What is the difference between SMILE and SMILE Pro?
Both perform lenticule extraction. SMILE Pro is the same procedure performed on the newer ZEISS VISUMAX 800 platform instead of the earlier VISUMAX generation, which the manufacturer describes as faster and as including automated centration and rotation-compensation features.
Quick answer
Both perform lenticule extraction. SMILE Pro is the same procedure performed on the newer ZEISS VISUMAX 800 platform instead of the earlier VISUMAX generation, which the manufacturer describes as faster and as including automated centration and rotation-compensation features.
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
- SMILE Pro basics
- Answer length
- Quick answer plus detail
- Sourced
- Yes
In more detail
The practical difference for a patient is mostly about workflow and how the clinic verifies alignment, not about a change in the optical principle of the surgery.
The comparison evidence between the two generations is still limited and comes mainly from individual clinical studies rather than pooled analyses, so it should not be treated as settled. If a clinic charges a premium for "Pro", ask what platform is installed, and ask to see their own outcome data.
Related guides
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- 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.
People also ask
The closest subjects to this question, from both question banks.
- What is SMILE Pro? SMILE Pro basics
- How does SMILE Pro work? SMILE Pro basics
- SMILE Pro compared with Femto LASIK: how do they differ? Vision correction
- Is SMILE Pro more expensive than LASIK? Vision correction
- How do I choose a SMILE Pro clinic in Dubai? Cost & clinics in Dubai and the UAE
- How do I choose a SMILE Pro surgeon? Choosing a clinic or surgeon
More SMILE Pro questions
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.
- ZEISS VISUMAX 800
The manufacturer’s own product page for the femtosecond laser platform used for SMILE pro.
Used for What describes the technology behind SMILE pro; The distinction between SMILE and SMILE pro; Claimed workflow features such as automated centration.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Comparison of clinical outcomes following small incision lenticule extraction with the VISUMAX 800 and VISUMAX 500
A single comparative study of SMILE performed on the newer and older generations of the ZEISS platform. A single study, not a pooled analysis.
Used for The SMILE vs SMILE pro section, explicitly labelled as single-study evidence.
Link checked 22 September 2026