How to Prepare for SMILE Eye Surgery

Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) is the latest form of laser refractive surgery that helps to correct conditions like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (abnormal curvature of the cornea, causing blurred vision), and presbyopia (inability to focus your eyes up close). It is an effective and a  safe procedure that permanently improves your eyesight by reducing your dependency on eyeglasses and contact lenses. It allows quick postoperative healing since it is a minimally-invasive procedure. 

Once you decide to proceed with the surgery, you must start evaluating the preparation. Even though SMILE is a quick and safe procedure, it is important to plan out things in advance. This will help to make your experience as smooth and carefree as possible. Being well-prepared before any surgical procedure greatly impacts the outcome and the post-op recovery. 

How Does SMILE Eye Surgery Work?

Your eyesight depends on your cornea (the transparent part of the eye that covers the iris and the pupil and allows light to enter the eye) and lens that focuses a clear image onto your retina (light-sensitive nerve tissue layers at the back of your eye that receives images and sends them to the brain through the optic nerve). Any corneal irregularity in the shape may cause distorted images making your vision blurry. SMILE surgery alters the curvature of your cornea to restore the refraction to normal, improving the image’s sharpness. 

This procedure involves the use of a femtosecond laser to create a lenticule (a disc-shaped piece of tissue) in your cornea, which is then extracted (removed) through a small incision of less than 4 mm in width. This changes the shape of your cornea, which effectively improves vision. 

How Do You Prepare For SMILE Eye Surgery?

SMILE eye surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes less than 30 minutes for both eyes. Preparing for the procedure is important for a smooth experience, and it also reduces your anxiety. Below are some steps followed to prepare you for the surgery:

• Know about the procedure

• • • It is important to understand how SMILE surgery is performed and how it works.
    • You need to evaluate your eligibility for the procedure (whether myopic or hyperopic). 
    • It is better to have realistic expectations from the surgery. Your eye surgeon will explain to you the postoperative recovery and complications that may occur. 

• Know the benefits and limitations of SMILE

• • • Understanding the benefits and limitations of SMILE will help you prepare yourself to face any situation that may arise before or after the procedure.
    • SMILE has many benefits since it does not involve a corneal flap. There is less trauma to the corneal nerves and surrounding tissues. 

• Get a detailed eye examination done

• • Pre-operative clinical examination is a crucial aspect of any surgical procedure.
  • Before you undergo SMILE, your eye surgeon will conduct various tests to check your refractive error and the overall health of your eyes. These include:
    • Slit lamp examination: This enable the surgeon to perform a complete eye assessment that helps to determine the overall health of your eyes. It also helps to detect other conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.
    • Vision test: This checks your refractive error. It also evaluates the stability of your prescription over a period of 1 year.
    • Corneal topography: to check the irregularities of the cornea. This determines the laser that is programmed to be used during the surgery.

• Provide your complete history to your operating surgeon

• • • You need to provide a detailed history about yourself which includes the following:
      • Medical history: for the presence of medical conditions like diabetes (high blood sugar levels), hypertension (increased blood pressure), and other blood disorders.
      • Medication history: if you are taking any medications like blood thinners, steroids, etc. 
      • Social history: your surgeon should be informed about habits like smoking, and alcoholism. 
      • History of allergy: you need to bring to your surgeon’s notice any allergy such as allergy due to anesthesia, certain foods, and medicines etc.
    • This is very important because all these factors help determine the course of your surgical outcome and recovery. 

• Avoid wearing contact lenses

• • • It is highly advisable to discontinue wearing your contact lenses at least 2 weeks before the surgery.
    • This will allow your cornea to go back to its most natural shape.
    • It also prevents the risk of corneal swelling and dry eyes caused by contact lenses.

• Avoid consuming alcohol 24 hours before the procedure

• • • Alcohol can dehydrate your eyes, which means you may feel uncomfortable during the initial healing period. 
    • Alcohol may also interfere with eye drops or medications during the procedure.

• Use Prophylactic antibiotic eye drops

• • • You are advised to use antibiotic eye drops from 3 days prior to surgery.  These eye drops aim to reduce the risk of infections.

• Avoid any eye makeup

• • • Any kind of eye makeup should strictly be avoided at least 1 week before the SMILE surgery.
    • This is to keep the eye completely free from any dirt, irritants or contaminants which pose a risk of infection.

• Be comfortable

• • • It is important to dress comfortably, and avoid wearing bulky clothes.
    • Do not wear any hair accessories and jewelry since this may interfere with the head position during the procedure.  

• Arrange someone to help you after the surgery

• • The initial 24 to 48 hours post-surgery, you are likely to experience blurred, and foggy vision. You will also be under the effect of oral sedatives; hence you are not recommended to drive back home. Arrange a friend or family member to drive you back home.
  • Arrange someone to cook for you since you will not be able to cook for at least a week.

Takeaway

Planning and preparing ahead of SMILE eye surgery can help ensure you have a successful procedure with good post-operative healing and smooth recovery. It is important to take care of your overall health and learn about the procedure. Knowing all the pros and cons will help you ease your anxiety and make you more confident. Actively participating in following the precautions before surgery will help determine the course of action of the surgery, its outcome and post-operative recovery. 

Our experts at Medfin, are dedicated towards patient satisfaction by providing a comprehensive list that enables you to prepare yourself better for the procedure.

Disclaimer: 

The content on this site is the copyright of Medfin and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered as a substitute for medical and surgical expertise. Results from any treatments or surgeries are subjective to an individual patient and the type of procedure/ surgery performed. Please seek professional help regarding any medical concerns. Medfin will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.