Christenbury Eye Center First in U.S. to Perform ReLEx® SMILE After FDA Approval

SMILE LASIK procedure, a flapless laser treatment, is the new LASIK. Patients heal even faster and return to normal activities after 24 hours.

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) March 09, 2017

SMILE LASIK (ReLEx® SMILE) from Zeiss, a new FDA-approved, flapless vision correction procedure for nearsightedness, is now available at Christenbury Eye Center. The new procedure (also called "flapless LASIK") is performed on the Zeiss laser that creates flaps used for LASIK. The procedure takes only 35 seconds. Patients experience a faster procedure with an 80% smaller incision, resulting in faster healing times and more stable long-term results. The procedure is performed by Dr. Jonathan Christenbury. Christenbury Eye Center is the only facility in North and South Carolina qualified to perform this new procedure. In fact, Dr. Christenbury was the first surgeon who is not part of the FDA clinical research team to perform this groundbreaking procedure in the U.S.

SMILE LASIK is a new vision correction procedure for the treatment of nearsightedness (or "myopia"). The procedure is a minimally-invasive approach to correct vision through the removal of a small amount of tissue, called a lenticule, from within the cornea through a tiny incision.

The procedure is performed with the Zeiss VisuMAX femtosecond laser that is also used in LASIK surgery. The Zeiss VisuMAX laser, the "fastest eye laser in the world", came to Christenbury Eye Center as the first commercial installation on January 26, 2012. Dr. Jonathan Christenbury has performed more than 100,000 vision correction procedures and thousands of VisuMAX procedures. He is the most experienced Zeiss VisuMAX surgeon in the United States.

"SMILE is a ground-breaking surgery that brings vision correction to a new level. Patients will heal faster and return to all their regular activities after 24 hours, including driving, exercise, swimming and wearing eye makeup. What contributes to quicker healing is the absence of a flap to heal as in traditional LASIK," says Dr. Jonathan Christenbury, Medical Director at Christenbury Eye Center. "This new surgery is as accurate as traditional LASIK; I'm truly impressed by the results, and am pleased to bring this new procedure to those who depend so heavily on glasses and contacts."

In addition to faster healing times, SMILE LASIK offers:

• A quick return to all activities after 24 hours – cardio, swimming, contact sports, flying and wearing makeup
• A faster procedure that takes approximately 35 seconds per eye
• Patients are comfortable and feel nothing
• An 80% smaller incision than LASIK
• No shields required after surgery
• Results are stable long term for low and higher corrections and are as accurate as traditional LASIK
• Lower incidence of dry eye syndrome

The procedure is available to many patients who wear glasses or contacts over the age of 22. Currently, SMILE LASIK is approved to correct myopia.

Patients who wish to see if they're qualified for a SMILE LASIK procedure should contact Christenbury Eye Center at (877) 702-2020 or visit the Christenbury Eye Center website. Patients who sign up by March 31, 2017, will receive $1200 off this procedure for both eyes ($600 per eye).

About the Christenbury Eye Center

Dr. Jonathan Christenbury established Christenbury Eye Center in 1987 and is known for his groundbreaking work in vision care. For two decades he has consistently been one of the first surgeons in the Carolinas to perform many pioneering vision care procedures including LASIK, Visian ICL and TECNIS.

Dr. Christenbury performed the first LASIK procedure in the Carolinas in the early 1990s and since that time has performed more than 100,000 laser vision correction procedures. He performed the first WaveFront Customized IntraLASIK in the Carolinas in 2005. In the Spring of 2005, he was the first in the Carolinas to perform the ReSTOR multifocal lens procedure that treats Presbyopia and can eliminate reading glasses and bifocals. Today, Dr. Christenbury is the most experienced multifocal implant surgeon in the United States.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/relex_smile/smile_LASIK/prweb14137885.htm