There is a wide plethora of reasons why you may choose to book a consultation to undergo laser eye surgery on one or both of your eyes. Once you have chosen to go ahead with the procedure, it then becomes important to make sure you follow your eye doctor’s advice and make sure you choose the right type of laser eye surgery for you, and this is where SMILE eye surgery comes in.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about SMILE eye surgery.
What Exactly is SMILE Surgery?
Essentially, SMILE eye surgery (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is specifically designed to help individuals with refractive errors in their eyesight, including astigmatism and myopia.
Unlike other forms of laser eye surgery, with SMILE eye surgery, there is absolutely no need to use a precision instrument to first create a flap on the inside of the cornea before the procedure can begin. Instead, keyhole surgery is used, making SMILE eye surgery the most minimally invasive type of laser eye surgery of them all.
The Key Benefits of SMILE Surgery
As you may or may not already know, there are numerous advantages to electing or being directed by your medical doctor to undergo laser eye surgery on either one eye or both eyes.
Just a selection of the primary benefits of choosing SMILE eye surgery include:
- Incredibly fast results: The majority of patients report their vision has noticeably improved by around eighty percent in just a few hours and then, within a few weeks, one hundred percent improvement.
- Low Side Effects Risk: There is a far lower chance of developing such commonly associated side effects, such as dry eyes, which is far more notable in patients who elect to have LASIK surgery.
- Better Acceptance Rate: Many more people are accepted as ideal candidates for SMILE surgery.
- Reduced Risks: As there is no created flap behind the cornea, this reduces the chance of complications developing after the procedure.
Who Can Have SMILE eye surgery?
Unlike LASEK eye surgery and LASIK surgery, far more people are deemed suitable to undergo SMILE eye treatment. If you have been rejected for either of the above, SMILE surgery could be the answer for you.
For example, if you have been told by your eye doctor, medical doctor, or any other qualified health professional that you have an unavoidable intolerance to wearing contact lenses, you could still qualify for the SMILE treatment. Other conditions that may be rejected by those engaging in LASIK or LASEK surgery include persistent dry eyes or a thinner cornea than the average size.
SMILE Treatment Aftercare Plans
Any individual that undergoes SMILE eye surgery in either one or both eyes will be given a thorough and detailed talk on how to best take care of their eyes once the surgery itself is complete.
As previously mentioned, it will typically take approximately fourteen days for your vision to be one hundred percent improved, so it is important to follow your SMILE aftercare plan to the letter.
