Disclaimer

This website is only for basic information. It is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for obtaining your own medical consultation, during which you will be informed also about possible risks, side effects and restrictions of refractive & cataract surgery. Not all treatment options are approved or offered in every country and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. This site is also not intended for patients and healthcare providers residing in the United States of America and Japan.

Common Side Effects

Minimising risks of surgery

Clinic Finder

Laser vision correction is a clinically proven and established method of treating refractive errors. Like any other medical procedure, Lenticule Extraction with ZEISS SMILE is not free of risks and side effects. Your surgeon will perform a pre-surgery health assessment and eyesight check to ensure any risk is minimised. However, it is important you know about any possible side effects so you can identify them quickly and discuss them with your eye doctor. They can tell you more about the risks of the treatment before you decide to proceed with eye surgery.

ZEISS SMILE facts & figures

Did you know that …

10,000,000

Over 10 million eyes have been successfully treated with ZEISS SMILE.
Flapless

ZEISS SMILE offers vision correction without creating a flap in the cornea.
30 seconds

On average, the laser part of the surgery takes less than 30 seconds.

Over or under correction

When your vision does not fully improve

Not everyone achieves a complete improvement in their eyesight after laser vision correction. The level of recovery varies depending on individual conditions. Some residual refractive errors could remain, which means some patients will still need glasses or contacts after surgery. If under or over correction occurs, follow-up surgery can correct the remaining residual refractive error.

Dry eye syndrome

A common side effect that is treatable

Dry and scratchy eyes are probably the two most common side effects after laser vision correction. Luckily, these conditions do not usually last long in most patients, and they are easy to treat with artificial tears or other treatment options.

Because laser vision correction with ZEISS SMILE is minimally invasive, patients may experience less dry eye symptoms after the procedure compared to LASIK.

If you had been previously diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, you should mention this to your eye doctor during your pre-surgery consultation. They can then advise you if laser vision correction can be an option for you or regarding alternative treatment options.

Issues with eyesight

Will you have perfect vision after surgery?

Your vision should stabilise within a few weeks after vision correction with ZEISS SMILE. Some issues with your eyes, such as night vision glare or double vision may pass within a few weeks of having the procedure. However, despite careful preparation, not everyone experiences complete improvement in their vision after surgery. Your surgeon may not be able to completely correct some residual refractive errors so you may still need glasses or contact lenses.

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Night vision

You may have trouble with your night vision or when you are in a dark environment. Seeing glares and halos around lights, including oncoming car headlights, are common in the days after surgery. If you do experience them, you may want to temporarily refrain from driving. In most cases, the glare is more common in the early post-op period and gradually disappears.
Double vision

In very rare cases, patients can experience cloudy or double vision. Hazy vision is more common among patients who were severely near-sighted, and some people also complain of image ghosting or double vision. Double vision, also known as diplopia, is when you see two blurred images when focusing on a single object. Should you experience any of these conditions, you should contact your eye doctor

Medical complications

Recognising potential risks

All surgery carries risks, and the side effects explained are common to all laser vision correction procedures, including LASIK and PRK. However, vision correction with ZEISS SMILE is a minimally invasive procedure with a small incision and no need to create a flap in the cornea. As such, there is no chance of developing a complication related to a flap.

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Infection

As with any surgical procedure, there is a very small chance of developing post-operative infections. Remember to always use the medicated eye drops prescribed for you after surgery to minimise the risk of infection. If your eye turns red, is painful or there is a loss of vision, it is important to call your eye doctor immediately. Infections can be cured if they are identified at an early stage but can cause serious damage if they are not treated promptly.

Corneal Ectasia

In rare cases a condition called corneal ectasia may occur any time (even years) after surgery. Ectasia is the progressive thinning of the cornea which weakens the front of the eye and causes it to bulge.

To restore your vision, you may need to wear glasses or lenses or, in extreme cases, undergo additional eye surgery.

Does surgery affect astigmatism?

Can the procedure with ZEISS SMILE cause or worsen astigmatism?

You may have heard that laser vision correction could cause astigmatism or make an existing condition worse. The fact is that chances of developing post-op astigmatism are very low. And, of course, ZEISS SMILE may be used to correct the condition.

Before your treatment, your eye doctor will go through comprehensive medical checks to establish your overall health and the condition of your eyes. If you have astigmatism, you and your eye doctor can discuss the procedure and go through any possible side effects together.

Find out more about how ZEISS SMILE can correct astigmatism.

Find a ZEISS SMILE centre near you

Providers offering the procedure with ZEISS SMILE

Not every eye centre, clinic or hospital uses ZEISS technology or offers vision correction with ZEISS SMILE. It is only offered by providers who have invested in ZEISS VisuMax® and its highly precise, computer-guided femtosecond laser. Click the link below to find a provider that uses ZEISS technology. Remember, if your surgeon does not have VisuMax® from ZEISS, they cannot correct your vision using ZEISS SMILE.

Find a clinic or hospital near you