SMILE eye surgery is the newest form of refractive surgery, and it’s a direct competitor to LASIK. While the two procedures have similar results, they’re different methods of achieving those results. Here’s what you need to know about SMILE:
Both Procedures Can Treat Nearsightedness, Farsightedness And Astigmatism
The difference? SMILE uses a different type of laser to reshape your eye’s cornea.
LASIK creates a flap in your cornea using an excimer laser, which is then folded back to reveal the underlying stroma (a clear tissue). This flap allows surgeons to manipulate the shape of your eye’s surface with another surgical tool called an instrument used during cataract surgery; it also protects healthy tissue from being damaged by exposure to air when making incisions on top of it.
In contrast, SMILE eye surgery uses femtosecond lasers–which are extremely short pulses of light–to create multiple tiny incisions in order to lift off pieces of stroma without cutting through them completely or creating any flaps at all!
The Biggest Difference Between LASIK And SMILE Is How They Cut The Cornea
LASIK uses a laser to reshape your cornea, while SMILE uses a microkeratome blade that cuts out a flap of tissue from the top layer of your eye (the epithelium). The flap is then folded back so that surgeons can access deeper layers of tissue without damaging them. This process allows them to create more accurate corrections than with traditional LASIK procedures, which often require multiple steps and additional tools like microscopes or scalpels to make sure everything looks good before removing any excess skin at the end of surgery.
How Long The Procedure Takes
Another difference between LASIK and SMILE eye surgery is how long the procedure takes. While both procedures are done under local anesthesia, SMILE surgery does not require a blade to cut through corneal tissue, so it’s often completed faster than LASIK.
While some patients will get their vision corrected in as little as 10 minutes, others may need more time depending on their individual needs and medical history. Typically speaking, though–and assuming you’re healthy enough to undergo this type of eye surgery–you should expect your visit to last anywhere between 15-30 minutes at most!
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about getting LASIK, you should look into SMILE as well. While the two procedures are similar, they have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Of course, actual results and patient experience will vary from person to person.