Tonight on 12 News at 10 in an I-Team investigation, Tram Mai takes a deeper look at the risks associated with corrective eye surgery and shares what you need to know.
There are a number of corrective eye procedures available to people who want to improve their vision. One of those, SMILE, was approved by the FDA in 2016.
SMILE stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction. Unlike Lasik, it is a flapless technique that is less invasive, using a laser to treat nearsightedness with a tiny incision.
Dr. Robin Ross is a board certified ophthalmologist at Global Retina Institute and is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Ethics and Humanism.
“With any surgical procedure there are risks and benefits,” she said.
She also added that it’s very important to have reasonable expectations.
“80 percent of patients who have the SMILE procedure are done with eye drops at about six months, but that means 20 percent are still battling dry eyes and that can be a longer standing issue for them," said Ross. "And if they don’t expect that on the forefront before they sign up for the procedure, that can be immensely depressing and that can be a real struggle for them.”
Dr. Ross said there are 3 key things you need to know before getting SMILE:
1. Realize that you still may need glasses, contacts, or another procedure afterwards.
2. The status of your eye should be stable. You shouldn’t have any other ocular issues like glaucoma, cataracts, lattice degermation, etc.
3. Find the right doctor. “I always tell patients when you’re paying out of your own pocket to have a procedure done, you should run from the physician that does every single person that walks in the door.
"Ophthalmologists know there are good candidates and not good candidates,” said Dr. Ross.