First Ophthalmologist in United States Receives ReLEx® SMILE
Dr. Krishna Surapaneni became the first ophthalmologist in the United States to receive the revolutionary ReLEx® SMILE today. He joins the more than two million patients worldwide who have undergone the laser vision correction procedure.
“I have read and heard a great deal about this procedure and the results it is yielding for patients,” said Dr. Surapaneni. “I look forward to enjoying life without being dependent on my glasses.”
ReLEx® SMILE is a minimally-invasive, flap-less laser vision correction procedure, which corrects for myopia or nearsightedness with or without astigmatism. It is the biggest advancement in laser vision correction since the 1990s. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes and the laser does the job in about 30 seconds; the recovery time is typically 24-48 hours.
Dr. Steven Vold, chief medical officer at Vold Vision, was the first to usher SMILE into Arkansas performing the first procedure in the state in 2018.
“Patients love having the option of a flap-less procedure that delivers visual results of 20/20 or even better in many cases,” said Dr. Vold. “We have performed SMILE countless times in our laser vision suite, but today is a special day performing it for the first time on an ophthalmologist. We love changing people’s lives with this procedure.”
Using the latest in laser technology, ReLEx® SMILE gently creates a thin, contact-lens shaped layer just beneath the surface of the eye which is removed through a tiny opening. The most distinct difference in the SMILE verses traditional LASIK is the absence of a flap. The word “LASIK” itself means that a “corneal flap” has been made. The SMILE procedure has also shown to provide surgeons with greater outcome predictability on patients with higher prescriptions and can be an excellent option for patients with dry eye.
SMILE is one of the gentler vision correction procedures available. The treatment is so comfortable that patients typically say they feel nothing at all, describing SMILE as painless and comfortable both during and after the procedure.