ReLEx SMILE

• If you wear soft contact lenses, you must remove them at least 14 days prior to treatment
  If you wear hard (oxygen-permeable) contact lenses, you should remove them at least four weeks prior to the treatment.•
  Night lenses should be removed at least 6 weeks before treatment.
  We advise you to use omega 3-6-9 capsules based on fish oil. This product provides better tear film stability.
  Your eyes should not be made up during the treatment. Small make-up particles can end up in the operating area and cause inflammation. We advise you to stop wearing make-up the day before the treatment and to thoroughly clean the eyelid margins.
  You are not allowed to have your eyelashes dyed or have fake eyelashes (extensions) placed. 4 weeks after the treatment you can have your eyelashes dyed or have extensions placed again.
  Come to the treatment rested.
  Do not use perfume, aftershave and/or day cream on the day of treatment.
  Wear comfortable clothing during the treatment. Avoid wool and clothing with a lot of loose fibers, as these can contaminate the surgical area. The room has a constant temperature of 18 degrees, so take your choice of clothing into account.
  Bring your sunglasses and cap. You may be extra sensitive to light after the treatment. Sunglasses also protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays. This photosensitivity can be quite intense for the first few days. Wear the sunglasses according to your own needs (also indoors if necessary).
  You will not be able to go home independently after the treatment. You must bring an accompanying person.
  You must carefully read the informed consent (the treatment agreement). On the day of the treatment you will be asked to sign an informed consent.

Visus eye clinic does not provide a sedative as standard. If you still want this, you can ask for it.

Step 1
You will be given a jacket, hat and special overshoes.

Step 2
The ophthalmologist or assistant puts anesthetic eye drops in the eye to numb the eye. He then disinfects the eye with iodine.

The ophthalmologist checks the settings again and points you to the fixation light to look for. A ring is then placed on the eye. The Visumax laser will then create a thin piece of tissue in the shape of a lens in a few seconds.

If you squeeze your eyes or move your eyes during this process, you can push the ring off. We will have to place the ring again, this has no consequences for the treatment.

Step 3
The ophthalmologist will remove this thin piece of tissue (lenticle) from under the cornea through an opening of less than 4 mm. No flap has to be cut with the ReLEx SMILE. By removing the lenticle in a minimally invasive procedure, the shape of the cornea changes, as a result of which the refractive error of the eye is corrected.

The ophthalmologist will then drip the eye with antibiotic drops and rinse with eyewash.

Step 4
After the laser treatment, you will go to a room where you can relax. There you will receive the medication you need after the treatment. You will also receive an explanation of how to use it.

Step 5
Before you go home, your eyes will be checked.

How long will the treatment take?
The actual treatment takes about 15 minutes. In total you will be present for approximately 2-2.5 hours. Because Visus eye clinic works with the most advanced equipment, it reserves the right to reschedule an appointment for a treatment until the last minute if the equipment does not meet our very high quality requirements.

You do not have to close your eyes after the treatment, but you can.
Your eyes will water for the first few hours after the treatment. You may also have a burning sensation or headache. You may also not be able to keep your eyes open. You may have the impression that there is something in the eye. Some patients experience it as severe pain. These are normal symptoms that usually disappear after about 4 hours. You can take an analgesic such as paracetamol according to your own needs.

What you see in the first few days is not indicative of the result of the treatment.

You should not shower (head and hair should remain dry) or bathe for the first 24 hours. The 3 days after you can shower or bathe alone without getting water in your eyes.
Your vision may be blurred for the first 24 hours. This will gradually improve; the blurred vision can sometimes also occur during the first weeks after treatment.
Rubbing the eyes should be avoided for at least 2 weeks. After that you should also be careful with rubbing in the eyes for 3 months.
Wear your sunglasses after the treatment. This is to protect the eyes against UVA and UVB radiation and to prevent dirt particles from entering the eye. This is especially recommended for the first 2 weeks.
We recommend wearing protective glasses at night for 1 week. You will receive these protective glasses from us on the treatment day.
After 1 week you can use make-up again. Waterproof make-up is allowed again after 3 weeks. However, be careful when using mascara and eyeshadow for the first two weeks: these should also be removed without rubbing too much or too hard. If you still suffer from dry eyes or often have red eyes, it is better to postpone the use of make-up.
Avoid smoky and dusty areas for up to 2 weeks after the treatment.
You are not allowed to use the sunbed for the first 2 weeks. After that it is better to protect your eyes with special glasses.
It is better not to go to the sauna for the first 2 weeks.
If you work in dusty areas or enter them often, you should wear protective goggles there for the first 2 weeks.
Be careful with activities such as gardening for the first two weeks. Dust/sand can get into the eye and a branch can get into the eye.
If you are 40 years or older, you may now need reading glasses for reading where you did not need them before. You were informed about this during the preliminary examination, see also point 5 Additional treatment methods for an eye laser treatment in this document.

We recommend the following for sports:
Do not exercise at all for the first 3 days. Do not perform the following sports/activities for the first 2 weeks:

Swimming in both salt and chlorinated water.
Sauna and solarium.
To dive

For specific sports or in case of doubt, you can consult the doctor or clinic on 0800 0088.

The speed of recovery varies from person to person. What you see in the first few days is not indicative of the result of the treatment. Visibility is generally good within a day, but can be variable in the first few weeks. Most people go back to work after 2 days. The final result will be achieved after 4-6 months.

We often see a slight overreaction immediately after the treatment due to swelling of the treated surface. With an initial minus strength (-), this means that you will temporarily end up in the plus (+): this can make reading a bit more difficult for a while.
With an initial plus strength (+) you can temporarily end up in the minus (–): because of this the distance will not be very sharp right away.

In the first few months after the treatment it is common that you notice light scattering (glare or halo mainly in twilight/dark) and that the eye feels dry. These side effects will usually disappear on their own.
You may also be more sensitive to light and your strength may not have stabilized yet.

During the first 6 months after the treatment, the vision can be experienced differently with a lot of computer use and/or a lot of driving. You can then drip extra artificial tears.

During the checks we will monitor your recovery. In a very small percentage of people (<2%) the strength does not come out as discussed and hoped. Visus Oogkliniek will discuss with you what the options are for a retreatment in the event of a proven stable eye test. As a rule, a retreatment will not be performed within the first year of the initial treatment.

Resignation letter general practitioner
On the day of treatment you will receive a discharge letter for your GP. You should give this letter to your GP. At the last check-up, a final report will be drawn up for you and your GP.

To make laser eye treatments accessible to a wider public, many health insurers reimburse part of the costs of your treatment from the supplementary insurance. In exceptional cases, you may qualify for a medical indication and your treatment will be paid for under the basic insurance. During our extensive preliminary investigation, we can determine whether you qualify for this.

Which medication should you use and when?

After laser eye surgery, use drops to speed up corneal recovery. You will receive a number of medicines from us. These medicines are prescribed by the ophthalmologist and declared to your health insurer by the home pharmacy of the clinic. Any personal contribution and costs for this are at the expense of the patient. For a repeat prescription, please visit our website: www.visusoogkliniek.nl. Below is an overview of the medication to be used after laser eye surgery. You only use this medication for the treated eye(s)(s).

Follow the following steps:

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them well with a clean towel or paper.
   Sit down and take the bottle of eye drops in your writing hand.
   With the tips of your fingers on your other hand, pull down the lower eyelid to create a trough.
   Tilt your head back and look up (towards your eyebrow). If you cannot bend your head back properly, lie down.
   Place your hand with the bottle on top of the hand that makes the gutter. Place the bottle above your eye. Avoid contact of the bottle with the eye, eyelids and eyelashes.
   Squeeze the bottle and let one drop fall into the gutter.
   Close your eye (don’t squeeze). You can sit up straight again.
   Then press your tear duct closed for 1 minute, by pressing gently just below the small hard bump in the inner corner of your eye (on the side of your nose). This ensures that as little of the eye drop as possible ends up in your nose and pharynx.
   Wash your hands with soap and dry them with a clean towel or paper