Posted by: Manhattan LASIK Center
If you’re tired of wearing contact lenses and glasses, you may want to consider a vision correction procedure. These procedures can give you visual freedom and allow you to see the world in total clarity!
However, which vision correction procedure is right for you? Many options are available at Manhattan LASIK Center, including LASIK, SMILE, and the EVO ICL.
You could be a good candidate for any of these procedures. However, before you choose any vision correction procedure, it’s essential to understand what it entails. Keep reading to understand the risks and benefits of ZEISS SMILE, LASIK, and EVO ICL to help you make the most informed decision.
What are Vision Correction Procedures?
Vision correction procedures can improve your life, giving you incredible vision and freedom from visual aids. The success rate for visual procedures like ZEISS SMILE, LASIK, and EVO ICL at Manhattan LASIK Center is high, with most patients indicating extreme satisfaction with their results!
It’s never 100% guaranteed that any vision correction procedure will fully correct your vision. However, it is highly likely, especially when you choose a skilled, experienced practitioner like our founder, Dr. Niksarli, who has performed over 70,000 LASIK procedures since its inception.
Vision correction procedures are also very low-risk, meaning the complication rate is rare. However, all procedures carry some degree of risk.
The risk of severe complications regarding vision correction procedures is low, but it isn’t zero. Only some of these risks are covered here, so discuss these with your surgeon to ensure you understand the potential for complications and have realistic expectations.
LASIK
LASIK is the most well-known vision correction procedure. It’s a refractive laser eye procedure, meaning it uses lasers to change the shape of your eye to correct your refractive error.
This is done by first making a corneal flap with a femtosecond laser. The flap is like a lid made from the top of the cornea, which is the clear part of your eye.
Your surgeon will lift the flap before using an excimer laser to remove tissue from the cornea, correcting the irregularities that cause refractive errors. After the procedure, your surgeon will replace the flap, which acts as a natural bandage as the eye heals.
What are the Benefits of LASIK?
LASIK is the most popular vision correction procedure, and for good reason. It’s tried and true, with around 96% of patients achieving 20/20 vision or better after the procedure!
It also can correct farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. ZEISS SMILE and the EVO ICL only correct nearsightedness and mild astigmatism.
Undergoing LASIK is simple, and the recovery period is minimal, so you don’t have to worry about taking much time off work. Most patients feel well enough to return to normal activities in a few days. Although there are risks of having LASIK, these can be easily mitigated by avoiding any contact sports and following any instructions from your LASIK surgeon during your recovery.
ZEISS SMILE
ZEISS SMILE stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. It’s a refractive laser eye procedure like LASIK but doesn’t require a corneal flap.
Instead, a femtosecond laser creates a lenticule, a disc-shaped section of tissue under the cornea’s surface. It does all this without penetrating the cornea’s surface. The lenticule is then removed through a tiny incision.
What are the Benefits of ZEISS SMILE?
ZEISS SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure. Part of what makes it so gentle is that it disturbs less corneal tissue than first and second generation refractive eye procedures like PRK and LASIK, making recovery faster and reducing the risk of potential complications.
ZEISS SMILE can only correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. However, its results are comparable to LASIK, with most patients achieving 20/20 vision or better.
It’s also suitable for patients who otherwise qualify for LASIK but have corneas that are too thin for a corneal flap or those with dry eyes. Because ZEISS SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure, any chance of risk or complication is quite low. Many of our patients at Manhattan LASIK Center choose the gentle and advanced ZEISS SMILE procedure. Dr. Niksarli explains the SMILE procedure with the following words “Having a minimally invasive SMILE treatment at our center that prevents or minimizes dry eye postoperatively is a game-changer. Now, most patients can return to normalcy much faster without lingering dry eye issues and frequent use of lubricating eye drops.”
The best way to ensure a safe recovery is to follow any instructions and recommendations from your surgeon, including taking any prescription eye drops. These help reduce inflammation and the risk of infection after a procedure like ZEISS SMILE.
Patient Review: Hannah’s SMILE Experience
“I learned about Manhattan LASIK Center from a friend who had a successful SMILE surgery with Dr. Niksarli nearly a year ago. Her positive experience motivated me to consider the procedure myself. Despite traveling over 200 miles to New York City, the journey has proven worthwhile. Thanks to Dr. Niksarli, I now have 20/20 vision and feel like a new person. Before the surgery, I hadn’t realized how much poor vision was affecting my daily mood. I am now more content, no longer needing to search for glasses or use eye contacts. I encourage anyone hesitant about the SMILE procedure to not be afraid; it is quick and virtually painless once you are in the operating room. I highly recommend Manhattan LASIK Center and Dr. Niksarli for anyone considering LASIK/SMILE.” – Hannah, SMILE Patient
EVO ICL
Unlike LASIK and ZEISS SMILE, EVO ICL is not a laser eye procedure. The EVO ICL is an additive lens that sits in your eye to improve nearsightedness and astigmatism.
The amount it can correct nearsightedness is -23.00 diopters, which is nearly twice as much as LASIK can correct! ICL stands for Implantable Collamer Lens. Collamer is the material the EVO ICL is made of, which is biocompatible and in natural harmony with the chemistry of your eye.
What are the Benefits of the EVO ICL?
The EVO ICL is one of the least invasive vision correction procedures available. Your surgeon implants the EVO ICL by creating a small incision in the eye before positioning it as necessary.
Results are also excellent, with almost all patients achieving 20/20 vision or better with the EVO ICL. The EVO ICL is also the only reversible vision correction procedure; you can have it removed for any reason. The procedure also doesn’t require a corneal flap.
With the EVO ICL, you can enjoy a minimally invasive, removable, and reversible procedure. If, for any reason, you change your mind about the EVO ICL, your surgeon at Manhattan LASIK Center can always remove it.
However, most patients love the visual benefits of the EVO ICL and choose to leave it in their eyes permanently. If your prescription changes as you get older, you can also have the EVO ICL removed and replaced with an intraocular lens if you have cataracts and need cataract surgery.
No other vision correction procedure provides this benefit.
Risks Associated with ZEISS SMILE, LASIK, and the EVO ICL
Although risks and complications with procedures like ZEISS SMILE, LASIK, and the EVO ICL are small, they are still possible.
LASIK patients are at risk of flap dislocation. This can occur if the corneal flap becomes unfused with the eye during healing, making it especially important to avoid contact sports and high-intensity activities for the first month after the procedure.
However, with ZEISS SMILE, risks are significantly reduced, because it’s both flapless and a minimally invasive procedure. Most patients can resume daily activities such as contact sports, swimming, running as early as the next day following their ZEISS SMILE procedure. Any side effects you may experience with ZEISS SMILE are also temporary.
If you undergo the EVO ICL, you risk developing an infection, inflammation, or increased eye pressure. Although rare, these can harm your vision.
Before undergoing any procedure, make sure you ask your ophthalmologist any questions or concerns you may have. It’s essential that you have a foundation of trust and feel comfortable that the procedure you’re having is safe and right for your vision.
Which Vision Correction Procedure is Right for You?
Do you think you could be a good candidate for a vision correction procedure like the EVO ICL, ZEISS SMILE, or LASIK? The only way to find out is by scheduling a consultation at Manhattan LASIK Center in New York City, today!
