Discover the benefits of SMILE laser eye surgery in Melbourne
Dr Anton van Heerden explains how patients feel after SMILE
Who can our life-changing SMILE laser treatments help?
If you see yourself in how I describe my ideal patients below, we can certainly help you enhance your every waking moment with amazing natural vision
Your life after SMILE
Every aspect of life becomes more enjoyable when you free yourself from the things that slow you down, hold you back and get in your way
Explore the world around you
In light of current world events, trips abroad and big social events are temporarily on hold. Sure, this is disappointing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy life. We believe that every day can be an adventure if you change how you see the world with SMILE.
Make today amazing
Bouldering in the Blue Mountains, surfing in Sydney or kayaking in Kalbarri are all great, but so many of us spend our days waiting for these massive life events then wind up missing life’s daily beauty in the meantime. When you change how you see the world with SMILE laser eye surgery, you’ll realise there are actually plenty of daily adventures to be had right on your own doorstep.
And so the adventure begins with SMILE
After SMILE laser eye surgery, you’ll reduce your dependency on glasses or contact lenses to see.
The world is yours to explore
You’ll feel more spontaneous and adventurous as you begin to experience life without limitations.
Make today amazing
Our patients can’t believe how much more fun life is after SMILE. They love waking up in the morning and leaving the house to enjoy whatever activity they like, without the fuss of contacts and glasses.
Want to start your next adventure today?
Change how you see the world in 3 easy steps
WE’LL MEET
We’ll ensure you’re a good candidate before treating you at our state-of-the-art refractive eye specialist clinic close to Melbourne CBD.
How does it work?
Change how you see the world in 3 easy steps
SMILE explained
Everything you need to know about SMILE laser eye surgery
SMILE® stands for “small incision lenticule extraction” and combines the best of both worlds from PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) techniques.
SMILE is an excellent option for many patients who wish to reduce their dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Since its introduction, over 2 million eyes have seen the benefits of SMILE® laser surgery, allowing patients to continue their active lifestyles without impediment from their glasses or contacts.
Am I suitable for SMILE®?
Laser eye surgery in Melbourne is now available to more patients than ever before with the introduction of SMILE® technology at Eye Laser Specialists. Though the usual exclusion criteria do apply, refractive surgery is now more accessible with the added advantages of the SMILE® technique.
Before entering the SMILE® operating theatre, you will undergo a thorough clinical assessment with the ophthalmology team. This is to ascertain your suitability for the procedure and to take the appropriate measurements necessary to guide the laser in creating the precise lenticule.
SMILE® may be most suited to:
Patients with pre-existing dry eye
Other refractive surgery techniques can carry a big risk factor for the exacerbation of pre-existing dry eye or the new development of dry eye due to the nature of the surgery. Dry eye post-operatively from SMILE® is exceedingly rare due to the minimally invasive nature of this procedure, allowing better preservation of the corneal nerves. The incidence of dry eye in the general population increases with age, making SMILE® an excellent option for older generations.
Patients who play contact sports or work in environments with risk of trauma
SMILE® is a flapless procedure, eradicating all risks of flap-related complications. Patients can return to their hobbies and work without concern of mild trauma or dirty environments, causing a corneal flap to dislodge or move, or debris to get caught under the flap.
Patients who can’t afford a long recovery time
Many of us lead busy lives, and taking time off work can be difficult. Because SMILE® is such a minimally invasive procedure, most patients find they can drive and return to work within 2 to 3 days after surgery. Though vision may take a few weeks to stabilise, the majority of patients find they can see quite clearly the immediate day after surgery.
SMILE works by using a femtosecond laser to remove a small piece of corneal tissue called a lenticule through a keyhole incision. This reshapes the cornea and corrects your vision. The total time spent on the operating bed is about 10-20 minutes but the procedure itself, from the incision to the laser to the removal of the lenticule, takes only a few minutes per eye.
What are the advantages of this technique?
The benefits of SMILE® eye surgery are numerous, which is why this technique is considered a revolutionary refractive surgery procedure.
Flapless
During LASIK eye surgery, a superficial flap of corneal tissue is created to allow the laser to access the underlying layers. Although uncommon, some complications can arise from the creation of this flap. SMILE® eliminates the need to form a flap and therefore eliminates all flap-related risks.
Minimally invasive
The term minimally invasive refers to the minimal amount of tissue affected during the surgery. As the superficial layers of the cornea are left intact, this contributes to improved biomechanical stability of this structure and promotes faster healing when compared to the LASIK procedure.
Single-step procedure
The fewer steps and movements in a surgical procedure, the better. SMILE only uses one laser for the entire technique, meaning we do not need to move the patient from one machine to another. This also reduces the incidence of technique-related complications.
Fast recovery
Due to its minimally invasive nature and keyhole incision, the physical recovery after a SMILE® operation is very quick.
Lower risk of dry eye post-operatively
When compared to the LASIK procedure, SMILE® carries a much lower incidence of postoperative dry eye complications. This is due to fewer corneal nerves being affected during the SMILE® procedure, which is important for the healthy and normal production of tears.
Major risks which are very rare:
- Loss of BCVA
- Infection
- Corneal ectasia
Minor risks:
- Retained lenticule
- Suction loss
- Need for enhancement surgery
- Dry eye
SMILE is precise surgery with excellent results. We will always recommend SMILE surgery If patients are suitable to have either SMILE, LASIK or PRK as we know that the outcomes are excellent with less dry eye and less need for future enhancement treatments.
Step 1: Lenticule creation
We create a small piece of corneal tissue (lenticule) and a small incision inside the intact cornea
Step 2: Lenticule removal
We remove the lenticule through the incision
Step 3: Impairment is corrected
Removing the lenticule changes the shape of the cornea, achieving a vision correction
SMILE has excellent refractive results, less dry eye, better contrast and less induced aberrations than other refractive laser platforms.4
Discover why 90% of our laser eye surgery patients choose SMILE
SMILE, the world’s latest advancement in vision treatment, is now in Melbourne
SMILE® is the latest, 3rd generation of laser vision correction for patients with myopia (short-sightedness) and astigmatism.
Compared to its predecessors, PRK and LASIK, SMILE is minimally invasive and poses fewer post-surgery complications and side effects.5
With traditional LASIK, the surgeon uses a laser to create a flap in the cornea. The surgeon then folds the flap back to allow the second laser to reshape corneal tissue underneath, correcting the visual error. Although this method works well, there is a higher incidence of dry eye and flap-related complications.
With SMILE®, the outer corneal layer of the eye remains largely intact. Using a laser, the surgeon creates a lenticule (tissue disc) inside the cornea, which they then remove through a small 2mm incision. The cornea’s surface remains almost untouched, and there is less disturbance of the corneal nerves. This means patients can expect shorter treatment times, faster recovery, fewer side effects and excellent visual outcomes.6
About Eye Laser Specialists
Our eye doctors bring a combined 40 years of eye surgery experience to Armadale, Melbourne
Dr Anton van Heerden, MBCHB; FRANZCO
Ophthalmologist & Laser Eye Surgeon
Based in Melbourne, but with a reputation that transcends borders, Dr Van Heerden sets the highest bar for laser vision correction surgery in Australia. While his skills and experience are second to none, it is his fun, caring and down to earth nature that truly set’s him apart from the rest. You can sit back and enjoy the journey knowing every detail has been carefully considered.
Dr Edward Roufail, PHD, FRANZCO
Ophthalmologist & Laser Eye Surgeon
As an experienced eye surgeon, Dr Edward Roufail has expertise in performing corneal refractive procedures, including SMILE, LASIK, PRK and Presbyond. He’s passionate about improving his patients’ eyesight through laser vision correction. Edward has performed thousands of cataract, retinal and macular surgeries and routinely, performs over 500 intraocular surgeries a year, including MFIOL and ICL. He is passionate about using the latest technology to deliver the best outcomes for patients.
