No flap. Less dry eye. Vision by tomorrow morning.

SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is a flapless laser vision correction procedure. A femtosecond laser creates a tiny disc of corneal tissue (lenticule) inside the intact cornea. The lenticule is removed through a 2mm keyhole incision - reshaping the cornea and correcting myopia without creating a flap.

LASIK creates a corneal flap before laser reshaping; SMILE operates entirely within the cornea with no flap. This means: no risk of flap dislodgement, less disruption to corneal nerves (less post-op dry eye), and a stronger cornea post-surgery. SMILE is particularly recommended for patients with borderline dry eye or those in contact sports.

SMILE is ideal for patients with: myopia (−1D to −10D) with or without astigmatism up to −5D, borderline dry eye making standard LASIK risky, active lifestyles or contact sports where flap safety is a concern, age 18+ with a stable prescription, and adequate corneal thickness.

No. SMILE is performed under numbing drops. You may feel mild suction pressure for about 25 seconds during the femtosecond laser step. The actual procedure takes 5 - 10 minutes per eye. Most patients report minimal discomfort and clear vision by the next morning.

SMILE recovery is similar to LASIK. Vision stabilises within 24 - 48 hours for most patients. There may be slightly more initial haze than LASIK in rare cases, which clears within days. Return to work: 1 - 2 days. Contact sports: 4 weeks. Night driving: typically cleared at 1-week check.

SMILE laser surgery at Eye Veda is priced comparably to Contoura Vision, typically ₹70,000 - ₹1,00,000 per eye. Consultation and eligibility workup are free. Zero-cost EMI is available on select plans.