Nearsightedness and astigmatism are common problems. This can majorly affect your quality of life.
As medical research and technology continue advancing, there are more options coming on the market to correct refractive errors like nearsightedness and astigmatism. One such choice is ZEISS SMILE at IQ Laser Vision.
This procedure can be a good option for patients who need their nearsightedness and astigmatism corrected. Read on to learn more about SMILE LASIK.
Do you have dry eyes? Have you been told that you don’t qualify for LASIK in the past but you still want to say goodbye to your glasses and contact lenses for good?
IQ Laser Vision is now offering our patients an exclusive new procedure called Micro-SMILE! Micro-SMILE is a proprietary technique that’s only available at IQ Laser Vision.
ZEISS SMILE is better for patients with dry eyes. You'd never know that the two procedures are different!
The ZEISS SMILE procedure is a fantastic way to consider correcting your vision if you live an active lifestyle and don't want to deal with a long recovery.
Want to find out if this new and exciting vision correction procedure could be your path to visual freedom? Schedule your free consultation at IQ Laser Vision now!
The goal of this procedure is to change the shape of the cornea to improve the patient’s nearsightedness or astigmatism. During ZEISS SMILE, your surgeon will use a femtosecond laser. This is a laser that can break up specific areas of tissue by using bursts of laser energy.
Before beginning ZEISS SMILE, your surgeon will numb your eyes using eye drops so you won't feel any discomfort. They will then use an eyelid holder to keep your eye open and the femtosecond laser to create a lens-shaped piece of tissue (called a lenticule) inside the cornea.
A small incision that's less than 4 millimeters is then created on the eye's surface, making ZEISS SMILE a minimally invasive procedure. Then the surgeon will create an opening in the surface of the cornea. The lenticule is removed through the small incision. This reshapes the cornea and corrects any refractive errors.
The entire surgery only takes 10-15 minutes.
So I don’t want to toot my own horn but your boy’s vision is 20/20 and it’s looking like after all the recovery, it’s gonna be 20/15! I’m so happy, I can literally see everything! Oh my god, big shoutout to IQ Laser Vision, honestly they killed it!
My experience with IQ Laser Vision has been absolutely perfect, everyone has always been available for me and comforting during the procedure. I can honestly say I'm seeing better than I have ever seen before.
ZEISS SMILE surgery is just as effective as LASIK when it comes to correcting nearsightedness and astigmatism in qualifying patients. ZEISS SMILE has an additional advantage, as well: This procedure doesn’t require the creation of a corneal flap. Creating a corneal flap affects more nerves in your eye, and in rare cases can weaken the cornea. Since ZEISS SMILE doesn’t involve creating a corneal flap, you may experience less potential side effects after surgery.
For example, LASIK tends to cause temporary dry eye symptoms, where ZEISS SMILE does not. This is because with SMILE, less nerves in the cornea that stimulate the tear glands are affected, especially when compared to LASIK. This is significant for patients that want a vision correction procedure but may not be a good candidate for LASIK because they have dry eye syndrome.
The treatment area for SMILE is larger than LASIK and may result in better night vision. Patients who undergo LASIK may need another procedure later on to make their vision sharper. ZEISS SMILE patients are less likely to need a "touch-up" because the cornea doesn’t become as dehydrated as it does during LASIK surgery.
Compared to most procedures, ZEISS SMILE laser vision correction is gentle and comfortable. Your surgeon will only need to make a small, precise opening to correct your vision.
Vision recovers quickly after ZEISS SMILE. Most people return to their normal activities the next day.
ZEISS SMILE is designed to eliminate your need for glasses and contacts.
ZEISS SMILE takes only a few minutes start to finish. The part of the procedure that uses a laser to reshape your cornea lasts about >25 seconds!
With ZEISS SMILE, you may experience less dry eye and discomfort compared to contact lens and LASIK.
The cost of ZEISS SMILE surgery will vary depending on where you live. We are the #1 SMILE Center in the USA and have performed over 20,000 ZEISS SMILE procedures and we charge $249 per month for 24 months interest-free, about 10% more than LASIK.
There's no reason why cost should stand in your way of achieving visual freedom!
Contact a Laser Vision Specialist for information on how to make ZEISS SMILE more affordable.
You might be eligible for ZEISS SMILE surgery if you meet the following criteria:
It’s also important to keep in mind that if you follow an active lifestyle, ZEISS SMILE will probably be the best fit for you. People who are active can easily knock a corneal flap out of place. With a procedure like LASIK, this can lead to further complications. Since ZEISS SMILE doesn’t create a corneal flap, it’s a safer choice if you're someone that's very active.
Wondering if ZEISS SMILE surgery might be right for you? Schedule a free ZEISS SMILE consultation at IQ Laser Vision to find out!
Before and on the day of surgery, patients are usually directed by their doctor to prepare as follows:
ZEISS SMILE is a single-step procedure performed with a short-pulse, fast-repetition femtosecond laser system. The laser creates a thin layer just beneath the surface of the eye, and at the same time creates a tiny opening on the surface of the eye. The laser works silently, and the patient remains in one place throughout the procedure.
ZEISS SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure, which means discomfort is usually minimal during the healing period. In most cases, vision stabilizes within one week following the operation.
After ZEISS SMILE, patients are normally able to drive, work, wear makeup and participate in sports and other activities just a few days following treatment.
Determining if you are a candidate for ZEISS SMILE® vision correction starts with your personalized consultation. The consultation is completely free with no obligations. This enables us to perform a few optometry exams to understand your current vision issues. Once that is determined your vision correction options can be presented and discussed with you.
At IQ Laser Vision , we understand vision is very important and our number one goal is to provide high-quality care and service so that you can see 20/20 without the need for glasses or contacts!
ZEISS SMILE is designed to correct myopia, astigmatism or a combination of the two, but is currently not an option for farsightedness (hyperopia) yet.
The nature and degree of the refractive error, and the curvature and thickness of the cornea also play a role.
The results of ZEISS SMILE are permanent. However, over time all people will experience changes in their near vision, whether or not they have had the ZEISS SMILE procedure. These changes are an effect of the aging process on the crystalline lens– found in the interior of the eye. These near vision changes are treatable and can be corrected.
The recovery from SMILE surgery is fast and fairly simple. The incision on the cornea doesn’t need stitches, and after a few days it will heal on its own.
Plan to have somebody drive you home on the day of the procedure, and then rest for the remainder of the day. While you might feel some discomfort, you shouldn’t be in very much discomfort.
Most patients notice a significant difference within a few days after the procedure. You should find that your vision stabilizes within a week of having ZEISS SMILE surgery.
Most people can return to work the day after their ZEISS SMILE surgery. ZEISS SMILE recovery is not a barrier to returning to work within 24 hours for the majority of patients. However, if you have special concerns related to your particular profession, be sure to bring it up with your surgeon so they can calm your fears and ensure you feel confident and assured in your post-SMILE plan.
After your ZEISS SMILE surgery, you’ll be able to complete daily tasks without needing to wear glasses. Most patients do not need to wear glasses or contacts after their ZEISS SMILE procedure.
All people begin to notice changes in their near vision over time– generally beginning in their mid forties. This has nothing to do with the person’s previous ZEISS SMILE eye surgery.
These changes are a result of the natural aging process of the eye’s crystalline lens– found in the interior of the eye. These near vision changes occur to everyone, whether or not they have had a vision correction procedure in the past. The great news is that we specialize in treatments for near vision changes – and reliance on reading glasses can be avoided. If you are experiencing near vision changes, whether or not you have had a procedure previously, we encourage you to contact our near vision experts for a free consultation.
ZEISS SMILE is the latest advancement in laser vision correction and was recently approved by the U.S. FDA in 2016. While there is high awareness about ZEISS SMILE worldwide, more and more U.S. ophthalmologists are discovering the procedure. Unfortunately, currently there are very few U.S. surgeons that are very experience in ZEISS SMILE. Worldwide, over 1,300 surgeons have already successfully treated 7 million eyes with ZEISS SMILE. Make sure your surgeon is an expert in SMILE (100s or 1,000s of procedures) and not just in LASIK. If the surgeon recommends LASIK instead of SMILE, be sure to ask him or her why?
Femtosecond laser technology is clinically proven and has been used for LASIK as well as in cataract surgeries. ZEISS SMILE is the latest procedure developed using this laser technology. It has been performed in controlled clinical studies since 2007 and has been commercially available outside of the U.S. since 2011 with 7 million procedures performed. The procedure is now well-established in over 70 countries worldwide. In certain countries like Korea, it is more commonly performed than LASIK.
Learn more about ZEISS SMILE laser eye surgery