LASIK or Lasik, commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK is considered by most refractive surgeons to be the gold standard of laser eye corrective surgery. What does LASIK involve? It involves reshaping the cornea, like all other laser eye surgeries, but specifically, by creating a small flap in the front of the cornea. The cornea is the clear part of the front of the eye.

SMILE is a laser refractive surgery procedure that involves reshaping the cornea by using a femtosecond laser, which is a cutting laser, to create a little wafer of tissue within the cornea. And then that small little wafer is removed through a two-millimetre incision.

So unlike LASIK there’s no flap created, and the tissue is removed through cutting, not ablation. The risks associated with SMILE are like LASIK: dry eye and halos. There is a small risk of regression, meaning that you could drift back a little bit to your old prescription, but if that happens you can often have an enhancement.

The biggest advancement or advantage of SMILE is that there’s no flap created. So there’s no risk of having it dislodged or moved, even in the short period or long period. So if you’re somebody who’s actively involved in sports, like boxing or MMA, or any other physical activities, SMILE may be a good option for you, or a better option, compared to some of the other surgeries that are available today.

To find out more about SMILE, please talk to your optometrist or local refractive surgeon, who would be more than happy to talk to you to see whether you’re a candidate, and what your options are.   Often seeing a local Ophthalmologists or Optometrist in conjunction with your family physician or a registered dietician is a great option to dealing with eye conditions and symptoms. Smart Food Now and exercise is also important for overall health.    Now Health Network Presenter: Dr. Baseer Khan, Ophthalmologist, Vaughan, ON