Zeiss Announces 1.5 Million SMILE Procedures Performed
Zeiss announced two milestones in refractive technology: the completion of 1.5 million treatments with SMILE and the production of its 1,000th VisuMax femtosecond laser.
“We are delighted that doctors worldwide have applied the minimally invasive laser correction procedure over 1.5 million times for the treatment of ametropia,” Jim Mazzo, Global President Ophthalmic Devices at Carl Zeiss Meditec, said in a company news release. “We offer surgeons one of the most comprehensive portfolios for refractive laser surgery and the production of the 1,000th Zeiss VisuMax is another testament to our leadership in this field.”
Zeiss is setting performance benchmarks in corneal surgery with VisuMax, the only approved femtosecond laser on the market to treat ametropia using the minimally invasive procedure, according to Zeiss. The VisuMax creates a thin, lenticular disc (lenticule) in the cornea, which is extracted by the surgeon through a small incision in the corneal surface also created by the laser. The virtually intact corneal surface minimizes disruption to the biomechanics of the cornea.
According to Prof. Leonardo Mastropasqua, from the University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti-Pescara, Italy: “The key benefits of SMILE are that we have fewer dry eye symptoms and the rigidity of the cornea remains intact.”
“Procedures and technologies developed by Zeiss help doctors to improve the vision of many people, and we are determined to protect our intellectual property from any infringement,” Dr. Ludwin Monz, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec, said in the news release. “We firmly believe that the patents we hold are critical and necessary to continue to ensure the quality of SMILE in its application and further development.”
The basic intellectual property for SMILE technology is exclusively owned by Zeiss.