If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you have probably heard of the innovative form of laser vision correction called ReLEx SMILE. It is a popular laser eye surgery at at LASIK centers in Los Angeles like Excel Laser Vision Institute because it combines many of the advantages of other types of laser eye surgery all into one. Patients love SMILE and LASIK eye surgery because of their ability to correct refractive errors. SMILE, in particular, is considered to be one of the most advanced laser vision procedures in the world.
What Is A ReLEx SMILE Procedure?
A ReLEx SMILE procedure is a minimally invasive treatment to correct short-sightedness. Besides using ReLEx SMILE to treat short-sighted patients, LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles use this procedure to treat individuals that have high prescriptions, drier eyes, contact intolerance, and/or thinner corneas. In a nutshell, the revolutionary technology that is involved in a ReLEx SMILE procedure transforms Laser Eye Surgery into a keyhole procedure.
ReLEx SMILE, or sometimes just referred to as SMILE at LASIK eye center in Los Angeles, stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. It is a less invasive method of correcting vision issues such as severe myopic that was previously only treatable with standard LASIK Laser Eye Surgery.
The procedure involves the eye surgeon to place eye anesthetic drops into the patient’s eyes to completely numb them. At the LASIK Los Angeles clinic like Excel Laser Vision Institute, a state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss VisuMax laser distributes a series of precise pulses in the center of the cornea with exceptional 3D placement accuracy. These pulses create bubbles that are less than 1/100th of the width of a human hair. Also, it outlines the tissue that has to be removed to efficiently alter the shape of the cornea. Then the laser creates a tiny connecting tunnel in which the LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles extracts this tissue.
What Are The Side Effects Of ReLEx SMILE?
Right after a ReLEx SMILE or LASIK procedure, the patient’s eye might feel a bit different than normal. The eyes may seem itchy, watery, and uncomfortable when you try to open them. However, this sensation only lasts about 24 hours until your eyes completely heal.
What Medications Will The Eye Surgeon Prescribe?
After a ReLEx SMILE procedure, the surgeon will prescribe antibiotic eye drops which will help to prevent infection. These eye drops should be administered as directed for the entire course of recovery, which is normally about 10 days.
How Fast Is The Recovery Process?
The great thing about a ReLEx SMILE or LASIK surgery recovery is that the physical healing process happens a lot faster than you might think. The advantage of this swift healing time means that you can get back to your normal activities such as swimming and outdoor sports after a few days of your ReLEx SMILE or LASIK eye surgery.
Also, you can get back to binge-watching your favorite Netflix shows, using your computer or laptop, and reading as you usually do within a day or two. However, your doctor will probably advise you to take regular screen breaks to prevent eye fatigue and to stop the eyes from drying out.
What About Driving After A ReLEx SMILE Procedure?
This is a major concern for many patients after any laser vision correction. In regards to a ReLEx SMILE procedure, many patients can get back to driving within 72 hours of their procedure. However, our competent staff at LASIK Los Angeles will be able to provide you with more specific advice relating to driving after a ReLEx SMILE procedure and this should be followed meticulously.
Is ReLEx Suitable For Everbody?
A surgeon will usually recommend the ReLEx SMILE procedure for short-sighted patients, especially those who have been informed that they were not suitable candidates for Laser Eye Surgery because of thin corneas, dry eyes, or contact lens intolerance.
What’s The Difference Between ReLEx And LASIK?
ReLEx is the start of a new era in refractive surgery, based on its significant benefits in the patient’s comfort. Since there is no requirement to pass from one instrument to another, as is the case in a LASIK procedure, the patient does not have to change their position. This is the fundamental reason why the procedure only takes a few minutes.
What Are The Benefits Of SMILE?
Studies have shown that patients who receive SMILE or LASIK in Orange County can achieve the exact same correction of nearsightedness and visual acuity. This means that SMILE offers the same benefits as LASIK without having to create a LASIK-style corneal flap.
In one study of 328 participants who underwent the SMILE procedure, all but only one had uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20/40 or better following surgery, and eighty-eight had CVA of 20/20 or better.
Additionally, it seems there may be less risk of dry eye symptoms following a SMILE procedure, compared with LASIK. There could be various reasons for this, including the fact that the SMILE procedure occurs within the cornea without a large corneal flap, fewer corneal nerves are disturbed by the procedure.
The very tiny SMILE incision can give the cornea more biomechanical stability after SMILE, compared with its capability to keep shape after LASIK.
Ultimately, for the correction of immense amounts of nearsightedness, with LASIK there is more of a possibility of a patient requiring an enhancement procedure to achieve the clarity of vision wanted without glasses.
There seems to be less of a risk of requiring an extra procedure after SMILE for correction of high amounts of myopia, which could be because there is less dehydration of the cornea that happens during the SMILE procedure.
In summary, SMILE is an innovative eye correction surgery that provides these advantages:
- There is no risk of corneal displacement since a corneal flap does not form.
- A patient can improve their optics without touching the central part of the cornea, which plays a vital role in vision.
- A small incision that is only a few millimeters in length is more than 80% smaller than the incision needed for LASIK methods.
- The nerves that control the formation of tears are completely preserved, so the risk of developing dryness in the eye is minimal.
- Both the laser procedure and recovery are painless.
If you want more information about getting ReLEx SMILE or LASIK in Los Angeles, do not hesitate to give Excel Laser Vision Institute a call at (818) 907-8606, or fill out our contact form today!
