ReLEx SMILE® is the most advanced laser vision correction procedure available today. At Advanced Lasik in Midtown East, New York City, and Duarte and Long Beach, California, Dr. Randa Garrana is one of the nation’s premier providers of this innovative procedure.
Built on improvements to the already safe and effective LASIK, PRK, and LASEK laser vision correction surgeries, SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) maintains all the advantages of these earlier procedures while increasing the margins of safety and stability, thanks to a new approach and precision laser technology.
Is ReLEx SMILE right for you? Here are five signs that it could be.
If you’re in generally good health and your eyes meet criteria for the SMILE procedure, you may be a candidate if you also meet these points of eligibility:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves SMILE for patients 22 years of age and older. This assures full physical maturity and development of adult vision. However, there may be circumstances where surgery may be done as early as age 18. Talk to Dr. Garrana to discuss the best timing for your procedure.
If your overall health is good with no conditions that may complicate healing, then Dr. Garrana evaluates the health of your corneas. While LASIK requires a thick and healthy cornea, SMILE may be an option for patients with thinner corneas.
Dr. Garrana may require vision stability for a period up to 24 months before your procedure to help ensure any changes to the eye won’t affect your results. Your refractive error should be relatively stable, within +/-0.50 diopters, in the preceding 12 months.
Your final results may depend on the refractive issues you have prior to your SMILE procedure and the general condition of your corneas. Dr. Garrana discusses your expected results with you ahead of your procedure, so you’ll know what to expect after your vision correction surgery.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you may be subject to hormonal conditions that cause fluctuations in your eyesight. Since SMILE changes your vision based on current conditions, receiving the procedure while these temporary hormonal fluctuations are in place means that you won’t receive the right vision correction for your normal hormonal balance.
The SMILE procedure can correct astigmatism and myopia (nearsightedness). It is not intended for treating age-related eyesight changes (presbyopia) or farsightedness. Some patients with extreme corrective lens prescriptions may not be candidates for the SMILE surgery.
Ready to find out how you can benefit from ReLEx SMILE? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Garrana at Advanced Lasik. We have one East Coast office in Midtown East, New York City, and two West Coast offices in Duarte and Long Beach, California.
