ReLEx SMILE Treatment Steps:
Whereas LASIK procedures involve cutting a flap, folding it back and removing the corneal tissue through point-by-point ablation using an excimer laser, ReLEx SMILE utilizes the high-precision femtosecond laser VisuMax® to create a lenticule inside the cornea and access incision in a single treatment step.
Step 1: VisuMax femtosecond laser creates a thin lenticle and a small access measuring less than 4mm in the intact cornea.
Step 2: The Surgeon removes the lenticle through the small access. There is minimal disruption to the biomechanics of the cornea.
Step 3: Removing the lenticule changes the shape of the cornea, thereby achieving the desired refractive correction