What is femtosmile surgery? Also known as SMILE surgery?

SMILE stands for: Small Incision Lenticule Extraction.

How is LASIK and SMILE surgeries different?

In LASIK surgery, a large flap is created to enable the other laser to reshape the cornea to correct your refractive error.

But in Femtosmile, from its name a very small incision is made to remove the lenticule within the cornea.

Steps of femtosmile procedure:

• After being cleared by your ophthalmologist that you are a fit candidate for Femtosmile surgery.
• Your doctor arranges an in-office appointment, where you are prepped for surgery.
• An anesthesiologist adds a few drops of anesthesia to your eyes, performs a topographic examination and starts the surgery.
• First, the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to create a small lens like tissue inside the corneal tissue. Then using the same laser, a small arc-like incision on the surface of the corneal where the surgeon can extract the already lenticule like tissue out. When this lenticule is removed, the corneal shape is changed which by default it corrects nearsightedness (myopia).
• This is all happens with no blood or stitches or infection.
• So, within a few days, you will have better vision with less recovery time and no complications.

Advantages of Femtosmile surgery:

• In this technique only one type of laser is used instead of two.
• It is a flapless technology which means it is painless and allows better healing.
• Also, there is less risk for dry eye symptoms with femtosmile than with traditional laser.
• With femtosmile, more cases of nearsightedness could be corrected, because with Femtosmile surgery, the surgeon can correct up to 10 diopters. That was not possible with older laser technologies.
• With femtosmile, you won't need enhancement procedures like you may need with other laser surgeries. Because it gives you better visual acuity immediately.
• With femtosmile, the patient has better post-operative corneal sensitivity which means less reflex tearing.

Femtosmile limitations:

• One of the most important limitations of femtosmile is that it can only be used to treat nearsightedness and can't be proposed to correct farsightedness.
• Femtosmile doesn’t treat higher-order aberrations that affects night vision.
• One of the limitations of femtosmile is the required experience your surgeon needs to perform such intricate surgery.

Magrabi's advice

When it comes to latest technologies, Magrabi's hospitals got your back! All our eye surgeons are experts with using femtosmile giving you a better chance at a better vision and with almost no complications at all. Book your appointment now and enjoy a life with no hassle!