The latest in corrective vision procedures will be conducted Friday for the first time in Tennessee.
Wang Vision 3D Cataract & LASIK Center in Nashville, operated by veteran eye surgeon Dr. Ming Wang, will conduct the state’s first SMILE procedure to correct myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness. The procedure was approved for use in the United States last year and is considered a step up from previous Lasik treatments.
SMILE, formally known as Small Incision Lenticule Extraction, has been conducted in other countries since 2011 and is considered less invasive and less likely to lead to complications such as dry eye.
The procedure removes a small piece of tissue through a smaller incision than typically used in Lasik procedures. The tissue removal alters the cornea and can permanently change the prescription necessary to correct nearsightedness, according to information provided by Wang.
“We were very excited to be able to once again introduce the next-generation laser correction procedure to the state,” Wang said. A 39-year-old public relations professional will receive the treatment Friday, becoming the first to have the procedure done in Tennessee, according to Wang.
The SMILE procedure cannot correct farsightedness and Lasik remains the preference for a majority of patients, Wang said.
