What is lenticule extraction?
A lenticule is the thin, lens-shaped piece of corneal tissue the laser carves out and the surgeon removes. "Lenticule extraction" simply describes taking that piece out: removing it is what changes the shape of the cornea and therefore the focus of the eye.
Quick answer
A lenticule is the thin, lens-shaped piece of corneal tissue the laser carves out and the surgeon removes. "Lenticule extraction" simply describes taking that piece out: removing it is what changes the shape of the cornea and therefore the focus of the eye.
A general answer about SMILE Pro, not advice about your own eyes. Only an ophthalmologist who has examined you can answer it for your case.
- Topic
- Technology & terminology
- Answer length
- Quick answer
- Sourced
- Yes
Related guides
Subjects this question touches
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- Procedure SMILE Pro
- Comparison SMILE Pro vs LASIK
- Place SMILE in Dubai
- Procedure SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
It describes what is generally true. Whether it applies to your eyes depends on measurements taken during an examination, and two people asking the same question can receive different answers. Read the answer as a starting point for the conversation, not as its conclusion.
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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