5 Facts You Should Know About SMILE Surgery

Published on: 16 January 2019
5 Facts You Should Know About SMILE Surgery
In LASIK, a large opening is required to enable the excimer laser to reshape the underlying cornea. In SMILE, only a very small opening is needed (often less than 4 mm) to facilitate removal of the lenticule.

Vision is one of the most important senses in one’s body, and the inability to see can lower an individual's perception of their quality of life. Advancement in orthodox medicine has made the correction of some eyesight diseases like myopia easy with laser eye surgery.

Furthermore, it is also an alternative for other eyesight issues like astigmatism, hyperopia, and presbyopia. One such procedure, which uses a laser light beam for eye surgery, is SMILE.

The SMILE surgery procedure is quick, uses a single laser and an alternative to LASIK. It combines the process of LASIK and ASA to create a flapless procedure.

Here, we will highlight five facts you should know about the SMILE surgery procedure:

1) It Is An Option For People Who Cannot Receive LASIK

SMILE is more like LASIK only that it is less invasive. The procedure can be offered to patients who may be ineligible for the LASIK procedure. The SMILE procedure has been of great help to many people who have a dry eye. Furthermore, the SMILE procedure, which stands for SMall Incision Lenticule Extraction, can be carried out with ease as it is quick and it uses a single laser in comparison to LASIK making the procedure safer for people with other eye problems.

2) Minimally Invasive

Some eye correction surgeries can be very invasive while some procedures require a lengthy process. The LASIK for starters involves removing and reshaping the cornea making it a lengthy process. However, with SMILE, the process is fast as the lenticule is extracted through a tiny keyhole with the incision just about 3 mm in length. This small incision length makes the process of healing and reshaping shorter. Hence, if you are concerned about the amount of invasion to the eye, the SMILE procedure is your best option.

3) It Cuts Fewer Cornea Nerves

Nerve regeneration can be problematic once damaged because nerve damage affects how our eyes function. Thus, if you need assurance that the nerves will not be at risk during surgery, it is great to pick a procedure that will not change your eyes. Consequently, a postoperative dry eye is ubiquitous with LASIK. However, with the SMILE procedure, there is minimal chance to get a dry eye. The procedure involves a minimal cutting that protects your eye and the amount of risk you face through the process.

4) It Is Not New

Though recently legalized by the FDA towards the end of 2016, the SMILE surgery has been available for longer. However, the operation procedure has been around for over a decade. Furthermore, the surgery procedure seemed to have lost its relevance with many surgeons abandoning it until recently when it gained its popularity back.

5) Safe And Accurate

Laser eye surgery has brought about a new light towards eye surgery with many people shying off from surgery, as they fear what could go wrong. For a fact, SMILE is safe just as much as the modern LASIK. Furthermore, the SMILE operation procedure is specific compared to old school LASIK that included spherical aberration. Also, the standard laser is more reliable in comparison to the old school standard LASIK. However, LASIK has developed over time, and the new LASIK can bring better results with enhanced vision than SMILE. Consequently, the accuracy rate is the central area of focus in future laser eye surgery developments.

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