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What’s the Difference between SMILE and LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK and SMILE are eye surgery procedures that are efficient in treating nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The processes free you from reaching for your glasses or contact lens before getting a good vision. In addition, patients can for once begin to discern the best choice of laser surgery without wasting time, money, and other resources. Moreover, it would help to learn the core differences between SMILE and LASIK eye surgery.

Laser vision surgery generally has improved in giant leaps and bounds in the last few years. Similarly, it continued to improve technology, system, personnel, speed, convenience, and efficiency. It is now at a level that we can regard as the advanced phase where life-changing effects can make all the difference the patient envisions. The use of SMILE refractive technology has also adequately surpassed one million procedures across the world. 

Definition of LASIK and SMILE Eye Surgery Procedures

LASIK, also known as the Laser-Assisted Stromal In-Situ Keratomileusis, is the most ordinary procedure you can perform with the leading media technology. It is an efficient method to treat several eye problems that affect the vision, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. 

What's the Difference between SMILE and LASIK Eye Surgery?

Meanwhile, this process involves two significant steps using the excimer laser technology. The first step is to remove a thin layer (flap) of the corneal tissue as a preparatory step. Following that removal, the second excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea to correct the patient’s vision. 

On the other hand, SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is the FDA’s latest approved medical procedure or method. Moreover, it is also an efficient method to improve your vision using laser technology. However, this procedure can only sufficiently treat mild nearsightedness and is inefficient in treating farsightedness and astigmatism. 

In addition, SMILE uses only a femtosecond laser, which creates a tiny incision on the cornea. More so, it now removes tiny amounts of the corneal tissue to reshape the patient’s cornea and improve vision. So, the next question is, what the difference between these two methods is?

What's the Difference between SMILE and LASIK Eye Surgery?

Differences between LASIK and SMILE Eye Surgery Procedure 

In terms of the similarity between SMILE and LASIK, both procedures are minimally invasive on the patient. Moreover, the SMILE procedure is even less invasive than LASIK. It makes it comfortable to undergo for patients who may otherwise have reservations. In addition, as an eye treatment method, SMILE uses a single laser method to make a small incision on your corneal tissue.

Afterward, it removes a tiny amount of the cornea tissue that we refer to as the lenticule to achieve the best vision results. On the other hand, the LASIK procedure has two phases: first, cutting a flap off the cornea tissue using laser technology. And then, the second layer, known as the excimer laser, makes all the necessary changes of reshaping the corneal tissue to improve the vision.

While both procedures can produce similar results, what makes the difference is the kind of patient they work more efficiently for. For instance, a patient with nearsightedness or myopia can make use of either SMILE or LASIK. However, when a patient is suffering from hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism, only LASIK surgery can correct these refractive errors.

Furthermore, some doctors believe that the cornea is biomechanically stronger because the SMILE procedure only involves a smaller incision. As a result, patients may experience less dry eyes after eye surgery. This opportunity can sound well enough to anyone that would like to undergo corrective surgery. Moreover, it is also good news to anyone who does not qualify to undergo LASIK surgery.

What's the Difference between SMILE and LASIK Eye Surgery?

Which Laser Correction is the Best?

Identifying the best laser eye correction procedure is not as simple as it sounds. For instance, you cannot simply boil it down to the issue of price or the most common; there is more. For example, the patient must first undergo a check to ascertain the nature of the eye defect and other essential qualities such as the thickness of the cornea tissue. These factors all contribute to deciding on which of the laser correction procedures is most suitable.

Therefore, you see that the best laser correction procedure is not necessarily the most common or the cheapest, but the most suitable. In addition, the clinic that offers eye surgery with LASIK, for instance, also needs to be verified to learn the quality of service they are capable of rendering. Another essential feature to know about is the kind of medical technology instruments at the disposal of the eye clinic. Afterward, learn about the particular surgeon in charge of the surgery. Visit http://diagnosticrights.org/why-lasik-is-a-popular-corrective-eye-surgery-procedure/ to read about Why LASIK is a Popular Corrective Eye Surgery Procedure.

In general, doctors usually recommend laser eye surgery when a patient is subject to the following common factors:

  • Existing prescription for managing the eye defect
  • Previous injuries and subsequent surgeries involving the eyes
  • The condition or health of the eyes
  • General health

Therefore, the assurance of the best laser eye surgery option is not a puzzle that can be done with a guess. It requires a deliberate action following a complete examination by a professional eye doctor. More so, the patient can do well in some online research on the best procedures out there and why. In addition, you can relate it to any previous diagnosis that you have on different eye defects and how to overcome them. 

Which one should you choose?

Eventually, the whole essence of this article will come down to your choice among the two options. The exemplary laser eye operation depends on the peculiar circumstance and needs of the individual patient. Personal Eye Care is a crucial platform for excellent eye surgery using either the LASIK or the SMILE procedure. 

Conclusion

On a final note, Personal Eye Care is a fantastic place to get some of Australia’s most advanced medical technology. In addition, we have the best hands when it comes to medical expertise and specialization in treating the eyes. And we are available to attend to your needs right away. Feel free to schedule an appointment or make an inquiry through our online channels.