• About SMILE
  • Why SMILE?
  • How Does It Work?
  • Course of Treatment
  • Facts Worth Knowing

About SMILE

For more than 10 years, individualized Femto LASIK has been the scientifically accepted method for the correction of ametropia. Previously in a LASIK a side-cut of roughly 20mm had to be created, which severs the nerves and is known to cause dry eye.

The SMILE keyhole technology goes one step further: laser eye surgery has become even safer, more gentle and faster. A 3D disk (lenticle) is prepared inside the cornea and removed through a tiny 2 mm “keyhole” opening prepared by laser.

The volume and shape of the lenticula corresponds to the amount of tissue required to correct your vision disorder. Also the stability of the cornea is maintained and the production of the tear film is hardly disturbed. This makes SMILE suitable for patients with dry eyes or contact lens intolerance. The icing on the cake: only 32 seconds per eye are required for the entire procedure.

Why SMILE?

  • Minimally Invasive

    SMILE is a less invasive way to treat short-sightedness and astigmatism.

  • Fast Treatment

    SMILE takes less than 7 minutes, with the laser only used for a fraction of this time.

  • Single Step Procedure

    The whole treatment takes less than 15 minutes and after a quick check, you are free to go.

  • Quick Recovery

    with better for the stability of the cornea and less risk of developing dry eyes.

How Does It Work?

  • 01
    Creation of The Lenticule And The Incision

    With VisuMax a 2 mm tiny incision is created in the cornea and the refractive lenticule is created all in one step. This leaves the upper layers of corneal tissue largely untouched.

  • 02
    Removal of The Lenticule

    The lenticule is removed through the incision with only minimal disruption to the corneal biomechanics.

  • 03
    Rehabilitation

    Removing the lenticule changes the shape of the cornea, thereby achieving the desired refractive correction.

  • 04
    Creation of The Lenticule And The Incision

    With VisuMax a 2 mm tiny incision is created in the cornea and the refractive lenticule is created all in one step. This leaves the upper layers of corneal tissue largely untouched.

Course of Treatment

  • 01Personal Consultation, No Obligation

    In a personal consultation, your doctor will first evaluate if your eyes are suitable for SMILE treatment. All relevant parameters of the eye will be measured.

  • 02Comprehensive Preliminary Evaluation

    A general medical examination will be given prior to the operation. Before this appointment, you should refrain from wearing contact lenses, as these change the shape of the cornea. Under certain circumstances, it may take the cornea several weeks to go back to its natural shape once you removed your contact lens.

  • 03The SMILE treatment

    On the day of surgery, you should wear comfortable clothing. You can eat and drink as normal, but you should not smoke. For hygiene reasons, you should wash the eye area thoroughly and completely remove any residue of makeup. Before the procedure a tranqulizer is available on request. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and for both eyes it takes around 20 minutes to complete.

  • 04After the SMILE treatment

    After the procedure, you should not rub your eyes. You will be given antibiotic eye drops that must be taken five times a day for a week and artificial tears can be applied as required. Normally, you can resume your professional activity two to three days later. You can begin with sporting activities after about three days.

Facts Worth Knowing

  • The Femtosecond Laser – Technical Facts

    The Femto laser is an infrared light laser which treats the corneal tissue not only very precisely, but also with much lower thermal stress than other lasers. In eye surgery especially it has proven to be a decisive advantage. The femtosecond laser works on the basis of ultrashort light pulses. These typically last only fractions of billionths of a second and the spot size is only 1/100 mm.

  • The Femtosecond VisuMax Laser

    SMILE treatment uses a specially developed laser system, the VisuMax femtosecond laser from Carl Zeiss. It has already proven itself in Femto-LASIK procedures with its sophisticated technology, accuracy and reliability. It is now possible for the first time to prepare a lenticule inside the intact cornea with absolute precision, which makes larger cuts and a flap obsolete.

Smile vs Lasik

  • Smile
    2mm Minimal Invasive
  • Lasik
    20mm Flap
  • Short and painless treatment – only 32 seconds per eye.
  • Suitable for patients with dry eyes.
  • Keyhole (2 mm incision) technology for fast healing.
  • Possible with myopia up to -10 diopters.
  • Possible with astigmatism up to 5 diopters.

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  • SMILE Laser Eye Surgery with LERC

    At LERC, we will carry out an in-depth assessment to make sure you are right for SMILE eye surgery. If not, we will recommend a different treatment or other types of corrective eye surgery. You will be assigned a qualified and experienced ophthalmic surgeon, who will be with you every step of the way, from carrying out the assessment to conducting the surgery and any aftercare you may require.

  • Are you suitable for SMILE eye surgery?

    One of the great things about SMILE laser eye surgery is that more people are suitable for this than for ULTRALASIK, FEMTOLASIK treatment. With regards to the latter two options, patients with dry eyes generally aren’t accepted, so if you have mild to moderate dry eyes, SMILE treatment may be ideal. You could also benefit from SMILE eye surgery if you have an intolerance to contact lenses and/or a thinner than average cornea.

    During your consultation, one of our expert ophthalmic surgeons will assess your suitability for laser eye surgery and advice you on which laser eye treatment is best for you.

  • SMILE Laser Eye Surgery Aftercare

    SMILE laser eye surgery recovery is generally a quick process, with less chance of complications and discomfort, such as dry eye symptoms, than other laser eye surgery procedures. Most patients report improved sight within 24 hours of their surgery, however it can take a few weeks for eyesight to show 100% improvement. It is important that patients rest after surgery. Those who have SMILE surgery cannot drive for the 24 hours immediately following the procedure and some sources of light, such as TVs, mobile phones and other screens, should be avoided. More regular usage can be resumed approximately 2-3 days after SMILE laser eye surgery.

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Aim to get rid of limitations and enjoy
improved vision quality.

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Our Specialists

  • Dr. Anwar Hamdan Sajwani

    Medical Director Retina Consultant
    M.R.C. Ophth. (England)
    Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons

  • Dr. Med Bertram Meyer

    Consultant Ophthalmology
    Fellowship of the German Board (Facharzt)
    Consultant at Carl Zeiss- Meditec

    *Offer is not applied

  • Dr. Mohamed A. Hafez

    Consultant-Ophthalmology
    Retina Consultant
    Cornea and Refractive Consultant

  • Femi Varghese

    Optometrist

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    • I will recommend everyone for this center. I did my lasik two weeks before and I started to see the same day my vision became correct. Surgery only took 10-15 minutes.
      I must say, service is extraordinary and staff is amazing.

      Dr Ranjeet Kumar

    • Thank you Laser Eye Care Center. It was a life changing experience. I can definitely recommend this clinic to my family and friends. Full team is professional and very helpful.

      Melissa Mariano

    • It was a great life changing experience. I’m thankful for their amazing staff and doctors for assisting me in this journey. Thumbs up for the best LASIK clinic in Dubai.

      Alaira Santos

    Recent Awards

    • Laser Eye And Research Center Received The Excellence Award 2020

    • Dr. Anwar Hamdan Sajwani Receieved The Top Emirati Contributor Award

    • Certificate of Accreditation Awarded To Laser Eye Care & Research Center

    FAQ’s

    • How Does SMILE Laser Vision Correction Work?

      To correct the patient's vision, instead of creating a corneal flap, SMILE laser eye surgery requires only a small incision to reshape the cornea. The cornea is made up of 5 layers and to correct focusing problems, only the middle layer has to be reshaped. The SMILE laser applies a plane of little air bubbles to create the base of the lenticule (in the lower part of the stroma/middle layer) and then the top of the lenticule (in the upper part of the stroma). Finally, the laser allows for keyhole access so the surgeon can gently remove the targeted piece of tissue. And that's it - in one step the cornea has been reshaped to provide optimal visual results!

      Most of our patients can't believe how quick the whole procedure is, as the laser proportion of the procedure is all over in 25 seconds!

    • Does the Procedure Hurt?

      One of the most common concerns patients' have prior to the surgery is their fear of experiencing any pain during the treatment, most likely derived from the presence of 'laser' in the name (which doesn't help). However, since the procedure is performed using a topical anaesthetic, the surgery is completely painless.

      After the numbing eye drops have been applied, the anaesthetic will be in full effect, making the surface of the eye numb. During the procedure patients report that they do not experience any pain, although it is often described as a "weird" experience. The actual time the laser is treating the eyes is usually over before you know it. Therefore, any feeling of discomfort will be minimal and very brief. To treat both eyes the entire procedure from putting the drops to leaving the laser suite is 15-25 minutes.

      In summary, during the SMILE laser vision correction procedure, the patient will not see, feel, smell or hear the SMILE laser.

    • How Long Until I Can Return to Normal Activities After SMILE?

      Since the incision on the cornea is 2.3mm – the size of the tip of a pencil, the cornea heals completely within 24 hours. This means you can return to most normal activities, including driving the next day and be back to work 48 hours after SMILE laser surgery. We recommend that you wait a week before swimming or playing any sports after the surgery. Although everyone is different, recovery for SMILE is rapid and most people will be feeling great the very next day.

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