Medownick Laser Clinic in Victoria has introduced SmartSight, a new lenticule-extraction laser eye surgery procedure, that can give myopic and astigmatic patients vision results that are close to or even beyond 20/20 vision, while experiencing rapid recovery that has most back to work on or close to the next day.
The introduction of SmartSight continues a 30-year track record of innovation for the laser clinic. It was the first clinic in the southern hemisphere to perform laser vision correction for hypermetropia, the first in Australia and one of the first in the world to use photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) to improve clarity of vision after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), and the first in Victoria to introduce ‘touchless robotic’ laser eye surgery. Now it has become the first to introduce SmartSight to Victoria.
The minimally-invasive, keyhole procedure corrects vision by creating a very thin piece of corneal tissue (known as a lenticule), which is then removed via a small incision. Unlike LASIK, SmartSight does not create a flap, which many patients find very appealing.
It is performed using state-of-the-art Schwind ATOS femtosecond laser, which is particularly suited to patients with astigmatism and certain refractions of myopia.
Additionally, Schwind ATOS technology is the only femtosecond laser that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) pupil recognition and cyclotorsion compensation with tissue-saving technology to enhance treatment of vision deficiencies and improve lenticular geometry.
Dr Mark Medownick, founder and Medical Director of Medownick Laser Clinic, expressed his enthusiasm for the introduction of SmartSight. “We are thrilled to bring this remarkable advancement in eye laser technology to patients in Victoria. To be able to see beyond 20/20 vision without the help of glasses or contact lenses, with no flap, and minimal downtime, can be genuinely life-changing.”
Surgical Partner at Medownick, Dr Christopher Chan, said, “The Schwind ATOS is the only femtosecond laser machine that actively compensates for eye rotation when the patient is lying in a supine position. It has advanced cyclotorsion-compensation to track the rotation of the eye. Other lasers don’t really compensate for this so the surgeon has to manually mark the eye instead.”
He said SmartSight differs from other types of lenticule extraction, such as small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), because “with these other procedures, the lenticule itself has cuts around the edge. However, with SmartSight, the edge tapers right down to virtually zero, so the tissue comes together with no gap”.
Recovery is “very rapid”, with most patients achieving at or close-to 20/20 vision on the first day of surgery, and resuming work, sports and other daily activities within just a few days.
