of the countries with the highest rates of myopia. Currently, the safety and efficacy of corneal refractive surgery (CRS), such as LASIK and SMILE, for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and other refractive errors are well-established. An increasing number of patients undergo CRS to alleviate the inconveniences caused by refractive errors. While LASIK has long been regarded as a classic procedure, since the first report of Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) for myopia correction in 2008, it has evolved into one of the mainstream surgical techniques. With the rapid advancement of refractive surgery, minimizing postoperative complications while maintaining excellent visual outcomes has become a major focus for clinicians. Postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring is a crucial observation index. Theoretically, IOP should not change significantly after CRS, as the surgery does not affect aqueous humor dynamics or intraocular volume. However, numerous studies indicate that alterations in corneal shape and biomechanical properties, particularly corneal thinning, lead to artificially low IOP readings with various tonometers, especially those dependent on corneal thickness. Furthermore, postoperative management often requires prolonged use of corticosteroid eye drops to suppress inflammation and promote wound healing. Extended steroid use can increase aqueous outflow resistance, elevating IOP, particularly in steroid responders, and potentially leading to steroid-induced glaucoma. Additionally, high myopia is a known risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma. Therefore, based on preoperative and postoperative corneal parameter changes, rapidly and effectively determining the actual IOP range after CRS is of great significance for guiding clinical medication an