SMILE

SMILE is a laser procedure in which a femtosecond laser creates a thin disc of tissue inside the cornea, called a lenticule, which the surgeon then removes through a small surface incision. This changes the curvature of the cornea.

Unlike LASIK, no lift-up flap is created and the surface of the cornea is broken only along a short incision. No excimer laser is involved; the whole procedure is performed by the femtosecond laser.

The range of refractive errors the method covers is narrower than for LASIK. Suitability is judged by the doctor on the basis of corneal examination.