Why SMILE is my procedure of choice - Dr Cyres Mehta

At the recent annual meeting of the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Society, I had the opportunity to participate in  an interactive panel discussion on SMILE and other refractive techniques . The international  panel was asked a  a series of question dealing with with differing situations such as refractive lens exchange Vs ICL;LASIK vs SMILE and PRK vs circle software to enhance a case of SMILE where there is residual power. SMILE has come a long way today and is my procedure of choice in Myopia and Myopic astigmatism. The accuracy of SMILE is superior to that of LASIK in my opinion especially in higher  powers as the Femtosecond laser beam unlike Excimer laser does not pass through air and is unaffected by drying of the cornea or ambient humidity. As the structural integrity of the cornea is maintained from a long term refractive stability standpoint I feel SMILE is superior. The chance of “flap complications” which affect BSCA and UCVA like striae and epithelial ingrowths cannot occur in a lenticule extraction through 3 mm. However speed of visual improvement after LASIK is swifter than with Relex SMILE. In Wavefront guided or  TOPOLINKED Lasik, which I do routinely, patients are 20/20 in a day or two.  With SMILE it can take three to five days.