Astigmatism refers to a condition where your eye, particularly the cornea or the front part of the eyeball, is not entirely round. When the cornea is not completely round, the light bends more in a specific direction, keeping only a part of an object in focus. Thus, things look wavy and blurry from a distance. As a result, it is common to get astigmatism and farsightedness (hyperopia) and nearsightedness (myopia). Now, there is a laser eye surgery astigmatism cure in the form of SMILE. Let’s read on to know more about it.
The best treatment for astigmatism correction
SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) has been introduced in recent years to treat myopia and myopic astigmatism. It received the approval of the FDA for astigmatism correction back in 2018 and has registered more than a million successful cases ever since.
It is a flap-free surgical technique with a higher safety profile and efficacy and carries several potential advantages over laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). As such, SMILE is chosen for astigmatism over other kinds of surgeries because of the lower number of dry eye cases, lack of severe flap complications, and better biomechanical stability of the cornea.
Is SMILE a better option than LASIK for astigmatism correction?
Many patients have thinner corneas that are not suitable for LASIK. To be the right candidate for LASIK, a patient needs corneal thickness. There are instances where severely nearsighted patients can have vision loss or complications after getting LASIK for astigmatism correction because the cornea is too thin for LASIK.
Before SMILE comes into the scene as a viable surgical procedure for astigmatism, the patients must resort to PRK. As such, PRK is the process that needs to remove the cornea’s skin cells (epithelium). Then, an excimer laser was used to reshape the cornea.
During PRK, a contact lens was put over the eyes to protect the cornea as it heals. But the method came into question several times because patients had complained of eye irritation and vision fluctuation.
SMILE is seen as a viable method because it is free from all such issues that might lead to effective astigmatism correction.
Benefits of SMILE surgery for astigmatism patients
It is a widely accepted fact that the less invasive the surgical process is, the better results it delivers. SMILE is far less invasive than other techniques like LASIK. In addition to that, the recovery time is a lot better, and so is the cornea’s stability with SMILE. Besides, you would not want to get rid of astigmatism only to face dry eyes and irritation – SMILE also takes care of these common surgery issues.
The bottom line
All in all, SMILE is a great option for correcting the vision problems related to astigmatism. However, your doctor will be the best judge for the right eye treatment for your condition. So, talk to your doctor to make the correct decision.