SMILE Pro Laser Eye Surgery

Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Alim Hüseynov · Last updated: 8 September 2026

What is SMILE Pro?

SMILE Pro is a flapless laser vision correction procedure. In this method the femtosecond laser shapes a thin layer of tissue — the lenticule — inside the cornea. We then remove that layer through a small 2–4 mm incision at the edge of the cornea. No excimer laser is used, and the front surface of the cornea stays largely intact.

How does SMILE Pro differ from SMILE?

The current generation runs on the VISUMAX 800 platform. Because the laser works at 2 MHz, lenticule creation is markedly faster: what took roughly 30 seconds on the previous generation now takes under 10 seconds per eye.

Two assistance features are also part of the platform. CentraLign supports accurate centration during docking. OcuLign compensates for cyclotorsion — the way the eye rotates when the patient lies down — so the astigmatic axis is aligned correctly. This matters most in eyes with higher astigmatism.

Who is a candidate?

• Adults aged 18 and over whose prescription has been stable for at least 12 months
• Myopia and myopic astigmatism — published series treat up to −10.00 D spherical equivalent and cylinder below 5.00 D
• Corneal thickness and topography adequate for the planned correction
• No sign of keratoconus or corneal thinning (ectasia)

SMILE Pro is not used for hyperopia. In hyperopic eyes we assess LASIK-family techniques or surface ablation instead.

Advantages and limits

Advantages: because we create no flap, flap-related complications such as displacement or striae do not arise. We also disturb the corneal nerves on the front surface less, so post-operative dry eye symptoms are usually milder. Thanks to the small incision, recovery is quick as well.

Limits: first of all the technique is not suitable for hyperopia. If a fine-tuning treatment is needed later, we normally move to a surface procedure — we do not repeat the lenticule step in the same eye. Finally, SMILE Pro can only be performed in centres with a suitable femtosecond platform.

Which technique suits you is decided by your surgeon after corneal topography and tomography, pachymetry and tear-film testing. We then check the plan with the RLES AI® clinical decision support software.

How many items does a SMILE Pro plan require?

A SMILE Pro plan does not rest on a single measurement. It rests on a data set in which each item checks the others. For both eyes, the items to be collected, read and compared break down as follows:

Your surgeon already knows most of these items. The hard part is not knowing them; it is asking every single one, in the same order, in every case. Missing one line at the end of a busy day is a far more realistic risk than missing knowledge.

What does RLES AI screen in this plan?

• Keratoconus and ectasia screening — first we read the tomographic indices together. We do not count mathematically related indices as separate evidence, so both false alarms and false reassurance become less likely.
• Contact lens induced surface change — lens wear can temporarily distort the corneal shape. In that case the measurements mislead, so we do not finalise the plan.
• Dry eye assessment — untreated dry eye both distorts the measurements and increases post-operative complaints. We therefore stabilise the ocular surface first.
• Intraocular pressure and anterior chamber angle — we read the angle value on every pre-operative tomography; a narrow angle needs a separate assessment.

Does the plan fit the eye’s own measurements?

The software also checks whether the plan fits the eye’s own measurements and the conditions specific to the lenticule technique:

• Tissue safety engine — we calculate the corneal thickness that will remain after treatment and compare it against the safety floors.
• Lenticule-specific floors — cap thickness and lenticule depth are calculated separately, and the pre-operative corneal thickness is checked against the lower limit used for lenticule techniques.
• Complication prerequisites — finally we go through the medication history and chronic disease questions in the same order in every case.

What does this screening give you?

Here is what it means for you: your surgeon makes the decision, but the fact that every one of these items was asked is on record. If an item was not asked or not measured, the report names it as “not reported”. In other words, nothing missing is quietly treated as “normal”.

More about RLES AI® →

More about this treatment

Useful links

• Laser eye treatments — all methods
• LASIK Laser Eye Surgery
• Q-LASIK Laser Eye Surgery
• No-Touch T-PRK Laser Eye Surgery
• Keratoconus treatment

SMILE Pro — frequently asked questions

Compare what you are actually comparing

You may think a cheap laser eye procedure is right for you. If you are buying a television cheaply that may well be fine; but it is not worth gambling with your eyesight. A cheap eye operation means giving up on technology, on the surgeon’s calibre, on medical care and sterile conditions — and above all it means taking on risk.

What a patient should look at most carefully is this: an excimer laser and imaging devices built on current technology, a hospital with a sterile environment, and an experienced surgeon and clinical team who know the field.

We remind every patient that they have only two eyes, and that the eye is the most delicate sensory organ they have. None of this is more important than your eye health, and we do not compromise on quality or on current technology.

Our pricing is clear, fair and reasonable. There are no hidden costs, and we work to keep laser eye surgery affordable and accessible for you.

Medically reviewed by

Op. Dr. Alim Hüseynov — Ophthalmologist — refractive laser surgery, cornea and oculoplastic surgery, Nişantaşı Hospital Eye Centre. Surgeon profile

The information on this page is for general guidance and does not replace an examination. Treatment decisions are made after the examination and test results have been assessed.