SMILE (ReLEx™ SMILE )
Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) is an advanced, cutting edge laser eye surgery to correct myopia (nearsightedness).
PRK
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a type of refractive surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It is a popular alternative to LASIK eye surgery. The main difference between PRK eye surgery and LASIK eye surgery is that unlike LASIK which involves accessing the corneal tissue by making a flap, in PRK the outer skin of the cornea is removed directly, either with excimer laser or alcohol so that laser directly touches the cornea’s surface. It takes few days for epithelium to grow back and can cause pain, blurred vision and in some cases postoperative haze for few days.
PRK is generally recommended where there is a medical or anatomical reason and LASIK or SMILE are not preferred options. The candidates must follow the precautions and keep in mind that PRK is usually suggested for candidates that have very thin cornea which can not withstand LASIK. The candidates should at least be 18 years old, with a stable eye prescription for at least a year and no severe eye disease or injury or infection that could heighten the surgical risks or hinder the recovery process.
Other Laser Procedures
PresbyLASIK
Presbyopia is the normal loss of near focusing ability which occurs as part of natural ageing process after the age of 40. The eye’s natural lens loses its elasticity with age, so it is less able to focus anything up close. One has to hold things at a distance to be able to see or read. This condition can be corrected by wearing glasses/contact lenses.
PresbyLASIK is an advanced type of laser vision correction surgery to correct presbyopia. Shape of the cornea is changed to create different power zones for seeing at varying distances. An excimer laser reshapes the cornea into different zones for near, far and intermediate vision. The patient's brain then selects the zone needed to see to get the best possible vision. It takes some time for neuroadaptation and it may slightly affect the distance vision in order to achieve better near vision.
Clear Lens Exchange
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) or Refractive lens Exchange is used only when corneal laser eye surgery cannot be performed. Usually, it is offered if the patient is extremely short or long sighted and a phakic intraocular lens (IOL) cannot be implanted. In CLE, the patient's own natural lens is replaced with a synthetic implant to improve their vision. Monofocal lenses (lenses fixed at a certain distance) can be used to improve their distance or reading vision. Monovision can be trialed to check their suitability if they do not want to wear reading glasses. Multifocal lenses are used to improve their distance and reading vision at the same time. Theses lenses are lifestyle lenses and need compromise in terms of glare and halos at night with multifocal lenses and loss of depth perception with monovision (it generally gets better with time but cannot be guaranteed). This surgery is invasive and carries similar risks as cataract surgery.
SMILE Pro
SMILE Pro (Zeiss Vsumax 800) is the most modern, least invasive laser technology to correct refractive errors. SMILE laser eye surgery from Zeiss Visumax 800 laser is quicker and more comfortable.
LASIK
Laser In-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is an eye surgery done to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.