WK Eye Institute surgeons Christopher Shelby, MD, and Wyche T. Coleman, III, are the first surgeons in Louisiana to perform the Zeiss ReLEx^® SMILE^® vision correction procedure on patients with astigmatism. This fall the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of SMILE for patients who are nearsighted and have astigmatism, clearing the way for Willis-Knighton surgeons to begin offering this vision correction to a larger audience this month.

The SMILE technology, often referred to as “the next generation of LASIK,” was first introduced in Louisiana by Doctors Shelby and Coleman. They have performed SMILE since April 2017.

During the minimally invasive procedure the surgeon uses the VisuMax® femtosecond laser to create a thin, disc-shaped lenticule (disc of corneal material), which is extracted through a small incision on the surface of the cornea. This adjusts the curvature of the eye, correcting the vision. Focusing on technological advancements in eye care, Doctors Coleman and Shelby were the first surgeons in Louisiana to use the VisuMax femtosecond laser.  Willis-Knighton eye surgeons remain the only ones in this area who are trained to use this technology.

To date, more than 1.5 million SMILE treatments have been performed worldwide. More information on this procedure is available at from the WK Eye Institute’s Refractive Surgery Center by calling (318) 212-2015 or visiting wkeyeinstitute.com.