"SMILE LASIK" and "LASIK" get used almost interchangeably online, but they're not the same procedure. Here's the actual distinction, and how to tell which one your eyes are better suited to.
I'm Dr. Baek Dong-won, Representative Director at EYEONCE Eye Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. The name "SMILE LASIK" doesn't help — it has "LASIK" right in it, so patients reasonably assume it's a variant of the same procedure. Structurally, it isn't. The two share a goal (correcting myopia and astigmatism with a laser) but get there through a fundamentally different approach to the cornea, which is what actually matters for who should choose which one.
Regular LASIK creates a thin corneal flap with a laser, lifts it, reshapes the tissue underneath with an excimer laser, then repositions the flap. SMILE LASIK skips the flap entirely — on our Ziemer FEMTO Z8 femtosecond platform, a lenticule (a small disc of corneal tissue) is shaped inside the cornea and removed through a small keyhole incision, correcting the prescription without ever lifting a flap. No flap means more of the cornea's outer structural layers stay intact.
Patients who want to preserve more of the cornea's structural layers, or who lead moderately active lifestyles where flap-related risk is a bigger concern, often lean toward the flapless approach. That said, "better fit" is still decided by your own corneal topography and thickness at the exam, not by lifestyle preference alone — some corneas are simply better suited to one approach than the other regardless of what the patient would prefer.
Yes, though both are flapless keyhole procedures on the same underlying platform. SMILE PRO is our more advanced generation — a refined laser workflow with faster treatment time and enhanced precision and centration — which is why it's usually our first recommendation for suitable candidates who want the premium option. SMILE LASIK remains a solid, proven standard choice within the same flapless family, not an older or lesser technique, just an earlier generation of it.
If you are weighing SMILE PRO, these questions to ask before SMILE PRO surgery in Seoul are worth reading first.
Most patients see clearly enough for daily life by the next morning, with vision continuing to sharpen and stabilize over the following weeks. Temporary fluctuation or mild haziness in the first one to three months is a normal part of the cornea's healing process, not a sign something has gone wrong. If your eyes turn out to be better suited to ICL instead once we see your measurements, we'll tell you that directly rather than fitting you into SMILE regardless.
In the rare case a re-treatment is needed down the line, it's covered by our lifetime aftercare commitment. Contact us on WhatsApp at any time, from anywhere, and we'll review a detailed re-examination and guide you through next steps.
Whether SMILE LASIK, SMILE PRO, LASIK/LASEK or ICL is the right fit depends on your own corneal measurements. This article explains the differences; it can't replace a diagnostic exam with our team.
Representative Director, EYEONCE Eye Clinic Gangnam · Former Clinical Instructor, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Samsung Seoul Hospital · Member, Korean & American Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery · Last reviewed October 2026
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