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SMILING EYES Laser Eye Surgery Gets Even More Futuristic L aser vision correction is incredibly safe, relatively painless, and easy to recover from, with patients usual- ly returning to work the very next day. But, of course, as technology im- proves there is always room for new innovations to benefit even the most successful treatments. When laser eye correction was first introduced, the primary procedure was photorefractive kera- tectomy (PRK), in which the outer layer of the cor- nea is gently removed and allowed to regenerate. PRK is a procedure that causes mild discomfort and requires at least one week off of work; like- wise, it requires one week recovery before resum- ing driving a car. This treatment was later supple- mented, and largely superseded, by laser-assist- ed in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in which a thin flap is created in the cornea and folded back to ex- pose the cornea’s inner tissue, and then lowered back into place after the procedure. Today, these two options have been joined by a new proced- ure known as small incision lenticule extraction For more than 25 years now, we have lived in a world where people’s vision can be permanently corrected by using lasers to reshape the corneas of their eyes. More than 28-million people have had their vision corrected by laser eye surgery worldwide and many more are having the procedure done every day — reminding us we truly do live in a science fiction reality. PERSONALHEALTHNEWS.CA A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET ADVANCEMENT IN VISION CORRECTION PERSONALHEALTHNEWS.CA Dr. Daniel Senekal — Edmonton, Alberta Can every refractive candidate undergo SMILE? Currently, SMILE is only performed on myopic/nearsighted patients and those with astigmatism. We can treat nearsightedness of -10 diopter together with 5.0 diopter of astigmatism, which is much more than what we could offer patients before with LASIK or PRK. Carl Zeiss and their consultants are in the process of completing the trials and nomograms for hyperopic treatments as well. Dr. Mohammad Hamid — Montréal, Québec What are the advantages of SMILE refractive surgery? SMILE is the third generation of refractive surgery. Compared to a LASIK procedure it offers several key differences: ➊ The incision is 85 percent shorter. ➋ The incidence of dry eyes is reduced. ➌ No corneal flaps are created nor any flap related complications. ➍ And, best of all, the patient can return to physical activity on the same day of the procedure. AV HA L H ILL STILL HAVE A H L L STILL HAVE S STILL HAVE S AVE HA LL I STILL HA “SMILE is the next generation of laser vision correction and adds a level of safety to vision correction , which brings comfort to my patients.” Dr. Michel Podtetenev — Montréal, Québec Is the SMILE procedure painful? SMILE is practically painless during and after the procedure. Anatomically shaped contact glass avoids unnecessary compression of the cornea. No loss of vision during treatment. It is a noiseless and odourless treatment. Sheldon Herzig MD, FRCSC, Medical Director & Co-Founder, Herzig Eye Institute, Toronto, Ontario (SMILE), in which only a single tiny incision needs to be made in the surface of the eye in order to re- move the dissected sections of corneal material. Thus far, SMILE is only offered at a select few laser eye centres, but the benefits are becoming clear. “There are some residual issues with LASIK and PRK, the main one being that a small percent- age of people have prolonged dry eye problems after these procedures,” explains Dr. Sheldon Herzig of the Herzig Eye Institute, who has per- formed the most SMILE procedures in North America. “Otherwise, they are excellent pro- cedures and we still continue to do them. Since introducing SMILE we’ve seen a steady increase in patients from out of province and country re- questing the procedure. You just have to choose the right procedure for each patient.” Factors that should indicate a preference for SMILE include having an existing history of dry eye, having particularly thin corneas, or having a more severe degree of myopia. SMILE is also pref- erable for people in professions that involve full contact or potential shock to the head or eyes, such as the military, police, or professional athletes. “SMILE is a flap-less procedure where the laser always takes the same 30 seconds, regard- less of how high the prescription. This adds a level of safety, comfort, and piece of mind for my patients.” D.F. McCourt To learn more, visit the following: herzig-eye.com • clearviewinstitute.com • focusvision.ca • peacelasikcentre.com
