“SMILE” is the abbreviated name for a laser eye surgery technique officially known in ophthalmology as Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. The procedure is commonly referred to as SMILE because of the small, arc-shaped incision made during surgery, which resembles a “smile.”

Indications:

1. Ideal for individuals aged 18–45 with stable vision for at least the past two years.

2. Refractive error: stable refractive status (annual refractive change ≤ 50 degrees over two consecutive years); suitable for patients with myopia up to -10.00 dioptersastigmatism up to -5.00 diopters.

3. Healthy corneal epithelium, stroma,endothelium: cornea must be clear, with no significant opacitiesscars; corneal topography should be normal, with no signs of keratoconus.

4. No other ocular diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, keratitis, acute conjunctivitis, keratoconus,severe dry eye. Patients should also not have diabetes, uncontrolled systemic connective tissue diseases,severe autoimmune disorders.

Advantages of SMILE Surgery:

SMILE offers several key benefits: short operative time, minimally invasive with a small corneal incision (approximately 2 mm), rapid postoperative recovery, minimal disruption to corneal nerves, reducing the incidence of postoperative dry eye. It is suitable for correcting myopia from -0.50 D to -10.00 Dastigmatism up to -5.00 D.

Preoperative Phase:

Preparation: Preoperative assessment includes over 20 diagnostic evaluations, such as: general ocular health screening, corneal morphology, refraction assessment, corneal thickness measurement, fundus examination, intraocular pressure testingvisual quality evaluation.

Implementation at the Hospital:

Evolution of Refractive Surgery at Ophthalmology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China

Minimally Invasive SMILE | Less Dry Eye · Superior Morphology · Mild Inflammation · Minimal Discomfort

April 2003     Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)

July 2004     Laser-assisted Subepithelial Keratomileusis (EK)

May 2006     Ultra-Thin LASIK

November 2010  Sub-Bowman-Keratomileusis (SBK)

June 2014     Femtosecond Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (FS-LASIK)

April 2019     Implementation of ocular surface analysis system for preoperative dry eye screening

April 2019    SIRUS anterior segment analysis system enabled dual-surface corneal  parameter evaluation, enhancing early keratoconus detection

April 2019    Ultra-widefield fundus photography introduced for retinal disease screening

January 2021    Minimally Invasive Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE)

June 2022   “SMILE for China, Advancing Ocular Health”

Season 1: Public Live Stream on Minimally Invasive SMILE

July 2023    “SMILE for China, Advancing Ocular Health”

Season 2: Science Education Lectures on Minimally Invasive SMILE