Expanding the possibilities of astigmatism correction with SMILE Pro and setting a new standard in vision correction
B&VIIT Eye Center’s Chief Director, Dr. Hannuy Choi, presented the clinical results of SMILE Pro astigmatism correction at the 37th Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (APACRS 2025), held this August in Gandhinagar, India. Recognized as one of the world’s top three ophthalmology congresses, APACRS is a highly prestigious platform, and presenting here signifies international recognition of surgical excellence.
Demonstrating the Superiority of SMILE Pro in Astigmatism Correction
In her presentation, Dr. Choi shared comparative data on residual astigmatism after SMILE and SMILE Pro surgeries. Over a 12-month follow-up, the proportion of patients achieving astigmatism correction within ±0.5 diopters was 81% for SMILE versus 88% for SMILE Pro. This demonstrated the relative advantage of SMILE Pro in astigmatism correction.
The core difference lies in the VisuMax® 800 platform used for SMILE Pro. Among its innovative features, the CentralLine function automatically compensates for the misalignment between the pupil center and the visual axis—the actual pathway of light entering the retina. Traditional refractive surgeries often rely on pupil-centered ablation, but precise correction requires aligning with the visual axis. By compensating for this discrepancy, CentralLine reduces the risks of residual astigmatism and potential vision decline.
OcuLine™: An Upgrade Dedicated to Astigmatism Correction
Astigmatism correction poses additional challenges because the eye’s axis may rotate slightly when a patient shifts from a sitting position (during preoperative measurement) to lying down (during surgery). In conventional SMILE, surgeons had to manually compensate for this axis shift. In contrast, SMILE Pro incorporates OcuLine™, an algorithm that automatically detects and corrects astigmatic axis misalignment. Designed based on clinical data from over 8 million SMILE cases worldwide, OcuLine delivers remarkable precision and minimizes residual astigmatism, particularly in high-astigmatism patients.
Why Is Astigmatism Correction Challenging?
Astigmatism causes blurred or doubled vision because incoming light is scattered by the irregular corneal surface, forming multiple focal points on the retina. Unlike myopia correction, astigmatism correction requires aligning treatment precisely with the astigmatic axis. Even minor deviations reduce effectiveness and leave residual astigmatism, making it one of the most technically demanding areas of refractive surgery worldwide.
B&VIIT’s Expertise in SMILE Astigmatism Correction
Despite these challenges, B&VIIT Eye Center has already earned international recognition for its research achievements in SMILE astigmatism correction. Building upon this foundation, the clinic is now delivering even more precise outcomes with SMILE Pro’s advanced algorithms and technology.
With more than 120,000 successful SMILE surgeries and extensive expertise in astigmatism correction, B&VIIT continues to raise the global standard for refractive surgery. We remain committed to advancing technology, refining techniques, and delivering higher patient satisfaction in the years ahead.