High-resolution biomechanical mapping of SMILE and SMILE with CXL using Brillouin microscopy: Insights into localized corneal stiffness preservation

BOSS's high-resolution spatiotemporal analysis reveals that CXL counters SMILE-induced stiffness loss, achieving universal preservation or enhancement across corneal zones (ΔBM ≥ 0 at all points and timepoints) and significant protection in vulnerable nasal-temporal central areas (p < 0.05). These patterns-inherent superior resilience, inferior susceptibility, zone-specific CXL efficacy-suggest BOSS's potential utility in mapping localized biomechanical changes, offering insights for monitoring postoperative stiffness in refractive procedures.