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Our surgical team at Gulfcoast Eye Care is proud to be the Tampa area’s only provider of SMILE® refractive surgery, the latest and most advanced LASIK alternative on the market. Although both procedures have their benefits, we’re excited to offer seamless, comfortable vision correction to more patients than ever before using SMILE!
Michael H. Manning, M.D., F.A.C.S., is our lead eye surgeon, a pioneer in the field of refractive surgery, and a vocal proponent of SMILE vision correction. It’s his experience and trust in LASIK that lends such credit to his belief in this new evolution of refractive vision correction, and to his ability to provide the same life-changing results with SMILE that he has with LASIK for so many patients.
Both LASIK and PRK involve reshaping the cornea, which is the frontmost layer of the eye that helps to focus light into the eye. However, SMILE — Small Incision Lenticule Extraction — is revolutionary for its ability to get the same results in a minimally invasive way.
An ultraprecise femtosecond laser is used to create a “lenticule,” a small disc of tissue under the surface layer of the cornea, which is then removed through a tiny microincision. This corrects mild to severe nearsightedness, and has a few unique advantages:
Structure before surgery
Flap surgery
Minimally invasive, flapless surgery
If you are wondering if you’re a better candidate for SMILE procedure, please contact us at Gulfcoast Eye Care and set up a consultation today.
At Gulfcoast Eye Care, we use the ZEISS VisuMax® femtosecond laser to conduct SMILE eye surgery. This incredible laser is one of the most precise on the market, enabling us to complete the entire procedure with a single piece of advanced technology. Using the VisuMax, we can adapt each step of the SMILE procedure to our patients and adjust for even the most miniscule factors in real time.
The truth is, for many patients, both SMILE and LASIK can be excellent options. However, there are many cases where either LASIK or SMILE is clearly preferable to each other, which is why we see the importance in offering as many options as possible.
SMILE is FDA Approved to treat up to 10.0 D of myopia (nearsightedness), with or without low-grade astigmatism, making it the optimal solution for a large number of patients.
LASIK isn’t always the best option for more severe myopia but may be able to correct a higher degree of astigmatism in some patients. LASIK is also optimal for hyperopic (farsighted) patients.
If you’re wondering if you’re a better candidate for SMILE, LASIK, or another procedure, we can help you explore all your options during a refractive consultation. If you’re interested in a lifetime of better eyesight, schedule a free SMILE consultation.
If you are wondering if you’re a better candidate for SMILE procedure, please contact us
at Gulfcoast Eye Care and set up a consultation today.
Our experienced and compassionate ophthalmologists have provided high-caliber eye surgery using state-of-the-art medical technology for over 40 years. We’re truly dedicated to our patients’ outcomes, and we put all of our training, experience, and expertise behind the experience we provide to our patients and yours.
To learn more about SMILE co-management, contact Susan Santangelo at ssantangelo@gulfcoasteyecare.com.
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