Can SMILE be performed after LASIK?
Usually not. A cornea that has already had a flap procedure has less tissue and a different structure, and lenticule extraction assumes an intact cornea. Where a residual prescription after LASIK is treated, a surface treatment or a flap lift is the more usual route.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- SMILE Pro
- Kind of question
- Can I…
- Procedures
- SMILE, LASIK, PRK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
What this answer depends on
- How much tissue was removed the first time
- The size and direction of the residual prescription
- Whether the original flap and its measurements are documented
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision correction & laser eye surgery in SMILE Pro . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison SMILE vs PRK
- Place SMILE in Dubai
- Procedure LASIK
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE)
A continuously updated clinical reference chapter covering SMILE indications, technique, outcomes and complications, written for clinicians.
Used for How the lenticule is created and removed; Indications and contraindications; Complication categories; Corneal biomechanics compared with flap-based surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026