Want to achieve freedom from glasses and contact lenses, but you’ve found out you’re not a good LASIK candidate? There are many other procedures available that you may qualify for instead, like ZEISS SMILE! ZEISS SMILE is a vision correction procedure that gives you visual freedom, even if you have dry eye syndrome or corneas that are too thin for LASIK!
Keep reading to learn more about SMILE and to find out why it may be right for you!
What is SMILE?
SMILE stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. ZEISS SMILE is a procedure that permanently reshapes the cornea, correcting your vision.
It’s only approved for people who are nearsighted or have astigmatism. First, your surgeon will use a femtosecond laser to create a tiny incision on the cornea.
After making the incision, the surgeon creates a small lenticule (about 3 millimeters) to remove a precise amount of corneal tissue through the incision. Removing the lenticule changes the shape of your cornea, altering the way light passes through it to correct a refractive error.
Removing the lenticule is similar to using a laser to reshape the cornea during a procedure like LASIK. One of the most significant differences between SMILE and LASIK is there’s no flap created during SMILE. With SMILE, it’s also less invasive, and for patients, that means that you’ll recover faster.
What is Having SMILE Like?
SMILE is an outpatient procedure that only takes a few minutes to complete. Before it begins, you’ll receive numbing eye drops that cover the surface of your eye.
These drops help ensure you won’t feel any pain. You’ll be awake the whole time and very comfortable, so you don’t have to worry about general anesthesia.
After your eyes are totally numb, your surgeon will use a femtosecond laser to create the incision and lenticule. The femtosecond laser uses pulses to break down tissue without breaking through the surface of the cornea. This takes as little as 8 seconds per eye!
After the lenticule is removed, the procedure is complete. There are no stitches, bandages, or adhesives of any kind needed. The incision will quickly heal on its own, leaving you with the crisp, clear vision you’ve always wanted.
What are the Benefits of SMILE?
The most obvious benefit of SMILE is that you can finally achieve visual freedom, but there are also other advantages. What’s not to love about the idea of visual freedom from both glasses and contact lenses?
Besides seeing without visual aids, SMILE also allows you to experience the best vision of your life. Most patients that choose SMILE end up with 20/20 vision or better.
Less Invasive Than LASIK
But SMILE also has advantages over other vision correction procedures. Some patients are nervous about undergoing a vision correction procedure because they seem too invasive.
With SMILE, it’s much less invasive than LASIK. Because there’s no flap created during the procedure, only a tiny incision is made in the cornea, leading to faster recovery.
Reduced Risk of Dry Eye
SMILE is also much less likely to cause side effects like temporary dry eye. If you’re someone who is predisposed to dry eyes, this can make a big difference.
Suitable for Thinner Corneas
SMILE can also be great for patients who don’t qualify for LASIK due to having thinner corneas. Having LASIK requires creating a flap in the cornea. The flap is then used as a natural bandage after the procedure.
If your cornea is too thin, creating a flap during LASIK can be dangerous, leading to complications and vision problems. SMILE only requires removing a tiny amount of tissue from the cornea and doesn’t involve creating any kind of flap.
Even if your corneas are too thin for LASIK, there’s a good chance that you may qualify for SMILE instead.
Faster Recovery Than Other Alternatives
Other LASIK alternatives, like PRK, also don’t require creating a flap. SMILE has a distinct advantage over PRK: a much shorter recovery time. With PRK, it can take several weeks for the epithelium to regenerate.
When you have SMILE, the recovery is only a day or two at the most, which is the shortest recovery time for any vision correction procedure!
Ready to take control of your vision? Request a SMILE consultation at Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare in Buffalo, NY, today by clicking this link or call 1-800-309-2020!
