What is the small incision in SMILE?
It is the opening the surgeon uses to reach and remove the lenticule. The cornea stays intact apart from it, which is what the word flapless describes. The incision is a cut: describing it as keyhole surgery explains where the surgeon works, not how much tissue is involved.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- SMILE Pro
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- SMILE Pro
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
What this answer depends on
- The size of the incision the surgeon plans
- How the wound heals in your case
- Whether you follow the early aftercare instructions
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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
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- Procedure SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison SMILE vs PRK
- Place SMILE in Dubai
- Procedure SMILE Pro
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