Zeiss SMILE vs LASIK

Laser Surgeries for Refractive Errors: Zeiss SMILE Eye Surgery vs. LASIK

Zeiss SMILE and LASIK: Three Major Differences You Must Know

Corneal Strength and Biomechanics: Zeiss SMILE vs. LASIK

Dry Eye and Laser Vision Correction: LASIK vs. Zeiss SMILE

Recovery Time: LASIK vs. Zeiss SMILE

Zeiss SMILE vs. LASIK: Limitations of Zeiss SMILE Eye Surgery

Zeiss SMILE vs. LASIK: Advantages of Zeiss SMILE Eye Surgery

Conclusion: Zeiss SMILE vs. LASIK: Which Should You Get?

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Thanks to innovations in laser-guided surgeries, millions of people around the globe can have clear vision without contact lenses or eyeglasses. Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, or simply LASIK, is the most popular of these surgeries, correcting most refractive errors to 20/40 clarity or better.Although LASIK works for many people, it’s not an ideal solution for some. Therefore, experts have come up with more forms of laser surgeries like the Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (Zeiss SMILE) to give people more options. If you’re considering laser eye surgery to correct your refractive error, it’s best that you familiarize yourself with both Zeiss SMILE and LASIK procedures so you can decide which one among the two options is best for you. Laser Surgeries for Refractive Errors: Zeiss SMILE Eye Surgery vs. LASIK LASIK Basics: The LASIK procedure is a laser-guided surgery, whereby a refractive surgeon uses either a specialized femtosecond laser to make a small flap in the cornea, referred to as a LASIK flap. After that, the surgeon lifts the corneal flap and uses an excimer laser to laser the cornea tissue, so it can reform and refract light properly to the retina, at the back of the eye. The LASIK procedure can correct all types of refractive errors, which include far-sightedness, near-sightedness, presbyopia, and astigmatism. The procedure takes 10-15 minutes per eye, and local anesthesia is usually administered. Zeiss SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) Basics: This is a newer type of laser-guided surgery that specifically treats myopia or near-sightedness. Compared to LASIK, smile laser eye surgery is less invasive as it doesn’t require making a flap in the cornea to reshape it. The Zeiss SMILE surgery, sometimes called SMILE LASIK, is similar to LASIK in the sense that a laser is used to reshape the cornea. During the procedure, a surgeon uses the Visumax femtosecond laser to make a small, lens-shaped bit of tissue within the cornea. With the same laser, the eye surgeon makes a small arc-shaped opening in the surface of the cornea from where he/she removes the tissue and discards it. So, unlike LASIK surgery that requires the use of two devices, the Zeiss SMILE requires the use of the femtosecond laser only.Like the LASIK procedure, the Zeiss SMILE procedure takes 10-15 minutes to complete. It is an ideal treatment option for most people with myopia.Zeiss SMILE and LASIK: Three Major Differences You Must KnowAfter understanding the basics of refractive surgery, it’s easy to see the differences between the Zeiss SMILE procedure and the LASIK procedure. The three main differences between the two procedures are:The Zeiss SMILE procedure is less invasive than the LASIK procedure. This is because Zeiss SMILE does not involve the creation of a corneal flap. It is ideal for active individuals or those working in environments that have the possibility of contact.The Zeiss SMILE procedure is a treatment option for myopia and myopic astigmatism, while the LASIK treatment can be used to correct all refractive errors including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.The Zeiss SMILE procedure only requires the use of one device, i.e., the femtosecond laser, while the LASIK procedure requires the use of two devices, i.e., the femtosecond laser and the excimer laser. The Zeiss SMILE procedure may treat larger refractive errors better.The Zeiss SMILE procedure has a shorter recovery time.Corneal Strength and Biomechanics: Zeiss SMILE vs. LASIKA lot has been said and written about the corneal strength after laser-guided surgery. One study shows that the removal of corneal tissue by either procedure inescapably results in reduced corneal tensile strength. While both procedures significantly alter corneal biomechanical properties, most studies show that corneas treated with Zeiss SMILE are biomechanically stronger than those treated with LASIK. One study revealed that Zeiss SMILE might save more corneal biomechanical properties than LASIK. The study also showed that smile laser eye surgery might protect and leave more stromal tensile strength compared to LASIK. During the LASIK eye surgery, the vertical side cuts through corneal lamellae, rather than horizontal delamination incisions contribute to the loss of structural integrity during flap creation. In Zeiss SMILE, the anterior stroma remains uncut, and the corneal tissue is taken out from the deeper stroma layers than in LASIK. That’s why the Zeiss SMILE procedure results in stronger corneas as considerably less anterior cornea is subjected to transverse separation and does involve as many corneal nerves.Dry Eye and Laser Vision Correction: LASIK vs. Zeiss SMILEWhen recovering from laser surgery, your eyes need more tears to stay healthy and heal after surgery. Unfortunately, laser procedures can enhance dry eye symptoms.Most studies show that LASIK comes with more dry eye complications compared to Zeiss SMILE. In one study, researchers found out that there wer