SMILE Eye Surgery: Benefits, Procedure, and Recovery for Vision Correction

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.

About SMILE Eye Surgery and its Work

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. 

Am I eligible for a SMILE surgery?

To have a successful SMILE surgery, a person must:

1. Be at least 22 years old.
2. Haven’t had a great change in their prescription in over a year.
3. Have their prescription ranges in these parameters: 

• nearsightedness between -1 and -10
• astigmatism up to 3 diopters

4. Have healthy functioning corneas.
5. Understand the benefits, limitations, and even risks of this surgery.

Who should avoid getting a SMILE eye surgery?

Under any of these conditions, your eye surgeon may not perform a SMILE eye surgery on you:

• Breastfeeding or pregnant
• Gets changes in prescription for glasses or contacts too often
• Have extreme glaucoma
• Have unhealthy cornea or scars on the cornea
• Have some skin disorders, keratoconus, or unmanaged diabetes
• Suffering from cataract that is affecting your eyesight
• Have you had some sort of eye surgery, infections, or injuries

What happens during a SMILE surgery?

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.

1. Doctors will enquire about the medications that you are currently on. They will inform you about when to stop them.
2. You will be notified about what you should not eat or drink the day before the surgery.

An adult family member or a friend should accompany you so that you won’t have trouble going home after the procedure.

SMILE procedure

1. Preparation: The eye surgeon preps your eyes with anaesthetic drops to numb them for surgery.
2. Laser application: Then, your doctor will perform the surgery using a femtosecond laser. What does the laser do you may ask. Simply speaking, it creates an exact lenticule inside the cornea that pretty much resembles a soft contact lens which will be thicker in the middle and thinner along the edges.
3. Lenticule removal: A tiny incision that is 2-4 mm long is made to remove the lenticule. This reshapes your cornea and improves your vision.

How long does the procedure take?

In just minutes, your SMILE eye surgery is completed. The laser part only takes just about 30 seconds.

What happens after your SMILE eye surgery?

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.

SMILE eye surgery recovery

1. Post-surgery: Don’t worry if you experience hazy and blurry vision right after the surgery. Until you feel extreme pain, it is okay. It gets better with time.
2. First couple of days: While you might experience any pain, there will be a mild discomfort or a gritty sensation. That will disappear as time goes by.
3. One week: You will continue getting back to your everyday life just a week after the surgery. Still, you must take care of certain things that could harm your eyes.
4. Complete recovery: Within a few months, there should be a complete recovery of your eyes. However, make frequent visits to your doctor to get updates on the recovery.

Additionally, you should:

1. Put on sunglasses to minimize the effect of dust and pollution.
2. Do not put on eye makeup as that could cause further damage to your vulnerable eyes.
3. Use the eye drops or other medications on time prescribed by the surgeon.
4. Avoid going swimming or using hot tubs.

Is SMILE eye surgery common?

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. 

Benefits of SMILE eye surgery

• Corneal tissue recovers faster due to small incisions and less invasion.
• Has a lower risk of dry eyes as it preserves the corneal tissue.
• Maintains the structure of the cornea hence reducing the risk of complications.
• The procedure is normally faster and painless.
• Provides clear vision without glasses or lenses.

Risks or complications of SMILE eye surgery

1. Finding an experienced surgeon who has performed the surgery multiple times.
2. Getting halos and glares, particularly in the dark.
3. Having dry eyes.
4. Requiring another surgery to take care of debris in the eye or smoothen the cornea
5. Loss of vision which is very rare.

When to contact my doctor?

Your surgeon will tell you the dos and don’ts after your procedure. But, you must immediately contact your surgeon if you:

1. Have extreme pain in your eye.
2. You can not see suddenly.
3. You have eye discharge.
4. There are signs of infection like swelling, fever, or such.

Difference between LASIK, PRK, and SMILE

Conclusion

SMILE is a specialist refractive-surgery option for selected patients. Suitability, expected benefit, risks and recovery vary according to prescription, corneal measurements and overall eye health. Vision Concern can provide an eye assessment and referral guidance; a qualified refractive surgeon must confirm eligibility and perform the procedure.

FAQs

1. Which is safer: SMILE or LASIK eye surgery?

Ans: Neither procedure is risk-free. The safer option depends on corneal measurements, prescription, dry-eye status and other clinical factors. A refractive surgeon should explain the benefits, limitations and possible complications before surgery.

2. What are the cons of SMILE eye surgery?

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.

3. What is the success rate of the SMILE procedure?

Ans: Outcomes vary by patient and should be discussed with the treating refractive surgeon. Published success figures cannot predict an individual result.

4. Do the results of SMILE eye surgery last forever?

Ans: While the SMILE eye surgery gives you good vision for a long time, the results may slowly diminish as you get older.

Official SMILE Safety Reference

For procedure indications, limitations and potential risks, read the FDA patient information booklet for the VisuMax SMILE procedure. Results are not guaranteed, and candidacy and surgical decisions require a qualified ophthalmologist or refractive surgeon.