Posted by: Manhattan LASIK Center
Are you tired of glasses and contact lenses? You may have started thinking about vision correction procedures to achieve visual freedom, like LASIK.
But you may not realize that LASIK is only one of many vision correction procedures available. Another procedure worth considering is SMILE.
SMILE can achieve many of the same things that LASIK can, including the ability to correct astigmatism and nearsightedness. If you’re finally ready to say goodbye to glasses and contacts, SMILE can help get you there! Keep reading to learn more about SMILE and why it can give you your best summer yet!
What is SMILE?
SMILE is a refractive procedure that uses a laser to correct refractive errors like nearsightedness and astigmatism. It cannot correct farsightedness.
Refractive procedures like SMILE work because they change the way light refracts through your eye. Light doesn’t refract through your eye correctly when you have a refractive error like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
If you have a refractive error, the cornea, the clear front of the eye, is an irregular shape. Laser vision correction procedures correct refractive errors by reshaping the cornea using a laser.
However, the way SMILE reshapes your cornea is unique. A femtosecond laser creates a lenticule, which is a disc-shaped amount of corneal tissue. The lenticule is then removed, correcting the shape of the cornea and your refractive errors. With SMILE, you’ll see better than you ever could with glasses or contact lenses.
Traditional refractive procedures like LASIK use a femtosecond laser to create the flap, and an excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
You Can Undergo SMILE in Three Easy Steps
SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure that only takes three steps to complete.
- First, you’ll have your eyes numbed to ensure you don’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. There’s no general anesthesia used, meaning you get to go home after it’s over. Instead, Manhattan LASIK Center uses numbing eye drops that spread over the whole surface of your eye.
- Once the numbing eye drops start to work, your surgeon will begin by creating the lenticule with a femtosecond laser. The size of the lenticule will be determined by your specific refractive error. The femtosecond laser creates the lenticule under the eye’s surface without penetrating it. This causes the least damage to the cornea, allowing your eyes to heal more quickly.
- After creating the lenticule, the surgeon will create a tiny incision on the eye’s surface. After making this incision, they will pull the lenticule out through the incision.
In three steps, that’s all there is to having SMILE! There’s no need for stitches as the incision is small enough that it easily heals on its own after a few days.
SMILE vs. LASIK
Although SMILE and LASIK have similarities, these procedures have distinct differences. SMILE and LASIK are both laser refractive procedures.
But what sets these two procedures apart is that SMILE, unlike LASIK, does not involve creating a flap in the cornea. It’s a less invasive procedure that only requires making a small incision (of about 4-6 millimeters in length). This makes SMILE a gentle, minimally invasive procedure with a quick recovery time.
The flap created during LASIK is a necessary component to reshape the cornea and correct refractive errors. But if you have a cornea that’s too thin, creating a flap can make the vision correction procedure unsafe to undergo. With SMILE, because there’s no flap, you can get the procedure even if you find out you don’t qualify for LASIK due to a thin cornea.
SMILE is also just as effective as LASIK. Most patients end up with 20/20 vision or better after the procedure. You’ll be able to see clearly and better than you ever could when you had to wear glasses and contact lenses.
Combine that with SMILE’s incredibly fast recovery time, and you’ll be back to the things you love in a matter of days. You’ll enjoy them with crisp, sharp vision that starts when you wake up.
SMILE can give you everything you’ve ever wanted and more during a fast, efficient procedure that produces a lifetime of visual improvement.
Have Your Best Summer Ever After Getting SMILE
How can SMILE improve your summer? Here are just a few ways:
Have More Fun in the Sun
Spending time outdoors without glasses or contact lenses is much easier, especially at the beach or pool. You’ll be able to do more fun activities without worrying about visual aids and where you’ll put them when you’re enjoying yourself.
But don’t forget to wear sunglasses when you’re out in the sun! Luckily, without cumbersome glasses to worry about, you can have fun picking out the perfect pair of stylish shades that provide UVA and UVB protection from the sun’s rays this summer.
Rake in the Savings
When you have SMILE surgery, you can feel less guilty about splurging a little. Why? Because SMILE can save you money in the long run!
While the cost of SMILE may seem like a lot, the savings are more than worth it. Eliminating the need for glasses and contacts will save you hundreds of dollars in only the first year.
Wouldn’t you like to cut out the expenses associated with paying for glasses and contact lenses? Each year after you get SMILE, you’re saving money.
SMILE eventually pays for itself over time! Rest easy this summer, knowing you’ve made a wise financial investment.
At Manhattan LASIK Center, we offer up to 24-months of interest-free financing for patients who qualify. Click to learn more.
Take in the Sights
SMILE can help you see better than you ever could with glasses or contact lenses. When you don’t have to look through any lenses to see the world, everything looks so much sharper.
Colors are brighter, more vibrant, and richer than you ever thought possible. There’s no better time to enhance your vision than during the summer months.
Take in local sights or travel and know you’re going to experience the world with your own two eyes. Travel will even be less stressful without worrying about packing contact lenses and spare glasses!
Ready to find out if you qualify for SMILE? Schedule your SMILE consultation at Manhattan LASIK Center in Westchester, NY, and take the first steps towards visual freedom!
