When we talk about eye surgery what top surgeries come to your mind? LASIK and PRK would appear first. Do you know what SMILE is? No? It is not a dental procedure. It is a new and quick-eye surgical method that will treat astigmatism and nearsightedness without being too invasive. It might also solve your problem of needing glasses.
This new surgery is steadily making its way therefore many doubt its relevance. A lot of you who are thinking of getting it done are probably scared by the negative anecdotes online. But all is fine once you get a qualified and experienced doctor. If you considering getting SMILE done, consult your eye doctor since there are some eligibilities to meet.
The name SMILE indicates a minimal intrusive surgery that creates a lenticule (a tiny lens-shaped tissue) within the cornea. The tiny incision (less than 4 mm long) then removes the lenticule, reshaping the cornea and correcting refractive errors.
An ophthalmologist may recommend you go for a SMILE surgery if you’re battling refractive errors and want to live your life without glasses or contact lenses. Also, a SMILE surgery would be your fit if you can not get a LASIK or a PRK mainly because your prescription is higher or you have dry eyes.
To have a successful SMILE surgery, a person must:
Under any of these conditions, your eye surgeon may not perform a SMILE eye surgery on you:
It all starts with your eye surgeon having a pre-surgery appointment to check your eyes if they are fit for surgery. Your eye surgeon wants to be sure that your eyes won’t cause much trouble after the surgery. They will also check some health issues (ones we mentioned above). If everything is in good hands, you’re fit for the SMILE surgery.
If all is well, the doctor will make plans on how to remove the lenticule from your eye. For instance, they will examine your cornea’s curvature and thickness. They will also keep you updated on how they plan to perform the surgery.
An adult family member or a friend should accompany you so that you won’t have trouble going home after the procedure.
In just minutes, your SMILE eye surgery is completed. The laser part only takes just about 30 seconds.
You can go home with your family after the surgery. It is better if you don’t perform any hard tasks that day. Just take a rest.
In just a few days, your vision will be better. Splashing water in the eye post-surgery could be extremely damaging since your eyes are still vulnerable.
Additionally, you should:
Despite being a new form of eye surgery, throughout the world, surgeons have performed 5 million SMILE eye surgeries. Most of them have been very successful too. It has only been 11 years since this eye surgery was born. It only got legally accepted in 2018 in the US. Despite it being young, experienced doctors have successfully completed numerous surgeries, giving patients a glasses-free life.
Your surgeon will tell you the dos and don’ts after your procedure. But, you must immediately contact your surgeon if you:
| Feature | LASIK | PRK | SMILE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procedure | Reshapes the cornea under a thin flap | Reshapes the outer surface of the cornea | Removes a thin disc of tissue from the cornea |
| Recovery Time | Normally faster. Vision may be clear just within 24 hours of surgery. | Slow recovery. Make takes weeks to get a clear vision. | Faster recovery than PRK. Clear vision within 24 hours. |
| Pain | Minimal discomfort | Moderate discomfort for some days | Painless and minimal discomfort |
| Dry Eye | Common | Common | Less common |
| Corneal Thickness | Requires thicker cornea | A thinner cornea is fine | Corneal thickness doesn’t matter |
SMILE laser eye surgery is an innovative procedure that provides a quick recovery and that too by being less invasive. This new form of eye surgery improves vision significantly and may make your glasses-free dream a reality. Unlike other forms of eye surgery, SMILE offers less chance of nerve or tissue damage. If you are considering a SMILE surgery, we have highly qualified ophthalmologists here at Vision Concern who could make the job simpler and more convenient for you.
Ans: LASIK is normally a safe eye surgery procedure. But with SMILE, you do not have to fear any nerve or tissue damage or dry eyes, which can sometimes happen with LASIK. Also, SMILE is very quick and painless. You recover very quickly after the surgery too.
Ans: SMILE can be performed only on astigmatism and myopia. For other eye conditions like presbyopia and hyperopia, other corrective surgeries are needed. Because SMILE is a much newer procedure than other surgeries, there may be fewer surgeons who perform this than LASIK or PRK.
Ans: Because SMILE eye surgery is not that time-consuming and invasive, doctors complete the surgery within minutes. Also, people who have undergone the surgery have recovered pretty soon. A study showed that about 99% of the patients got their vision 20/20 just 6 months after the surgery.
Ans: While the SMILE eye surgery gives you good vision for a long time, the results may slowly diminish as you get older.
Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.
Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.
