The invention of excimer laser has revolutionised the treatment of reactive errors since 2000 and made LASIK the most effective treatment for myopia and astigmatism with millions of procedures performed worldwide.  Now, there is an invention of a different type of laser known as femtosecond laser which results in a faster procedure with more accurate results.

RELEX is an acronym for Refractive Lenticule Extraction and SMILE is an acronym for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction.  This procedure reshapes the cornea to treat the refractive errors by , creating a lenticule to be removed through a small corneal incision.  This makes RELEX SMILE less invasive because it only requires a small 3-4 mm incision compared to 18-20 mm incision for LASIK. 

Click to view video on Zeiss RELEX SMILE

RELEX Procedure

Femtosecond laser consists of high peak intensity infrared laser with very short pulse duration (within femtoseconds) to create micro-precision single holes (bubbles) in the cornea without affecting the surrounding tissue.  It only takes 20-25 seconds for the laser to create the lenticule which is then removed through a small incision outer part of the eye.  The procedure is quiet and odourless.  The eye will now have a new corneal curvature with the refractive errors treated.

Click to view video on Femto-LASIK and RELEX SMILE

Advantages of RELEX SMILE

• No need for flap creation
• Faster procedure
• Faster recovery
• Less dry eye symptoms
• Less discomfort

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