Four patients at Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Navy Refractive Surgery Center San Diego recently underwent a new type of refractive surgery called SMILE, the first ever performed at a Navy medical facility. SMILE stands for Small Incision Lenticular Extraction, and is the newest option for treating myopia, which is also known as nearsightedness. SMILE is a procedure employing the same laser used in Lasik, but instead of cutting a flap the surgeon cuts a much smaller tunnel incision. Some of the benefits are less dry eye and a short healing time. The Army, Navy and Air Force are evaluating the new surgical technique together.
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