SMILE in Los Angeles

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First U.S. Surgeon certified in SMILE

A “flapless LASIK,” SMILE is a minimally invasive Laser Vision Correction procedure. During SMILE laser eye surgery, a lenticule is created inside the intact cornea using the ZEISS VisuMax femtosecond laser. The removal of the lenticule through a very small peripheral corneal incision achieves the desired vision correction.

Building on LASIK’s success, SMILE is a flapless version of laser vision correction in which the cornea better retains its natural architectural structure and physiology after the procedure. The result is greater corneal biomechanical stability and the potential for a less dry eye. For these reasons, SMILE is particularly more suited for people with a thin cornea and dry eyes. Furthermore, without the flap, patients are able to resume almost all normal activities immediately after surgery. This includes full-contact sports, water activities, and eye make-up wear.

Dr. Paul C. Lee, at CCRS, was the first U.S. eye surgeon to be certified on this revolutionary laser vision correction procedure in November of 2014 by performing the very first SMILE surgery on the West Coast.

Comfortable Procedure,
Quick Recovery

One of the greatest advancements with the VisuMax Laser is that it is fast and gentle. The laser portion of the procedure is roughly 28 seconds. Due to the soft touch of the procedure, most patients report it as very comfortable, both during and after their procedure.

Less Risk,
No Flap

As there is no flap with SMILE, there are no flap related complications with the procedure. You don’t have to worry about rubbing your eyes or getting water in them. You can even shower the very same day as your procedure, play full contact sports within a few days, and resume eye make-up wear.

Procedures

Bladeless Wavefront
LASIK

Small Incision Lenticule
Extraction (SMILE)

Implantable Collamer
Lens (EVO ICL)

Refractive Cataract
Surgery

Refractive Lens
Exchange (RLE)

Contoura
LASIK (T-CAT)

Photorefractive
Keratectomy (PRK)

Corneal Collagen
Cross-Linking (CXL)

FAQ

View all FAQ

Unlike LASIK, SMILE laser vision correction is done without making a corneal flap,. A small sliver of corneal tissue created by a femtosecond laser is removed through a tiny incision, leaving the cornea essentially intact.

SMILE surgery offers some advantages over LASIK in that SMILE is done without making a corneal flap. Thus all potential flap-related complications, as seen with LASIK, are avoided.

SMILE surgery takes about 15 minutes per eye, which is similar to LASIK surgery.
Yes, SMILE can correct astigmatism.