Earlier this year, Vision Eye Institute’s Associate Professor Michael Lawless became the first Australian ophthalmologist to perform SMILE® pro laser eye surgery using the ZEISS VISUMAX® 800 – the latest in laser eye surgery technology.
Now, A/Prof Lawless has performed this cutting-edge surgical technique on 100 eyes, which has allowed him to collect data on the results of SMILE pro treatment.

About SMILE and SMILE pro
Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) is a bladeless, keyhole form of laser eye surgery that reshapes the cornea (the clear outer layer at the front of the eye). In doing so, SMILE pro can reduce blurry or distorted vision, improving short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism.
Compared to the original SMILE procedure, the SMILE pro laser is more powerful, providing patients with a faster and more comfortable laser eye surgery experience.

Results worth smiling over
‘We’re incredibly lucky to have been one of the first clinics in the world to install the VISUMAX 800,’ A/Prof Lawless says. ‘Because of that, we now have some of the best early data – in fact, some of the only early data – in the world.’
The results collected show that SMILE pro improves short-sightedness and astigmatism.
‘At two-weeks post-op, 73% of patients had 6/6 vision, also known as 20/20 vision. These results are consistent with what we would expect from SMILE pro – good visual results and fast visual recovery,’ says A/Prof Lawless.

Faster and more comfortable for patients
SMILE pro’s surgical time is significantly shorter than the original technique, providing a more comfortable patient experience.
‘For patients, the laser-on time is the most anxiety-inducing part of the procedure. With VISUMAX 800, the laser-on time is reduced to less than 10 seconds per eye – two-thirds less than the original SMILE technique. The patient is in the room for less than 10 minutes,’says A/Prof Lawless.
Check out the video below, which features Vision Eye Institute’s Refractive Manager, Shih Shih Ta, discussing the benefits of SMILE pro.
Put a smile on your face
SMILE pro is available at our Chatswood, NSW laser suite. Our laser eye surgeons are some of the most experienced in Australia and have performed the most SMILE and SMILE pro surgeries in Australia and New Zealand (data on file with ZEISS). If you are interested in SMILE pro, call the clinic or click the ‘Book a laser consultation’ button below.
We offer free, no-obligation suitability assessments to find out if you are eligible for laser eye surgery, with no referral needed. Call us on 1800 1 LASER to book your appointment.
Vision Eye Institute also offers several payment options for laser eye surgery, including buy now, pay later interest-free payment plans.