SMILE LASIK and Corneal Strengthening, and Its Necessity

 

SMILE LASIK and Corneal Strengthening, and Its Necessity

When searching for information on SMILE LASIK, you may often come across the term "corneal strengthening." This is a procedure used not only at Bright Eye Clinic but also in most ophthalmology clinics that perform vision correction surgery. As the name suggests, it is a procedure that strengthens the cornea.

Corneal strengthening has several advantages, such as keeping the cornea strong and preventing keratoconus. A strengthened cornea helps maintain stability by allowing the tissue to adapt to its shape after laser surgery, thereby prolonging the effects of vision correction. Ultimately, the main goal of corneal strengthening in vision correction procedures is to help maintain clear vision for a longer period.

The correct name for corneal strengthening is "Corneal (Collagen) Cross-Linking." During the vision correction process, the corneal strengthening procedure involves applying riboflavin (vitamin B) to the corneal stroma and exposing it to ultraviolet light. Once healing is complete, the cornea becomes stronger, and a protective layer forms over it.

This strengthened cornea allows for stable vision improvement even after surgery. Although corneal strengthening is often associated only with laser vision correction procedures, in fact, it has been researched and developed for the treatment of keratoconus since the 1990s.

This procedure has been certified by the U.S. FDA, with safety verified through various cases in over 50 countries worldwide.

In particular, studies and research papers have shown that corneal strengthening is highly effective after SMILE LASIK surgery. As a result, the demand for corneal strengthening in the field of vision correction is rapidly increasing.

Corneal strengthening can only be performed during the vision correction procedure. This is because corneal strengthening is directly applied to the corneal stroma, which is located beneath the epithelial cells.

Therefore, corneal strengthening must be performed simultaneously with vision correction surgery, and it cannot be conducted separately once recovery is complete. For this reason, if you are considering vision correction surgery, it is highly recommended to receive thorough consultations based on precise examination results before the operation.