Which eye surgery is better LASIK or SMILE?

A scientific review of the FDA-reported visual and refractive outcomes following the correction of myopia/astigmatism by 3 different surgical procedures was just reported this week in the Journal of Refractive Surgery 2019;35(11):699-706.

The 3 techniques were: the Visian Toric Implantable Collamer Lens (STAAR Surgical, Monrovia, CA) (Toric ICL), small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), and topography-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

All three techniques analyzed in this study had excellent long-term efficacy, safety, stability, and accuracy. Stratified analysis showed SMILE was comparable to Toric ICL for patients with very degrees of high myopia/astigmatism, but that SMILE may have a longer visual recovery compared to LASIK.

_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic