Auckland Eye’s Drs Justin Mora, Dean Corbett, Stuart Carroll (back row), David Pendergrast and Sue Ormonde (front row) with the new Visumax 800 SMILE Pro laser

What if your patient could improve their vision in just 15 minutes? That’s the promise of Auckland Eye’s new SMILE Pro laser – a major step forward in eyecare technology.

Although Auckland Eye has been providing SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) vision correction with great success since 2017, this new tool will make the procedure even better and safer for patients, says Auckland Eye surgeon Dr Dean Corbett. “It’s going to mean an easier, more tolerable procedure, considerably quicker. In short, less stress for patients.”

Fast, safe and stress-free

The procedure has always been relatively quick and non-invasive, but this new technology will make it even faster, says Dr Justin Mora, who has been performing laser surgery for over 20 years. “The older version of the Visumax could create the incision in 25 seconds. Now it’s under 10 seconds. From the patient’s point of view, that’s important.”

Dr Corbett agrees, “Everyone’s anxious when their eyes are operated on. The anxiety comes when people feel they are losing control, so going from 25 seconds of laser time to roughly 10 seconds means the procedure is 60% less anxiety-provoking.” 

Sophisticated technology and patient success

The technology also lets surgeons plan surgeries ahead of time for safer treatment and better patient outcomes. “It uses a very sophisticated computer system where we measure the eye with a camera. That data is transferred electronically to the laser and the computer will match the photo to the patient’s eye,” says Dr Corbett, explaining that an infrared tracking device locks onto the eye, ensuring it is correctly oriented for optimal treatment.

Because the new laser is so precise, it will also help Auckland Eye offer SMILE to a wider range of patients, which will be particularly valuable for those with astigmatism, says Dr Mora. “The big difference comes in treating astigmatism. With previous tech, a high level of astigmatism often needed to be treated with LASIK. Now, it can be treated with SMILE Pro.”

The new laser also comes with algorithms that will allow Auckland Eye surgeons to treat long sight with SMILE, where previously LASIK was the only option, says Dr Corbett. “The new laser is a natural step forward for a business like ours that’s always been focused on patient-centric, life-changing eyecare. We see ourselves as offering our patients the best level of service and this is just a continuation of that.”

Find out more about Auckland Eye at www.aucklandeye.co.nz