5 Common Concerns About SMILE Eye Surgery

Any type of surgery is a big deal. Having your body operated on is not something you should take lightly. However, on the flip side, you shouldn’t be too paranoid and overly concerned about all surgeries.

Remember that there is a medical professional, or even a team of professionals, at work the whole time, and that they’ve done this countless times before, sometimes in more extenuating circumstances than you currently find yourself in.

When it comes to SMILE eye surgery, there are so many benefits that often it can make great sense to get it done. However, you may still harbour some reservations. Let’s dig into these common concerns and what they mean.

1. Does it hurt?

One big concern is that the procedure to boost your vision may be painful, especially seeing as you’re conscious throughout the entire process. While everyone does experience pain in a subjective way, it’s very common that patients describe SMILE procedures as virtually pain-free.

Remember that this is the most advanced laser vision correction operation available, using a special keyhole procedure that will create a small incision with just a single advanced laser. In reality, the most painful part of this procedure is the nervous anticipation. And when it’s done, you’ll likely be thankful for the convenience of perfect vision.

2. Is recovery a long process?

It’s natural to think that any surgery will require a long healing time, but in fact this is not usually the case for SMILE. Because the incision is so small and precise, physically your body will be bouncing back very rapidly.

Again, while this may differ from person to person, many patients report feeling amazing the very next day, and within a week are back to the grind of exercising and all kinds of other normal activities.

Visually, too, you should notice the improvements within just one or two days. That’s right, this procedure is actually faster healing than even something like getting a tattoo.

3. What about the price?

This is perhaps the biggest sticking point for any person and, unfortunately, cost is the thing that is largely set within a certain range. That means, per eye, you can expect to pay anywhere from $2900 to $3600 dollars, which can be a significant amount.

Thankfully, many clinics will offer financing options that let you get it done for a much lower up-front cost. Good clinics will work with you closely to figure out the monthly plan that suits your budget best. A plus side is that the procedure will mean that you no longer have to spend money on contact lenses and glasses, which is a rather nice benefit that reduces the net cost to a small degree.

You might also want to talk to your employer. They may have something like a flexible spending account, which is a benefit that lets you put money towards any procedure you want or need, like SMILE eye surgery.

4. LASIK or SMILE?

This is a common point of confusion, as the two types of surgery both use lasers to improve your vision. However, there are differences that are somewhat important depending on what you’re looking for.

The main difference is that where SMILE is a seamless one-step procedure that gets everything wrapped up in a jiffy, LASIK takes a bit longer, is split across two steps, and uses two lasers rather than just one.

As previously established, in SMILE, the laser makes just one small incision, whereas in LASIK, the laser cuts out an entire flap in your corneal tissues, before using another laser to reshape the cornea fundamentally and entirely afterwards.

Basically, LASIK will cut more of your eye, meaning that there is more potential for damage or complications. That’s a big factor you should keep in mind when it comes to deciding on which surgery you want to go with. 

5. Can I trust my surgeon?

This is another big issue. If you’re going to get a procedure that could drastically alter your life forever, you likely want to find someone you can trust who is skilled, competent, and sure to do a good job. Therefore, it’s important that you take the time to find the right provider so that you can feel safe, comfortable, and well-assured in your experience.

Look for someone who isn’t explicitly trying to sell you something, but is instead giving you the information you need to make an informed decision. Search for a professional who can provide a comprehensive eyecare schedule. Many clinics won’t force you to lock in right away, but will instead offer complimentary consultations as part of the process.

If you take advantage of such a program, make sure that the provider you choose is thoroughly examining the health of your eyes and the prescription you use. They should know exactly what your needs are after this examination, and may be able to share past successes with similar problems to assuage your concerns.

Remember, too, to get assessed based on your age, overall health, and the assessed health of your eyes. You want an approach that is customized to your specific needs, not to some arbitrary idea of what should be done.

Closing Thoughts

There are many questions you want answered before going in for a SMILE procedure. Thankfully, these are concerns that we’ve hopefully answered here, leaving you mostly excited and ready to tackle the future without being dragged down by any unnecessary burdens. 

Now that you’ve had your major concerns around this amazing eye surgery addressed, you can relax and maybe even look forward to or seek out this procedure.

If you decide to pull the trigger, make sure to go to an organization with a lot of experience in this area, like us at the Clearview Vision Institute. As of July 2015, we became the first clinic in Canada to offer SMILE, and our years of experience have refined our techniques to a diamond point. If you’re interested in laser eye surgery in Toronto, call us at 416-445-8439 or visit our contact page here.