ReLEx: Introducing a new minimally-invasive Laser Eye Surgery to the UK.
London Vision Clinic was the first clinic in the UK to offer ReLEx (Refractive Lenticule Extraction), a new generation ‘flap-less’ Laser Eye Surgery procedure, available at the London Vision Clinic.
What is ReLEx?
Often known simply as SMILE, which stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction, the procedure is a revolutionary advancement in the performance, safety, and comfort of Laser Eye Surgery.
Differences between ReLEx and LASIK
ReLEx represents the beginning of a new era in refractive surgery, on the grounds of its significant advantages in the patient’s level of comfort. Because there is no need to pass from one instrument to another—as in the LASIK procedure—there is no need for the patient to change their position.
This is the main reason why the ReLEx SMILE procedure only takes a few minutes.
“Not only is the patient experience greatly enhanced, as there is less surgical manipulation of the eye–making it less invasive than traditional Laser Eye Surgery–but it also makes vision correction available to people who would have previously been told they were unsuitable candidates. It’s a major development.” —Professor Dan Reinstein
The ReLEx procedure: How it works
During the procedure, eye anaesthetic drops are used to completely numb the eye, and the state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss VisuMax laser places a series of pulses in the centre of the cornea with extraordinary 3D placement accuracy.
Poppie L.
Being able to wake up and see clearly is a fantastic feeling. Having worn contact lenses for over 10 years, it takes some time to get used not to wearing them anymore! ...
Read more »December 2015 | JE3, GB
James E.
An excellent experience, all concerns thouroughly explained and a brilliant outcome....
Read more »October 2012 | E1, GB
Victor Z.
The keyhole procedure gave me the confidence that my eyes would be back to full strength quickly after the procedure, but most of all I was amazed at the ease of the op...
Read more »October 2014 | YO31, GB
Will D.
Can't even remember living with contacts, great feeling getting up in the morning and just being able to see....
Read more »October 2015 | KT10, GB
Sen N.
The treatment has changed my life. Things that were previously awkward like swimming, geting close to my young children (who loved to swipe the glasses off my face), st...
Read more »August 2014 | SW5, GB
Khai L.
The recovery time for ReLEx is a bit slower than I had expected but now I have perfect vision and would recomment LVC to anyone considering eye surgery....
Read more »August 2014 | BR1, GB
Sally F.
My surgery has not only given me back my confidence but it has also made it easier to take part in activities at the gym/jogging - no more glasses steaming up or slippi...
Read more »August 2016 | NN6, GB
Alex B.
Best thing I ever did, after 15 years of contact lenses I am free! It's comparable with stopping smoking in terms of life-changing opportunities......
Read more »July 2016 | SW10, GB
Steve J.
Can shave without being blind! Never suffer foggy glasses again. Move and dance like a lunatic and not have glasses fly accross the room. Can tell specsavers to go away...
Read more »July 2014 | CB5, GB
Johann F.
Life changing, like night and day. The freedom and convenience of having excellent sight upon waking is like nothing else. No more worrying about lenses drying up or be...
Read more »July 2015 | IG8, GB
These pulses form bubbles less than 1/100th the width of a human hair, and outline the tissue that needs to be removed to effectively change the shape of the cornea. The laser then creates a tiny connecting tunnel through which the surgeon draws out this tissue.
With ReLEx SMILE, no flap is created, so the healing time is faster than conventional LASIK. The procedure takes a matter of minutes, and the vision is instantly 80% better and reaches 100% within a few days (according to trials conducted on over 1,000 patients between the UK, Germany, France and Denmark).
One of the other main advantages of the treatment is that, by its less invasive nature, ReLEx SMILE , it allows correction of even higher myopic prescriptions than previously treatable by standard LASIK Laser Eye Surgery.
No other laser platform has been able to match the accuracy of the Carl Zeiss VisuMax (which is accurate enough to inscribe a word on a grain of sand) in producing this keyhole type of Laser Eye Surgery.
Key advantages of the ReLEx procedure over traditional LASIK
“ReLEx represents the next-generation in corrective vision treatments” —Professor Dan Reinstein
Although Laser Eye Surgery is already extremely safe and very effective—and is and the most popular elective procedure in the world with over 20 million treatments carried out to date—for patients who are suitable, ReLEx offers several advantages over the widely used LASIK:
- ReLEx can be performed in considerably less time than traditional LASIK, as it uses only one laser instead of two.
- ReLEx is capable of treating even higher prescriptions than previously deemed possible.
- After-effects of Laser Eye Surgery (such as post-operative discomfort and dry eye) are significantly reduced, and in some cases eliminated.
- Importantly, the mechanical strength of the cornea is kept intact throughout the procedure, as no flap is created.
