During the recent Zeiss User Meeting in Istanbul, Dr. Fernand De Wilde presented his “First Worldwide Case” of Circle post hyperopic SMILE Pro. This world-first achievement marks an important step forward in the treatment of hyperopia (farsightedness) and opens up new possibilities for patients seeking greater freedom from glasses or contact lenses.
Until recently, the innovative SMILE-KLeX technology was primarily used to treat myopia (nearsightedness). Over the past few months, Dr. De Wilde has successfully expanded this technique to treat hyperopic patients as well. As a result, he has become the first ophthalmologist in Belgium and the Netherlands to perform this procedure. The treatment is suitable for patients approximately 20 to 50 years old with hyperopia ranging from +1 to +5 diopters, with or without astigmatism.
SMILE-KLeX is an advanced laser vision correction procedure that uses the latest-generation femtosecond laser, the Zeiss Visumax 800. Within seconds, the laser creates an extremely precise lenticule within the cornea. Through a tiny 2.5-millimeter incision, this lenticule is removed, reshaping the cornea and correcting the eye’s refractive error.
The procedure takes only a few minutes, is completely painless, and is performed under local anesthesia using eye drops. Many patients already notice a significant improvement in their vision the day after treatment.
One of the major advantages of SMILE-KLeX is the extremely small incision. Compared with traditional LASIK procedures, which require the creation of a larger corneal flap, the impact on the eye is significantly reduced. As a result, patients generally experience fewer dry-eye symptoms and enjoy a more comfortable recovery. In addition, the technique eliminates potential flap-related complications that may occur with LASIK.
Until now, treatment options for hyperopic patients were often limited to LASIK, implantable contact lenses (ICL), or refractive lens exchange. Each of these procedures has its own indications and potential drawbacks. Thanks to this new application of SMILE-KLeX, we now have an additional minimally invasive treatment option that may offer an attractive alternative for many patients.
Millions of patients worldwide have already been successfully treated with SMILE technology for myopia. The fact that this technique can now also be successfully applied to hyperopia represents a significant advancement in the field of refractive surgery.
This achievement is a strong illustration of our ongoing commitment to innovation, ensuring that our patients continue to benefit from the most advanced treatments and the highest standard of care.