There is a lot of excitement in Ophthalmology circles surrounding the release of the latest in laser eye surgery technology, the ZEISS VISUMAX® 800. This ultra-high performance femtosecond laser provides a leap forward for laser eye surgery. Envision Eye Centre is pleased to one of the first clinics in Australia to install this new machine. This now enables us to provide the latest evolution in laser eye surgery, SMILE® Pro, for our patients.
What is the Zeiss VISUMAX® 800?
Zeiss is a leading innovator in the manufacture of Optical systems. The previous Zeiss VISUMAX® femtosecond laser has exclusively performed the current SMILE® laser eye surgery procedure available at Envision Eye Centre. This newest laser, the VISUMAX® 800, will deliver what is known as SMILE® Pro and provides some key benefits for patients.
Faster cutting speeds
The VISUMAX® 800 femtosecond laser performs the cutting required for SMILE® Pro in less than 10 seconds per eye compared with 25 seconds required with regular SMILE® surgery.
Reduced risk of suction loss
The increased cutting speed means less suction time. Suction time is the time the eye is held in place (with light suction) whilst the laser performs the cutting procedure. One of the minor risks with the current SMILE® surgery is suction loss. Suction loss can disrupt the surgery procedure or potentially result in another surgery approach needing to be taken. With a faster cutting speed, the chances of suction loss occurring is greatly reduced.
While some of the biggest advances provided by this new technology are behind the scenes, overall, it makes performing the SMILE® laser eye procedure more accessible for Ophthalmologists with flow on effects for patients.
What is different with SMILE® Pro?
SMILE® Pro is very similar to the traditional SMILE® Laser Eye Surgery procedure. The same ‘keyhole’ incision is made in the cornea to remove the lenticule (corneal tissue) required to improved vision. This keyhole technique that comes with SMILE leads to faster recovery times, less chance of dry eye and better visual outcomes than the more traditional LASIK or PRK procedures.
The biggest benefit for patients with SMILE® Pro is spending less time in surgery. While traditional SMILE® is a quick painless procedure, it is still an anxious time to every second counts. With SMILE® Pro, the procedure is so quick patients are often surprised that it is all over! SMILE® Pro can only be performed using the VISUMAX® 800.
What else can the VISUMAX® 800 do?
While designed to support the SMILE® Pro procedure, the VISUMAX® 800 can support a range of surgeries, providing superior femtosecond laser performance. These procedures include:
- Flap cut - For LASIK procedures, where an entire flap needs to be made in the cornea, the high cutting speed and optimised settings made this procedure easier.
- Corneal ring incisions - For corneal incisions required for the insertion of corneal rings, again the faster cutting speeds and flexible settings makes the insertion of corneal rings much easier.
When will SMILE® Pro be available?
Envision Eye Centre is fully operational with the VISUMAX® 800. As one of the pioneers of SMILE® Laser eye surgery in Australia, we look forward to continuing to offer the latest in laser eye surgery to restore vision.
We get a lot of questions about our technology which we are happy to provide answers to during your journey to surgery. The biggest benefit you can expect from this new technology as a patient is faster surgery times, less anxious time in the operating theatre and the opportunity for greater visual results.
If you are considering laser eye surgery in 2022, please contact us for a Free Laser Vision Assessment so we can assess your suitability for SMILE® Pro, the latest in Laser Eye Surgery, now available at Envision Eye Centre Sydney.