Small Incision Lenticule Extraction

ReLEx is an all-in-one femtosecond procedure during which no excimer laser is needed to complete the refractive correction. Based on how the lenticule is removed, ReLEx procedures are classified as either:Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction (FLEX) or Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE)Despite the novelty and the limited investigative literature associated with the femtosecond lenticule extraction (FLEx) and small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), the 2 procedures have shown encouraging results in the treatment of myopia and myopia with mild to moderate astigmatic error.Small-incision lenticule extraction, the most recent development in femtosecond laser–based techniques, represents a less invasive alternative to femtosecond lenticule extraction for the correction of myopic error.The first small-incision lenticule extraction treatments performed by Sekundo et al. as early as 2008 used 2 opposing 5.0 mm entry incisions at the 12 o clock and 6 o clock positions. Eventually, incisional quantity and magnitude were decreased, transitioning from a bi-incisional to a mono-incisional approach with a concurrent incision size decrease to 2.0 mm.