SMILE LASIK

The key distinction between SMILE LASIK eye surgery, LASIK , and PRK is the absence of an excimer laser. Instead, a lenticule (a tiny portion of corneal tissue) is removed after a VisuMax femtosecond laser creates a tiny keyhole surgical incision in the patient’s cornea. This combines the advantages of both LASIK surgery and PRK by reshaping the cornea and enhance eyesight.

Like the other two surgeries, SMILE LASIK results in excellent vision correction and independence from glasses and contact lenses for patients. According to studies, the optical results of SMILE LASIK eye surgery, LASIK, and PRK are quite similar. According to some studies, a SMILE LASIK procedure may have a lower incidence of retreatment (enhancing or touch-up procedures) vs LASIK patients or PRK. All three types of laser eye surgery have the ability to correct vision and eliminate the need for glasses and contacts for most patients. When you compare to LASIK, the results are pretty much the same.

The visual recovery after a SMILE LASIK procedure is almost as quick as LASIK eye surgery and faster than PRK recovery. SMILE LASIK patients report improved vision almost immediately, with vision becoming increasingly clearer over the following weeks and months. You will be using some prescription eye drops after your procedure to help with the healing process.

The lack of a LASIK flap in SMILE LASIK eye surgery is made possible by using a femtosecond laser and results in a much smaller incision than compared to LASIK. This does not imply that there are no adverse effects, but the streamlined SMILE LASIK treatment reduces other potential problems.

Most patients who qualify for LASIK are also ideal candidates for SMILE LASIK. SMILE LASIK is especially popular for those who enage in activities like sports or work that put your eyes at danger of direct contact. It is also popular because the smaller incision allows a quicker return to certain activities such as swimming (1 day for SMILE vs 2 weeks for LASIK) and eye makeup (1 day for SMILE vs 1 week for LASIK). Our experienced surgeons at ClearSight LASIK will go over all of your options with you at your SMILE consultation and help you decide which type of refractive surgery is best for you.

Most of our patients at ClearSight LASIK tell us that the SMILE LASIK (LALEX) procedure was very comfortable. Sometimes patients say they have a slight sensation similar to when you have something in your eye on the day after the procedure, and you might also experience some stinging or burning for a few hours. Within 24 hours, these mild symptoms have resolved for most patients.

Only nearsightedness and astigmatism can be corrected with SMILE LASIK, limiting the range of patients who can use it. The biggest drawback of SMILE LASIK Eye Surgery is the inability to treat certain refractive errors.

Even though the SMILE LASIK laser is very quick and can finish the laser treatment in just under 23 seconds, the whole process typically takes around 15 minutes. You should expect to be in our office for 2 to 3 hours the day of your procedure.

The patient satisfaction ratings for SMILE LASIK are excellent and the technique is highly safe and effective. In general, wearing contact lenses continuously is seen as being riskier than laser vision correction procedures. Millions of patients have benefited from the SMILE LASIK procedure.

In comparison to the typical person’s lifetime expenditures on glasses, contact lenses, solutions, related exams, and other eye surgery costs, SMILE LASIK is less expensive. This doesn’t even take into account the other “costs” like stressing over packing enough contacts for vacation, time spent hunting for or replacing misplaced glasses, or having to deal with illnesses associated with contact lenses. You are renting your eyesight over time when you use glasses or contacts. You can take control of your vision with SMILE LASIK or any of our other cutting-edge vision correction options.

It is hard to say with certainty whether SMILE LASIK is more effective than LASIK or any other method of vision correction. Both treatments are quite safe and successful in correcting vision, and the precision of SMILE LASIK vision correction is comparable to that of LASIK. SMILE LASIK, however, could be a preferable option for certain individuals due to their way of life or eye type. Our experienced refractive surgeons at ClearSight LASIK have expertise in LASIK and all of its modern alternatives. They can decide which vision correction techniques are best for your individual situation and assist you in getting the desired visual result.

There are several Advantages of SMILE LASIK surgery, including:

• SMILE LASIK causes the least amount of disruption to the surface of the eye since it makes a smaller incision than conventional laser vision repair.
• Compared to LASIK eye surgery, patients may experience less dry eye syndrome.
• The SMILE vision correction process typically takes just 10 to 15 minutes.
• The day after the SMILE treatment, patients are typically ready to drive, apply makeup, and engage in physical activity such as swimming, working out, etc.

Due to a misshaped cornea, astigmatism is a common eye condition that may make both close and far objects look blurry. In October 2018, SMILE laser eye surgery received approval in the US for the treatment of myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism. A cornea with astigmatism is shaped more like a football than a basketball, with some sections steeper and others flatter than a “normal” cornea, which is uniformly curved (spherical). The shape of the football causes refractive errors and eyesight distortion. If astigmatism is not treated, it will cause blurry vision in the affected person. This occurs because light refracts at several locations rather than just one.

For many years, people with astigmatism who are myopic (nearsighted) have been treated with SMILE LASIK surgery. Astigmatism may now be treated with SMILE LASIK, and the new approval also makes femtosecond laser parameters accessible, allowing for a smaller incision and a quicker visual recovery than was possible with the original SMILE LASIK surgery!

We are glad to say that all of our procedures are virtually painless. We will provide you with everything you need to calm your nerves and keep you comfortable throughout your time with us.

Your treatment is based on your unique visual needs, so pricing varies. At your exam we will give you a custom quote for your recommended treatment. We will also explain our low monthly payment options, which we offer for all of our procedures.

Our goal is to get you out of glasses completely. That is why we offer our 20/20 or it’s FREE guarantee – if you aren’t seeing 20/20 or better after your procedure, we will refund your entire procedure cost.

We are able to help 95% of people who walk through our doors. We offer multiple procedures to make sure we can help almost everyone, including individuals who may have been told no in the past. The best way to find out if you are a candidate is to come in for your free exam. At your comprehensive eye exam we will take corneal topograhy maps, check your refraction (prescription), check for thin corneas, higher order aberrations, and your over all eye health.

Most SMILE patients see an improvement immediately after their SMILE surgery, and even better results the next morning. It depends on your procedure and your type of employment, but we expect most patients to be driving the very next day, and back at work a day or two later.

Overwhelmed with research? Comparing SMILE vs LASIK? What is the difference in SMILE and LASIK? What other vision correction surgery might be right for you? Our Patient Care Coordinators are ready to help you navigate all your options. Give us a call at 405-722-2020.

Prefer to research on your own? You can read more about all of our procedures, or take a quick SELF TEST to find out which refractive eye surgery procedure might be the best for you. You can also schedule your eye examination so that we can check for any eye conditions, check your Corneal topography, higher order aberrations to discuss which laser eye treatments might be right for you.

Nothing in life is risk free, and the same is true for all medical procedures. But studies and the clinical trials have shown that vision correction procedures including LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), EVO ICL, SMILE Laser Surgery & PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) are actually safer than wearing contacts over time. SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure that corrects high myopia and astigmatism. Most of our staff, including every one of our surgeons, has had vision correction with great results and no major complications. SMILE is FDA approved (Food and Drug Administration)

Our 20/20 Money Back Commitment means that if you have 20/20 vision with your glasses or contacts, we’ll help you achieve 20/20 vision without them after your procedure with us. If not, we’ll refund your fee in full. This Money Back Commitment exists to assure you that you’ll achieve the vision you want. This commitment is offered on all LASIK, SMILE LASIK, PRK, and EVO Visian ICL procedures performed at ClearSight. See our written vision plans for full details.

Over 4 million SMILE (LALEX) procedures have been performed worldwide to correct nearsightedness.. We love the safety of SMILE LASIK because it leaves most of the top corneal layers intact allowing for faster recovery and maximum comfort.