JENA/Germany, 04.02.2014.
The SMILE procedure developed by ZEISS for refractive surgery stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction and combines state-of-the-art femtosecond laser technology and precise lenticule extraction providing a micro-invasive laser vision correction method. Unlike LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis), in which an excimer laser ablates tissue inside the cornea after opening the corneal surface by cutting a corneal flap, the SMILE procedure is performed without a flap. The ZEISS femtosecond laser VisuMax is used to create a very thin disc of tissue (lenticule) inside the intact cornea, which can then be extracted through a small incision. An excimer laser is not required.
"With SMILE ophthalmic surgeons now for the first time have a refractive surgery procedure that provides great benefits for their patients with the least possible intervention: the cornea of the eye remains intact as much as possible; the predictability of the correction is very good. The results are convincing more and more physicians and patients around the world," says Dr. Ludwin Monz, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG.
One of those physicians is Detlev R.H. Breyer, MD from the eye surgery clinic Breyer & Kaymak located in D sseldorf. "SMILE is a very valuable addition to our clinic's portfolio of procedures, as we can now treat patients on an even more individual basis, and less invasively. Our practice is happy about the increasing demand we are receiving for this procedure, thanks to many recommendations from satisfied SMILE patients."
The SMILE procedure has also been documented in scientific publications as "predictable, effective and safe", regardless of the patient's age. Jesper Hjortdal, MD, DrMedSci, PhD from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark concludes in one of his studies, on 670 eyes of 335 patients with myopia, that SMILE is not inferior in any way to the LASIK procedure in these three aspects,1 and was awarded the Waring Medal for outstanding contributions by the Journal of Refractive Surgery.
In the period after the surgery SMILE proves to be superior to the LASIK method: According to recent studies, inflammation was less common after SMILE procedures, and healing of the cornea was better2. The problem of dry eye syndrome often described following laser vision correction has also shown to be reduced after a SMILE procedure, as reported by Prof. Dan Z. Reinstein, MD from the London Vision Clinic, in several publications3: "As the nerve tracts of the cornea remain largely intact, the SMILE procedure is the least invasive of all refractive procedures. Various studies show that dry eye syndrome is a much rarer side-effect compared with LASIK."
The refractive correction of vision defects using laser technology has established itself as a method to enable eligible patients to have a life without glasses. Over the past few years development has focused on making the treatment less risky. The micro-invasive SMILE can now be considered a third-generation procedure, after methods such as PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) and LASIK it involves the least possible intervention with the cornea remaining as intact as possible.
The procedure was launched internationally in September 2011 and is established in key markets such as Europe, China and India. A clinical trial is currently underway in the USA. The first results were presented in April 2013 by Jon Dishler, MD, US Medical Monitor for the VisuMax IDE Study and the FDA approved expansion of the clinical trial in July 2013. Based on the excellent safety and effectiveness of data submitted to the FDA on the first 79 subjects treated with the SMILE procedure and followed for at least three months, the FDA granted approval to expand the study to the full cohort of 360 subjects. This is an important milestone for the study, said Dr. Dishler at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in New Orleans at the beginning of November. In December 2013 the FDA granted approval to extend the trial further to include myopia of up to 10.00 diopters. The clinical trial in the USA began in June 2012; Dr. Dishler presented the first results in April 2013.To date, a total of 255 patients have been treated within the scope of the trial, at five centers in the USA. Outside the USA there are more than 150 centers in 38 countries with more than 300 surgeons performing the SMILE procedure.
1 Predictors for the outcome of small-incision lenticule extraction for myopia. Hjortdal J , Vestergaard AH, Ivarsen A, Ragunathan S, Asp S.; J Refract Surg. 2012 Dec;28(12):865-71. doi: 10.3928/1081597X-20121115-01.
2 Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser LASIK: comparison of corneal wound healing and inflammation. Dong Z, Zhou X, Wu J, Zhang Z, Li T, Zhou Z, Zhang S, Li G.; Br J Ophthalmol. 2013 Nov 13. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2013-303415. [Epub ahead of print]
3 Kumano Y, Matsui H, Zushi I, Mawatari A, Matsui T, Nishida T, Miyazaki M. Recovery of corneal sensation after myopic correction by laser in situ keratomileusis with a nasal or superior hinge. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2003.29(4): 757-761 Donnenfeld ED, Ehrenhaus M, Solomon R, Mazurek J, Rozell JC, Perry HD. Effect of hinge width on corneal sensation and dry eye after laser in situ keratomileusis. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2004.30(4): 790-797 Bragheeth MA, Dua HS. Corneal sensation after myopic and hyperopic LASIK: clinical and confocal microscopic study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2005.89(5): 580-585 Kalyvianaki MI, Katsanevaki VJ, Kavroulaki DS, Kounis GA, Detorakis ET, Pallikaris IG. Comparison of corneal sensitivity and tear function following Epi-LASIK or laser in situ keratomileusis, for myopia. Am. J. Ophthalmol. 2006.142(4): 669-671 Lee SJ, Kim JK, Seo KY, Kim EK, Lee HK. Comparison of corneal nerve regeneration and s
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
17/07/2025
Early Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate voted to cut federal funding for PBS and NPR in a bill that also included cuts for foreign aid. In a 51-48 vote, the act...
17/07/2025
GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Pavilions across IBC2025 (12 15 September, RAI Amsterdam) feature a remarkable 34 companies, each providing unique, innovativ...
17/07/2025
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers today introduced its Content Provenance and Authenticity (CPA) in Media Study Group (S...
17/07/2025
NEW YORK Despite widespread concerns about a soft advertising market, NBCUniversal said it closed its 2025-26 upfront negotiation cycle with a record ad sales v...
17/07/2025
NEW YORK Television advertising remains an effective means to market and influence younger baby boomer and Generation X consumers approaching retirement age, ac...
17/07/2025
ALLENTOWN, Pa. & JERSEY CITY, N.J. Service Electric Cable TV and OpenVault have announced that the operator is deploying the OpenVault Proactive Network Manage...
17/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following up on his first major policy speech just two ago, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is promising to buck the usual summ...
17/07/2025
Luxembourg, 14 July 2025 - SES received the final regulatory approvals for the SES-Intelsat transaction, including the US Federal Communications Commission.
O...
17/07/2025
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards Twenty-three Berklee alumni received nominations across categories in sound mixing, sound editing, and compositi...
16/07/2025
It's Emmy nominations day, and Sundance Institute storytellers are basking i...
16/07/2025
Spotify's podcast editorial team is always on the hunt for shows and episodes that spark conversation, push boundaries, and keep us coming back for more. As...
16/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
16/07/2025
Join us at IBC this September and take control of your content. Discover how we're bringing a new level of purpose and precision to the application of AI in...
16/07/2025
Warsaw - Poland, June 24, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, has released its latest May All Screens Video Landscape...
16/07/2025
Bluey Tops Nielsen's Overall Streaming List with More Than 25 Billion Minutes Streamed from January through June 2025
Big June Vaults Squid Game into Top O...
16/07/2025
TV SIM, the SBT affiliate serving Esp rito Santo state in Brazil, has launched a transmitter upgrade initiative with the installation of a Rohde & Schwarz R&S T...
16/07/2025
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, is turning its vision to the future of automation with its demonstrations ...
16/07/2025
Ikegami announces a new addition to its UNICAM-XE product range with the introduction of the UHK-X700RF wireless portable camera: The new version has the same f...
16/07/2025
Today, Amazon Web Services added TwelveLabs as a new model provider to Amazon Bedrock, delivering what could be the most significant breakthrough in enterprise ...
16/07/2025
NEW YORK Streaming platforms continued to dominate TV viewing patterns in June, with data from Nielsen's 50th monthly report of The Gauge showing that strea...
16/07/2025
MAHWAH, NJ Ikegami has introduced the the UHK-X700RF wireless portable camera, a new addition to its UNICAM-XE product range with the same feature set, operatio...
16/07/2025
LONDON IBC2025 organizers said global attendees will have access to a new feature that will integrate Amsterdam's GVB public transport pass into the officia...
16/07/2025
July 16th, 2025
Tribeca Films to Release the Acclaimed LARPing Doc WE CAN BE HEROES by Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons, Alongside a Slate of Festival-Favori...
16/07/2025
Deltatre Acquires Endeavor Streaming in Major Streaming Industry Move The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025 By Brandon Costa, Direc...
16/07/2025
SVG Regional Sports Production Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch ...
16/07/2025
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Sky and ITV today announced an extension of their long-standing partnership, which will see ITV's content and services remain seamle...
16/07/2025
Sky Sports lifts the lid on Lions life with hilarious behind-the-scenes mockumentaryWednesday 16 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cooki...
16/07/2025
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles for this year's 77th Emmy Awa...
15/07/2025
Independent media outlets in Brazil and Colombia are invited to apply for a new programme aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of journalism in the f...
15/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
15/07/2025
Spotify une fuerzas con DiDi, la app l der en servicios de movilidad, delivery y...
15/07/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
15/07/2025
L3Harris put its CORVUS-RAVEN counter-small UAS capability into the hands of soldiers at VANAHEIM, showcasing its ability to provide passive signal detect, enha...
15/07/2025
Netflix Viewing Up 13.5% vs. May, Represents 42% of Monthly Gain for Streaming
...
15/07/2025
SAN FRANCISCO and BENGALARU, India Sangeeta Chakraborty has been named chief revenue officer at Amagi, a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology pro...
15/07/2025
As part of its mandate, the Advanced Television Systems Committee the U.S. organization tasked with developing advanced broadcast TV standards promotes ATSC 3.0...
15/07/2025
QuickLink, the leading global provider of multi-camera video productions and remote contributions, announces the launch of two innovative control panels Studi...
15/07/2025
Chris Kontopanos has joined leading high-quality microphone solutions manufacturer, DPA Microphones, as the company's new Regional Sales Manager for the Mid...
15/07/2025
Magnifi by VideoVerse, a global leader in AI-powered video automation, has launched a major platform upgrade built to simplify live and archival video editing f...
15/07/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, will preview its latest innovations at IBC2025, Stand 7.B21. This year's showcase highlights how...
15/07/2025
IBC2025 is set to transform the onsite experience for its global attendees with the launch of a pioneering new feature: full integration of Amsterdam's GVB ...
15/07/2025
Music, sport and technology collided in spectacular fashion as ASB GlassFloor powered the debut of Beats N Buckets, Germany's first Basketball meets Hip-Ho...
15/07/2025
The Collectv, the Emmy award-winning broadcast solutions and workflows consultancy - and winner of Broadcast Tech's Team of the Year is delighted to announc...
15/07/2025
SipRadius, the expert in secure, low latency media transport, will showcase how broadcasters and media companies can take control of fragmented IP workflows at ...
15/07/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, today announced its strategic partnership with beIN ASIA PACIFIC, a leading multi-platform sports media...
15/07/2025
Company marks 15 years of innovation at the show
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and monetization at scale, will return to IBC (Hall 1, Stand F83. RAI, Amster...
JENA/Germany, 04.02.2014. 
