When it comes to vision correction, it’s likely that you’ve heard of LASIK. Vision correction procedures have improved and changed immensely over the years, and new options for vision correction are regularly being developed and tested around the world. Now, almost anyone can find a procedure that will allow them to reduce their dependence on glasses or contacts, even if they are not a candidate for LASIK eye surgery.
SMILE Eye Surgery
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
When it comes to vision correction, it’s likely that you’ve heard of LASIK. Vision correction procedures have improved and changed immensely over the years, and new options for vision correction are regularly being developed and tested around the world. Now, almost anyone can find a procedure that will allow them to reduce their dependence on glasses or contacts, even if they are not a candidate for LASIK eye surgery.
The Benefits of SMILE Eye Surgery
- SMILE eye surgery uses a smaller incision than traditional laser vision correction, resulting in minimal disruption to the surface of the eye.
- Patients may experience less dry eye as compared to LASIK eye surgery.
- The SMILE procedure takes ten minutes or less.
- In some cases, SMILE can be used to correct higher levels of nearsightedness as compared to LASIK Eye surgery.
- Quick recovery: patients are allowed to wear makeup, exercise, and drive the day following the SMILE procedure.
ZEISS VisuMax
World Class Cutting Edge Technology
With the VisuMax® femtosecond laser, ZEISS is shaping the world of refractive surgery. This ground-breaking laser system employs high-performance femtosecond laser technology and is characterized by its cutting precision, speed and gentle treatment technique. The ZEISS VisuMax is thus the ideal platform for therapeutic and refractive laser applications such as Lenticule Extraction with SMILE® from ZEISS and Femto-LASIK flap cuts.
ZEISS VisuMax
World Class Cutting Edge Technology
With the VisuMax® femtosecond laser, ZEISS is shaping the world of refractive surgery. This ground-breaking laser system employs high-performance femtosecond laser technology and is characterized by its cutting precision, speed and gentle treatment technique. The ZEISS VisuMax is thus the ideal platform for therapeutic and refractive laser applications such as Lenticule Extraction with SMILE® from ZEISS and Femto-LASIK flap cuts.
Back to School Special – $1,000 Off
Back to School Special
– $1,000 Off
SMILE VS. LASIK
Though SMILE has some similarities to LASIK, they are still two different procedures and require different surgical techniques. LASIK surgery makes use of 2 lasers. Dr. Hamilton uses the VisuMax femtosecond laser to create the LASIK flap and an excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
During SMILE eye surgery, Dr. Hamilton uses the VisuMax femtosecond laser to create a contact lens shaped piece of material known as a lenticule within the cornea. The laser uses tiny laser pulses, applied at an astounding 500,000 pulses per second, to define a lens shaped piece of material (called a “lenticule”) in the center of the cornea (window on the front of the eye). These pulses form bubbles less than 1/100th the width of a human hair. The shape of the lenticule is precisely determined and customized to the patient’s nearsighted correction. The laser then creates a tiny connecting tunnel through which the surgeon removes the lenticule from the cornea. By removing the lenticule, the shape of the cornea changes and corrects the nearsightedness.
No flap is required with SMILE and the procedure is completed using only the VisuMax laser. As a result, there is minimal disruption to the surface of the eye and the healing time is very short. Because of the smaller size of the incision, patients experience less dryness after SMILE. The incision is smaller than the flap that’s created when performing LASIK.
The small incision additionally allows some extremely nearsighted patients to qualify for SMILE. Because of the severity of their nearsightedness, they may not have qualified previously for LASIK.
SMILE VS. LASIK
Though SMILE has some similarities to LASIK, they are still two different procedures and require different surgical techniques. LASIK surgery makes use of 2 lasers. Dr. Hamilton uses the VisuMax femtosecond laser to create the LASIK flap and an excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
During SMILE eye surgery, Dr. Hamilton uses the VisuMax femtosecond laser to create a contact lens shaped piece of material known as a lenticule within the cornea. The laser uses tiny laser pulses, applied at an astounding 500,000 pulses per second, to define a lens shaped piece of material (called a “lenticule”) in the center of the cornea (window on the front of the eye). These pulses form bubbles less than 1/100th the width of a human hair. The shape of the lenticule is precisely determined and customized to the patient’s nearsighted correction. The laser then creates a tiny connecting tunnel through which the surgeon removes the lenticule from the cornea. By removing the lenticule, the shape of the cornea changes and corrects the nearsightedness.
No flap is required with SMILE and the procedure is completed using only the VisuMax laser. As a result, there is minimal disruption to the surface of the eye and the healing time is very short. Because of the smaller size of the incision, patients experience less dryness after SMILE. The incision is smaller than the flap that’s created when performing LASIK.
The small incision additionally allows some extremely nearsighted patients to qualify for SMILE. Because of the severity of their nearsightedness, they may not have qualified previously for LASIK.
SMILE Eye Surgery Experience
5:10 duration
What Our Patients Say
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Dr Hamilton and his team are incredible! At 52, I never imagined I would achieve perfect vision, but they made it possible. The office is stunning and the staff is exceptionally welcome, efficient, and knowledgeable. Dr. Hamilton is brilliant! He patiently explains every detail with a warm and friendly demeanor. My experience was flawless, and I am thrilled with the results. I highly recommend and trust Dr. Hamilton for any eye surgery- It is one of the very best decisions I have ever made.
1st Surgeon to perform SMILE on the West Coast
The acronym “SMILE” stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. SMILE was first developed in Germany over 10 years ago and FDA approved in the United States in 2016. In March 2017, Dr. Hamilton was the first surgeon to perform SMILE on the West Coast, bringing the ground breaking procedure to the greater Los Angeles area. To date, SMILE has been performed on over 9 million eyes all around the world & is trusted by over 2,500 surgeons.
1st Surgeon to perform SMILE on the West Coast
The acronym “SMILE” stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. SMILE was first developed in Germany over 10 years ago and FDA approved in the United States in 2016. In March 2017, Dr. Hamilton was the first surgeon to perform SMILE on the West Coast, bringing the ground breaking procedure to the greater Los Angeles area. To date, SMILE has been performed on over 9 million eyes all around the world & is trusted by over 2,500 surgeons.
8900 Wilshire Blvd Suite 300A
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles 90211
424-732-2020
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SMILE Eye Surgery Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Frequently asked questions
What About SMILE Eye Surgery for Astigmatism?
SMILE was approved in the United States in October of 2018 for treating myopia (nearsightedness) with astigmatism.
Avoiding Dry Eye with SMILE
LASIK is well-known in the vision correction community, and it’s an amazing procedure for many patients. A common side effect of LASIK, however, is the post-operative dry eye that can occur. In general, this lasts for about 6 to 12 months. Symptoms of dryness can be quite bothersome, particularly in patients who spend lots of time looking at screens for a profession or during their leisure time. Because of the larger incision required for LASIK, many of the nerves that sense dryness are affected by the procedure and need to regenerate. During SMILE, a significantly smaller incision is used and only a small fraction of the nerves are affected. The result: patients who get SMILE experience fewer dry eye symptoms for a shorter time as compared to LASIK. Los Angeles SMILE patients can expect a shorter recovery time from the procedure, and are less likely to develop dry eye symptoms. What does this mean for SMILE patients in Los Angeles where the environment is so dry? Los Angeles SMILE patients can expect a shorter recovery time from the procedure, and less chances of developing dry eye symptoms.
SMILE Surgery for Patients that can’t have LASIK
Corneal thickness is one of the most important factors considered for LASIK candidacy. Patients with corneas that are thin may not be candidates for LASIK eye surgery. Before SMILE Eye Surgery, these patients would have to resort to PRK. PRK is another successful vision correction procedure requiring removal of the epithelium (“skin cells”) of the cornea. The cornea is then reshaped using an excimer laser.
During PRK, a contact lens is placed inside of the eye and acts as a bandage while the surface of the cornea heals. As the cornea is recovering, eyes are more sensitive to light, vision tends to fluctuate, and sometimes experience temporary eye irritation. These side effects are temporary and stabilize after a month of recovery. SMILE is less invasive than LASIK, making it better for treating patients who are severely nearsighted. The SMILE procedure allows our Los Angeles patients to have another alternative to LASIK, in addition to PRK, for patients with thin corneas.
Am I a Good Candidate for SMILE Vision Correction?
While SMILE is able to provide safe, gentle vision correction for many, not everyone is going to be a good candidate for SMILE. Like LASIK, you must qualify as a candidate for the procedure. Currently, SMILE has been FDA approved for myopia with astigmatism. SMILE is capable of correcting nearsightedness up to -10.00 diopters, and -3.00 diopters of astigmatism. If your nearsightedness and/or astigmatism is outside these ranges, or if you are farsighted, Dr. Hamilton may recommend an alternative procedure for you. Following a comprehensive diagnostic examination, Dr. Hamilton will determine which of the amazing refractive surgery procedures at the Hamilton Eye Institute is best for your particular situation, lifestyle, and visual needs. Contact us at our Beverly Hills, Los Angeles location today.
