Laser technology, which allows you to quickly get rid of glasses and lenses in the treatment of refractive errors, is developing day by day. SMILE is gaining attention as a new treatment for patients suffering from myopia, astigmatism, and dry eyes. With the help of SMILE laser technology, successful results are achieved even with very low and very high degrees of myopia and astigmatism. Patients with dry eye problems can now be safely treated with this method.
In the SMILE laser method, applied with a special Femto laser, a refractive error is corrected without removing the flap from the cornea. The biggest advantage of this method, which is new compared to Lasik and Lasek, is that a large corneal incision is not made, as with LASIK.
Associate Professor Dr. Bozkurt Şener from Dünyagöz Etiler Hospital, one of the pioneers of this method, explains that SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is a safer treatment for myopia and astigmatism and that the flap-related complications that are associated with LASIK surgery do not exist in this operation: “PRK, LASEK, LASIK, and Femto-Lasik have been used successfully and effectively in refractive surgery for the past 20 years to treat refractive errors such as myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia. These patients have a new alternative to SMILE treatment. The standard Femto-Lasik technique is to remove the flap from the cornea and then apply the laser to the cornea and place the flap in its place”.
In the SMILE method, the corneal tissue is not cut to form a flap on the surface. A femtosecond laser is used to form disc-shaped tissue in the inner part of the cornea. This disc created is the size of the eye problem that needs to be corrected. This part is removed with a small laser incision of 2 mm.
Treatment is possible without subsequent dry eye
One of the most important features of the SMILE method is that it does not cause dry eyes in the patient and can be applied to patients with dry eyes. A flap prepared on the stratum corneum by classical methods can cause dry eyes. Since the SMILE method is flapless and can only be performed through a small corneal incision, it does not cause dry eyes and can be easily applied to patients with dry eyes.
This method can be applied to patients with very thin corneas and a high diopter numbers
Compared to PRK/LASEK methods, the SMILE method preserves corneal mechanics very well in patients with thin corneas. This method allows treatment up to -10 for myopia and up to -5.0 for astigmatism, and also eliminates the problem of folds since the flap is not formed.
Advantage for athletes
The SMILE method provides a significant advantage over other methods in maintaining the mechanical strength of the patient's cornea. This method is preferred, in particular for people who may be subject to mechanical injuries, such as athletes (all sports where injury may occur, diving, power sports where static force is consumed, sports performed in cold and windy conditions outdoors, etc.), firefighters, policemen, and soldiers. The SMILE method preserves corneal mechanics to a greater extent than other methods in patients with thin corneas. Also, when using this method, dry eyes are observed to a lesser extent.
Features of the SMILE laser surgery method:
Treatment up to -10 for myopia and -5 for astigmatism
Superior protection of corneal biomechanics
Compatibility with thin corneal structure
Ease of operation without incision with closed surgical technique
One-stage operation
Safe recovery
The fastest laser technology at 500 kHz
The result is closest to natural
Stages of the SMILE laser treatment method:
Using Zeiss Visumax femtosecond technology, a thin lenticule (disc-shaped tissue) is created in one step in the anterior layer of the eye (cornea). There is no need to cut out any flaps, as a result of the removal of the lenticule formed in the eye, the refractive error is corrected. Because no flap is created, the biomechanics of the cornea is affected very little compared to other laser methods. The best biomechanics of the cornea after laser surgery is preserved after the SMILE technique.
