Zeiss SMILE Astigmatism

To answer this question, we first need to understand what Zeiss SMILE eye surgery is and how it is performed. Zeiss SMILE is an abbreviation for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. This procedure is a laser eye surgery designed to correct vision deficiencies. A specially programmed laser creates a disk-shaped piece of cornea inside your eye. That disc is later removed by a surgeon through a tiny incision. That reshapes the cornea to correct refraction errors in the eye. It is mostly used to correct nearsightedness and/or astigmatism. The major difference between LASIK eye surgery and Zeiss SMILE is that there is no corneal flap created during this surgery. Zeiss SMILE eye surgery was FDA approved for general myopia treatment in 2016. Since then thousands of patients with nearsightedness across the USA enjoyed its benefits. But what about those with astigmatism?

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common vision deficiency. More than 3 million people in the US alone have been diagnosed with this condition. Astigmatism is a condition of the eye when a person’s cornea is irregularly shaped. Sometimes the lens inside your eye can have a mismatching curve, which is also astigmatism. That causes blurred vision. Most frequently astigmatism is present in people with other refractive errors in the eye, such as myopia or nearsightedness. Astigmatism can easily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, as well as laser eye surgery. The good news here is that Zeiss SMILE eye surgery is also equipped to correct this vision problem since it also reshapes the cornea.

Zeiss SMILE eye surgery and Astigmatism

If you do a quick internet search on this question, you may end up finding conflicting information. So can Zeiss SMILE eye surgery correct astigmatism? The most recent answer to this question is right here! Zeiss SMILE eye surgery gained FDA approval in the US for treating myopia with astigmatism in the fall of 2018 and worldwide since 2011. This is great news for patients in the US! The creators of this procedure at Carl Zeiss Meditec have been successfully treating not just myopia but also astigmatism for over three years now. FDA approval will give US surgeons the green light to offer this state-of-the-art technology to patients across the US. If you have astigmatism along with your nearsightedness, this new procedure may be right for you. 

Is Zeiss SMILE eye surgery right for you to correct astigmatism?

If you have been thinking about laser eye surgery to correct astigmatism, then you have more options now. Consult LaserCare Eye Center to decide if Zeiss SMILE eye surgery is right for you. We will check your vision and determine if you are a good candidate for this type of surgery. You have to meet certain criteria to be a good candidate. Some of the things to consider are the overall health of your eyes, your age, the stability of your vision and type of refractive errors you have. You along with your LaserCare Eye Center refractive surgeon can determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. 

If you are interested in a free consult, call us at 214-328-0444 today!