When LASIK makes sense
You have a standard prescription and a healthy, thick-enough cornea, and laser correction is suitable for you. LASIK can also treat long-sight, which SMILE Pro cannot.
Comparing your options · Himayat Nagar
LASIK, SMILE Pro or ICL, which is right for your eyes?
Three procedures that aim to reduce dependence on glasses. Which one is suitable depends on your eyes. Here is how LASIK, SMILE Pro and ICL compare, and how suitability is decided. Results vary from person to person.
Side by side
How the three really compare.
A like-for-like look. No option is "best", each suits a particular kind of eye.
| LASIK | SMILE Pro | ICL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Laser reshapes the cornea under a thin flap | Laser reshapes the cornea, flapless, through a tiny opening | A soft lens placed inside the eye |
| Corneal flap | Yes, a thin hinged flap | None | Not applicable, no laser |
| Corrects | Short-sight, long-sight & astigmatism | Short-sight & short-sight with astigmatism | A wide range, including high short-sight |
| Often best for | Many standard prescriptions with healthy corneas | Short-sight, active or sporty lives, dry-eye-prone eyes | High power, thin or irregular corneas, dry eyes, eyes laser can't treat |
| Corneal tissue | Reshaped, tissue removed | Reshaped, less surface disturbed | None removed |
| Reversible | No, permanent reshaping | No, permanent reshaping | Yes, lens can be removed or exchanged |
| Dry-eye tendency | Can be more at first, then settles | Tends to be less, flapless | Minimal, no corneal nerves cut |
| Recovery | Usually days, varies | Usually days, varies | Usually days, varies |
| At Dr. P. Siva Reddy Eye Hospital | In-house | In-house, on the ZEISS VISUMAX 800 | In-house |
Scroll the table sideways to see all three →
In plain words
When each one makes sense.
How care is organised here
Assessment, procedure and follow-up as one plan.
Your assessment, your vision correction and follow-up visits are planned together, so the findings from your consultation carry through to the procedure and the reviews afterwards.
1
ConsultationExamination, measurements and time for your questions.
2
ProcedurePlanned from the measurements taken at your consultation.
3
Follow-upReview visits at set intervals, with written instructions.
At your consultation
What is discussed before any procedure.
- You meet the operating surgeon before the day of the procedure.
- The lens or treatment plan is discussed in relation to your eye and your daily needs.
- Risks, benefits and alternatives are explained, and results vary from person to person.
- You are told whom to contact after the procedure and when your reviews are due.
Dr. P. Siva Reddy Eye Hospital
Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad. Established 1975.
Surgeon: Dr. H. Siva Mohan Reddy, MBBS, DO, DNB (Ophthalmology). Registered with the Telangana State Medical Council, Reg. No. 57104.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best, LASIK, SMILE Pro or ICL?
None of them is best for everyone. They suit different eyes. LASIK and SMILE Pro reshape the cornea with a laser; ICL adds a soft lens inside the eye. The right one depends on your prescription, your corneal thickness and shape, and your dry-eye status. One assessment measures all of that, and the recommendation follows from it.
Which is safest?
All three are well-established procedures for suitable eyes, and each carries risks, which are explained before you decide. Safety depends largely on choosing a procedure suitable for your eyes, and on not operating when none of them is suitable. That is why the measurements come first.
Which is best for dry eyes?
Flapless SMILE Pro disturbs fewer of the corneal nerves that govern dry eye than standard LASIK, and lens-based ICL disturbs none of them. If dry eye is a concern, your tear film is assessed and treated first, and the recommendation takes it into account. See our dry eye page.
Which is best for high power or very strong glasses?
ICL can often correct higher short-sight, beyond what laser can safely correct, because it adds a lens rather than removing corneal tissue. For strong prescriptions it is frequently the option considered.
Which works for thin or irregular corneas?
ICL, because it removes no corneal tissue. Laser (LASIK or SMILE Pro) needs enough healthy, regular cornea to reshape, so thin or irregular corneas, or keratoconus, usually rule laser out. The corneal scan shows this.
Can I have laser if I have keratoconus?
No, keratoconus rules out LASIK and SMILE Pro, because reshaping an already-weak cornea is unsafe. Some stable eyes may still suit ICL, and keratoconus itself needs its own care first. What is possible for your eyes is explained at the assessment.
Is the cost very different between them?
It depends on your eyes and the option that suits them, which we only know after measuring. A written estimate is given after your assessment. You can contact the hospital on WhatsApp or by phone.
How do I find out which one suits me?
One refractive suitability assessment measures your prescription, corneal thickness and shape, and the space inside your eye, everything needed to tell you whether LASIK, SMILE Pro, ICL, or none is right. The surgeon who assesses you gives you the recommendation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. H. Siva Mohan Reddy, MBBS, DO, DNB (Ophthalmology). Registered with the Telangana State Medical Council, Reg. No. 57104. Last reviewed 25 June 2026.
Appointments and contact
You can reach Dr. P. Siva Reddy Eye Hospital on WhatsApp or by phone during OPD hours.
OPD hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM and 4:30 PM to 7 PM. Closed on Sunday.