Can SMILE Pro cause dry eyes?
It can. Any refractive procedure involves cutting corneal nerves, which affects the feedback loop that keeps the ocular surface comfortable and moist. Published evidence suggests early dry-eye signs and symptoms are generally less pronounced after SMILE than after flap-based LASIK, but the literature is not unanimous and many patients still experience dryness.
Quick answer
It can. Any refractive procedure involves cutting corneal nerves, which affects the feedback loop that keeps the ocular surface comfortable and moist. Published evidence suggests early dry-eye signs and symptoms are generally less pronounced after SMILE than after flap-based LASIK, but the literature is not unanimous and many patients still experience dryness.
A general answer about SMILE Pro, not advice about your own eyes. Only an ophthalmologist who has examined you can answer it for your case.
- Topic
- Safety, risks & side effects
- Answer length
- Quick answer plus detail
- Sourced
- Yes
In more detail
Most people who develop dryness after surgery find it improves over the first months. For a minority it is persistent. If you already have dry eye, that is a conversation your assessment should address directly rather than gloss over.
Related guides
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure SMILE Pro
- Comparison SMILE Pro vs LASIK
- Place SMILE in Dubai
- Procedure SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
It describes what is generally true. Whether it applies to your eyes depends on measurements taken during an examination, and two people asking the same question can receive different answers. Read the answer as a starting point for the conversation, not as its conclusion.
People also ask
The closest subjects to this question, from both question banks.
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- Can I have SMILE Pro if I have dry eyes? Eligibility & assessment
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- What are the side effects of SMILE Pro? Safety, risks & side effects
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Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Dry Eye after Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) versus Femtosecond Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis: A Meta-Analysis
A meta-analysis pooling several studies on dry eye after SMILE compared with femtosecond LASIK. It also documents where the included studies disagreed.
Used for The dry-eye discussion on the comparison and risks pages; Explaining that the evidence base is mixed rather than unanimous.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dry eye and corneal sensitivity after small incision lenticule extraction: a meta-analysis
A meta-analysis of corneal sensitivity and dry-eye measures after SMILE compared with femtosecond LASIK, generally finding faster recovery of sensation in the SMILE group in the early postoperative period.
Used for Corneal sensation and dry-eye timing discussions.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature
A review of dry eye after LASIK, including the mechanisms involved and how other procedures compare in the published literature.
Used for Balanced comparison of dry-eye risk between procedures.
Link checked 22 September 2026