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SmartSight Nova, SMILE® or SMILE pro®? The evolution of lenticule extraction

Dr. Victor Derhartunian

If you are looking for information on minimally invasive eye laser surgery, you will often come across various brand names. The surgical principle behind it is always Lenticular extraction.

This principle was made known worldwide by the established ReLEx SMILE® procedures and the newer generation SMILE pro® (both registered trademarks of Carl Zeiss Meditec). This pioneering work has sustainably changed refractive surgery.

Why did we at EyeLaser Vienna choose SmartSight Nova (Schwind ATOS®)?
We consider SmartSight Nova to be the next logical, technological evolutionary step. This is not about marketing, but about pure physics and your visual quality. The decisive difference lies in the centering.

The pupil trap and the solution: Visual Axis Targeting (CenTrax®)

Classic methods and older versions of lenticule extraction often stubbornly center the treatment on the geometric center of the pupil.

  • The catch: We humans do not look exactly with the center of the pupil. Our sharpest point of vision (fovea) defines the so-called visual axis. If the laser is centered on the pupil, but you look slightly off-center, the correction will not be 100% accurate. This can lead to slight blurring (aberrations) or halos at night.
  • The solution – SmartSight Nova guided by CenTrax®: The system ignores the pupil center and aligns itself with your actual visual axis. The laser treatment lands exactly where your eye processes light.
  • Nova-Polishing: The Nova software polishes the lenticule microscopically smooth. This massively accelerates the “wow effect” of vision after surgery, as the initial milky haze (haze effect) subsides much faster.
Free initial consultation & quick check

Non-binding, directly in Vienna. Initial analysis and advice from our experts

Main medical examination

Precise measurement with state-of-the-art diagnostics. Transparent cost information in advance

The SmartSight treatment

Duration: approx. 15 minutes, laser time <30 seconds per eye. Painless with drop anesthesia

The detailed method comparison

How does our technology compare globally? How do you know if SmartSight Nova is better for you than the proven LASIK? Here are the hard clinical facts:

Feature / Method SmartSight Nova (EyeLaser) SmartSight (Standard) SMILE® pro Femto-LASIK 7D
Centering ✅ On the visual axis (CenTrax) Geometric pupil center On the visual axis Pupil center (with 7D Tracking)
Corneal incision No flap (2 mm) No flap (2-3 mm) No flap (2 mm) Large flap (approx. 20 mm)
Treatment time (laser) < 20 seconds < 35 seconds < 10 seconds Varies (approx. 15-20 sec.)
Compensation for rolling movement (cyclotorsion) ✅ Automatic (in real time) Limited Automatic Automatic (7D)
Risk: Dry eyes 💧 Minimal (nerves remain intact) 💧 Minimal 💧 Minimal 💧💧 Increased (in the first few weeks)
Suitability for sports (boxing etc.) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent ⭐⭐⭐ Good (flap protection necessary)
For farsightedness? No No Yes (newly approved) ✅ Yes (the gold standard)

Pure biomechanics: Protection of the subbasal nerve plexus

In classic LASIK, an incision of about 20 millimeters is made. This inevitably severs fine corneal nerves (the subbasal nerve plexus), which often leads to dry eyes in the first few weeks after surgery.

Since SmartSight Nova works through a tiny 2 mm incision, these highly sensitive nerves remain intact. The feedback to the tear glands continues to function perfectly. This makes the procedure the number one choice for anyone who works a lot on screens or can no longer tolerate contact lenses due to dryness.

The EyeLaser suitability check: Traffic light system for SmartSight Nova

Kosten

🟢 Green Light (Ideal Conditions):

  • Nearsightedness: From -1.0 to -10.0 diopters.
  • Astigmatism: Up to approx. 5 diopters.
  • People with dry eyes / contact lens intolerance.
  • Athletes (boxing, soccer, swimming), as no flap can slip.
  • Professions with physical demands (police, fire department, trades).

🟡 Yellow light (Individual medical examination):

  • High prescription values with very thin corneas (tissue limit).
  • Age 45-50 and above (reading glasses age): Here we examine “PresbyMAX” or lens replacement as long-term better alternatives for freedom from glasses.

🔴 Red light (Not suitable):

  • Pure farsightedness (hyperopia): Femto-LASIK is often more precise here.
  • Keratoconus (pathological corneal weakness).
  • Pregnancy / breastfeeding (hormones temporarily change visual acuity).

The “Hidden Benefit”: Sustainability (Green Vision)

In a modern city like Vienna, this is an often overlooked factor: those who wear daily or monthly contact lenses produce mountains of plastic waste, microplastic packaging, and pollute wastewater with chemical cleaning agents over 10 years. SmartSight Nova is a one-time procedure. Zero waste for the rest of your life. Eye laser surgery is active sustainability.

Why EyeLaser Vienna?

“In my practice in Vienna, I experience two types of fears. The rational fear: ‘Will I see as well as with glasses?’ And the emotional fear: ‘Will I lose control if I move my eye during surgery?’. SmartSight Nova is my answer to both. CenTrax technology removes all uncertainty. It ‘sees’ your visual axis better than any human. And even if you move your eye, the laser compensates in real time. It’s the procedure I would choose if I were on the operating table myself.”
– Dr. med. univ. Victor Derhartunian, FEBO

Your eyes deserve precision, no compromises

Are you ready to see Vienna with new eyes? Find out in a few minutes if SmartSight Nova is right for you. Don’t leave your eyesight to outdated technologies.

100% non-binding. No waiting time. Medically reviewed.

Click here & book a free suitability check in Vienna