Do you love the idea of no longer needing glasses or contact lenses to see the world around you? Texas Eye and Laser Center is proud to offer the latest laser vision correction procedure from ZEISS to our patients!
SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure that can provide you with the visual freedom you've been looking for.
SMILE is a minimally invasive vision correction procedure for patients with nearsightedness and astigmatism. Many patients love the idea of LASIK but may find out that they don't qualify for the procedure for various reasons.
These may include having dry eyes, thinner than normal corneas, or a prescription stronger than LASIK can treat. But with SMILE, these factors won't stand in the way of being able to permanently correct your vision.
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SMILE uses a femtosecond laser to reshape the cornea and correct refractive errors like nearsightedness or astigmatism. SMILE works by using advanced laser vision correction technology in the form of a femtosecond laser.
SMILE is a minimally invasive vision correction procedure that permanently corrects vision and helps patients achieve visual freedom. SMILE uses the femtosecond laser to create a thin disc of tissue called a lenticule.
The lenticule is about the size of a contact lens, though it's thicker in the center and thinner at the edge. Making the lenticule penetrates the cornea without disturbing its surface.
After creating the lenticule, your surgeon uses the femtosecond laser to make a small incision 6 millimeters or less to remove the lenticule. Your surgeon then removes the lenticule from the layers of corneal tissue and extracts it from the minuscule incision, which helps change the cornea's shape and improves vision.
The incision does not need stitches and will heal within a few days.
As incredible as SMILE is for correcting vision, it's not suitable for everyone. You may be a good SMILE candidate if the following applies to you:
The only way to determine if you're a suitable SMILE candidate is to schedule a free consultation at Texas Eye and Laser Center in Fort Worth, TX!
Although both SMILE and LASIK are vision correction procedures, this is where many of the similarities between them end. LASIK uses two lasers: a femtosecond laser and an excimer laser.
The femtosecond laser creates a flap to provide access to the middle layer of the cornea to reshape it. After creating the flap, it's moved back, where an excimer laser helps remove a precise amount of tissue from the cornea.
Removing the tissue corrects refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The flap is then put back and left to heal without sutures or stitches.
SMILE has quite a few differences compared to LASIK. One of the most significant is that there is no flap created during the procedure.
Instead, your surgeon uses a femtosecond laser during SMILE to create a lenticule inside your cornea. The lenticule is a lens-shaped piece of tissue.
After creating the lenticule, your surgeon then makes a tiny incision of fewer than 4 millimeters in length on the eye's surface. The lenticule gets pulled through the small incision and removed, where it's disposed of.
The lenticule helps reshape the cornea and corrects refractive errors like nearsightedness and astigmatism. Because there's no flap associated with SMILE, the cornea is more stable.
Fewer nerves in the cornea that stimulate tear glands become affected during SMILE. For patients with dry eye syndrome, getting SMILE is much less likely to cause dry eyes or exacerbate existing cases of dry eye syndrome.
SMILE is an excellent option for patients who want to correct their vision. But what makes this minimally invasive vision correction procedure stand out?
Worldwide, millions of SMILE procedures have been performed on satisfied patients. Those numbers continue to grow daily, making SMILE the fastest-growing vision correction procedure available.
Here at Texas Eye and Laser Center, we love that SMILE leaves most of the top corneal layers intact, allowing for a strong and stable cornea. Patients love that they can finally see with crisp, clear definition beyond what visual aids like glasses and contacts could achieve.
SMILE is one of the gentlest vision correction procedures available. The treatment is so comfortable that most people report feeling nothing at all.
It should be no surprise that patients consistently describe SMILE as painless and very comfortable both during and after the procedure. Combined with the fact that most patients find that they can return to their everyday activities and tasks the day after having SMILE, the vision correction's popularity makes sense.
Patients who get SMILE find that the procedure only takes a few minutes to complete. On average, this is about 10-15 minutes in total.
Most patients can drive the next day without needing glasses. Because it's minimally invasive, most people can return to many of their daily activities the next day.
Not only is SMILE fast, but it's also permanent. Once you have SMILE, you can look forward to decades of clear vision and visual freedom from visual aids.
SMILE's cost is comparable to other laser vision correction procedures offered at Texas Eye and Laser Center. A Surgery Counselor will discuss specific costs during your free SMILE screening.
We offer financing for laser vision correction procedures through Care Credit.
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On the day of your SMILE procedure, you'll need to have a friend or family member that can drive you home. Your vision may be blurry or unstable but will stabilize in the next few days.
You may experience mild visual discomfort, but this should go away as you get used to your new and improved vision. Many patients find this discomfort minimal, allowing them to get back to things like driving and going to work the next day.
You'll need to take prescription eye drops to reduce inflammation, prevent infection, and follow your eye doctor's instructions. Doing these things and attending necessary follow-up appointments will ensure that your eyes heal as they should.
Texas Eye and Laser Center is home to highly experienced surgeons. Dr. Ranelle and Dr. Hu are board-certified and have more than 40 years of combined laser vision correction experience. Choose the best by scheduling your free SMILE consultation today at Texas Eye and Laser Center in Fort Worth, TX!
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