SMILE® pro — Freedom in a Blink
SMILE® pro is a minimally invasive refractive eye surgery that reshapes the cornea without the use of blades or creating a flap. Enjoy sharper sight and a prompt return to your daily routine. With our 15 years of experience, our trusted refractive surgery doctors are ready to help transform your sight with confidence.
Designed for comfort and ease.
Quick & Convenient
Minimal Downtime
Safe & Reliable
Enhanced Patient Comfort
For Myopia Up to –10.00 D & Astigmatism Up to –5.00 D
Why Choose SMILE® pro?
Quicker & Blade-free
Less Downtime
Faster Recovery
Less Dry Eyes
Minimally Invasive
LASIK or SMILE® pro?
SMILE® pro reshapes the cornea with a computer-guided laser, using a slit just 2mm wide. This is a comprehensive treatment option for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. Unlike older forms of refractive eye surgery that creates a 20mm flap, this approach disturbs less surface tissue, so most people resume desk work within a day.
| LASIK | SMILE® pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Incision Size | About 20mm flap | About 2mm entry |
| Corneal Flap | Full flap created and lifted | No flap needed |
| Myopia Range | Up to about –8.00 D | Up to –10.00 D |
| Astigmatism Range | Up to about –3.00 D | Up to –5.00 D |
| Tissue Reshaping | Excimer laser on the surface layer | Thin lenticule removed from inside the cornea |
Book a consultation to determine if SMILE® pro is suitable for you.
Small Entry, Reduced Discomfort:
SMILE® pro Explained
SMILE® pro reshapes the cornea with a computer-guided laser, using a slit just 2mm wide. This is a comprehensive 1 treatment option for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. Unlike older forms of refractive eye surgery that creates a 20mm flap, this approach disturbs less surface tissue, so most people resume desk work within a day. Because the eye’s cornea stroma is minimally disturbed, corneal nerve reinnervation (nerves regeneration) can proceed quickly. 2
4 Reasons To Choose This Procedure
-
Quick Process:
The time required is less than 10 seconds per eye -
Minimally Invasive:
A small entry means less surface disturbance and a gentler experience. -
All-Laser, No Blade, No Flap:
A computer-guided laser performs the reshaping without a mechanical blade or large corneal flap. -
Low Downtime:
Less dry eyes. 3 Most people are back to desk work or light study within a day or two
Are These Sight Problems Troubling You?
sip a hot drink, leaving you half-blind
Unlock Sharper Sight in Just 4 Simple Steps
STEP 1
Comprehensive Eye Check
Meet your ophthalmologist for a detailed review of eye health, which may include:
- Vision and refraction tests
- Eye-pressure reading
- Corneal mapping and retinal imaging
These checks confirm you are a suitable candidate and give you time to ask questions.
STEP 2
Personalised Treatment Plan
The doctor will provide you with clear, written guidance on:
- How to prepare in the days before treatment
- What will happen during the procedure
- Eye-drop schedule and simple after-care tips
STEP 3
SMILE® pro Treatment Day
- A nurse cleans your eyelids and applies numbing drops—no injections needed.
- You change into a gown and lie comfortably under the laser.
- The Laser Takes less than 10 seconds per eye; the whole session is completed within 15 to 20 minutes.
STEP 4
Follow-Up And Recovery
- Attend your first quick check-up one day after surgery.
- Come back for follow-up visits at one week and one month.
- At each visit, your doctor checks that you’re healing well and tweaks your eye drops if needed.
- Once you get the all-clear, enjoy everyday life in clear focus.
Why Choose Asia Pacific Eye Centre
Reliable
Over 15 years in serving patients. Our reputation has been built around experience, reliability, and proven results, as shown by our large pool of referral patients.
Technology
We believe in continuous innovation and regularly update medical equipment in line with industry developments.
Care Led By Experienced Ophthalmologists
Rest assured in the care of doctors with many years of surgical practice, supported by seasoned nurses and optometrists.
Meet Your Eye Surgeons
Dr Lee Hung Ming
Senior Consultant | Eye Surgeon
Specialities: Cataract, Refractive Surgery, Cornea & External Eye Disease
Languages: English, Mandarin, Bahasa & Hokkien
Qualifications: MBBS (Singapore), M.Med (Ophth),
FRCS (Edinburgh), FAMS (Ophth)
- Trusted Eye Specialist with Excellent Track Record
- 20+ Years of Experience
- 20,000+ Cataract & LASIK Cases
- Former Head of Refractive Surgery at TTSH & NUH
Read more about Dr Lee Hung Ming
Dr Lee Hung Ming was the first in Singapore to perform:
- Bladeless LASIK Surgery (2004)
- ICL Surgery for the Treatment of Myopia (2005)
- Laser-Assisted Bladeless Cataract surgery via Femtosecond Laser (2012)
Prior to his current appointment, Dr Lee Hung Ming was formerly the Head of LASIK surgery in 2 of Singapore’s premier hospitals — Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and National University Hospital (NUH). Unbeknownst to many, he decided to become an eye specialist after losing his grandmother to eye disease and blindness.
A sought-after speaker at many international and regional eye meetings, Dr Lee was awarded the ACE Award, the highest educator award for training Asia-Pacific surgeons in cataract and refractive surgery, by the Asia-Pacific Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery in 1994.
During his school days, he was the state badminton player for his hometown in Kelantan, Malaysia. Subsequently, he moved to Singapore to study under an ASEAN Scholarship. While in University, he played 6 sports for NUS Medical Faculty and captained the NUS Badminton Team. Apparently, he spent all his time on a badminton court, or courting his wife, a fellow medical student. They are now happily married with 4 children.
Dr Tan Yar Li
Senior Consultant | Eye Surgeon
Specialities: Glaucoma, Cataract, Refractive Surgery (LASIK)
Languages: English, Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew
Qualifications: MBBS (Singapore), M.Med (Ophth),
MRCSEd (Ophth), FAMS (Ophth)
Fellowship Trained Specialist
Former Consultant at Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
Former Deputy Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Changi General Hospital
- Dr Tan Yar Li was awarded 3 gold medals for Best Candidate in Glaucoma, Vitreoretinal as well as Neuro-ophthalmology in the Eye Specialists’ Exit exam
- Dr Tan was one of the first few surgeons in Singapore to perform Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
Read more about Dr Tan Yar Li
Dr Tan obtained her Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the National University of Singapore. Thereafter, she did Ophthalmology residency training in Singapore and qualified as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. She obtained her Master of Medicine (Ophthalmology) qualifications from NUS and completed a further 3 years of advance surgical training at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Dr Tan obtained her specialist accreditation as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS), where she was awarded 3 gold medals for Best Candidate in Glaucoma, Vitreoretinal as well as Neuro-ophthalmology in the Eye Specialists’ Exit exam. After having obtained her specialist accreditation, she also successfully completed her Glaucoma subspecialty fellowship training at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Dr Tan has more than a decade of ophthalmology experience and her current clinical practice includes general ophthalmology, cataract and refractive surgery (LASIK and advanced surface ablation) as well as in the subspecialty field of Glaucoma. She is well-versed in performing cataract surgery with implantation of multifocal and toric intraocular lens for the correct of myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia.
Her current area of interest is in Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) and she was also one of the first few surgeons in Singapore to perform these surgeries.
Prior to her current appointment, Dr Tan was a consultant ophthalmologist at the Glaucoma department of the Singapore National Eye Centre and Deputy Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Changi General Hospital. She was also actively involved in the teaching of medical students, residents as well as paramedical staff. Dr Tan is currently a visiting consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Dr Tan genuinely cares for and listens to her patients as she firmly believes that patients’ outcome is the most important, and this can be only be achieved when there is a good doctor-patient relationship, which is the keystone to good medical care. Outside of work, she is a mother to 2 lovely kids and she is an avid runner and baker during her spare time.
Dr Wong Chee Wai
Senior Consultant | Eye Surgeon
Specialities: Retinal Conditions, Cataracts
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Qualifications: MBBS (Singapore), M.Med (OPHTH),
FAMS (Ophth), MCI (Singapore), PHD (UTRECHT)
Fellowship Trained Specialist
Former Consultant at Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
Former Clinical Lead of the High Myopia Clinic at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
Started the Surgical Retina Service at Sengkang Hospital
Former Assistant Professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School
- Dr Wong Chee Wai was awarded 3 gold medals for Best Candidate in Cornea and Refractive, Neuro-ophthalmology and Ethics in the Eye Specialists’ Exit exam
- Research Training Fellowship Award, National Medical Research Council (2017)
Read more about Dr Wong Chee Wai
Dr Wong obtained his Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the National University of Singapore. He completed his Basic and Advanced Specialist Training in Ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye Centre, obtaining his Master of Medicine (Ophthalmology) qualification from NUS in 2012.
In 2015, he received his specialist accreditation as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS) as the top candidate in the Specialist Exit examination in Ophthalmology, where he was awarded 3 gold medals for Best Candidate in Cornea and Refractive, Ethics as well as Neuro-ophthalmology. After having obtained his specialist accreditation, he also successfully completed his Vitreoretinal subspecialty fellowship training for both Medical and Surgical Retina at the Singapore National Eye Centre
Dr Wong is also an accomplished researcher, having published more than 60 research articles and holds several research grants in the field of myopia and ocular drug delivery.
Dr Wong has been awarded multiple accolades for his research work, including travel grants, prizes at international ophthalmology conferences and the SingHealth Publish Award in 2015. He also completed the Master’s in Clinical Investigation with NUS in 2015, a PhD in ocular drug delivery with Utrecht University in 2021.
Dr Wong has contributed significantly to training and education in the ophthalmology field, including serving as committee member in the 2nd Asia Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society Congress in 2018, 32nd Congress of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in 2017, the 29th Singapore-Malaysia joint meeting in Ophthalmology in 2014 and the Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Meeting in 2013. He has been invited to present lectures at international and regional meetings in India, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. He has also served as Instructor for a course on retina conditions at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual meeting in 2016, and
He also served as SNEC’s deputy director of undergraduate education since 2018 and was the program director of the Duke NUS graduate medical school’s ophthalmology program.
Dr Wong is also actively involved in the local ophthalmology community as a committee member of the Singapore Society of Ophthalmologists since 2013, and the Chair of the Singapore Society of Ophthalmologists Young Ophthalmologist’s Chapter since January 2020. As part of an ongoing effort to deliver eyecare to underprivileged communities in Singapore, Chee Wai and his team have screened more than 3000 low income elderly patients, performed free cataract surgery and helped many of them regain useful vision. These efforts have received media coverage, awards and recognition from national agencies. He has also been invited to international and regional meetings to speak on Singapore’s community outreach efforts and experience in building the Young Ophthalmologists community. His efforts have been recognized at the regional level, having been appointed to the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology’s Young Ophthalmology Standing Committee in September 2020. He is also an active member of the Asia Pacific Young Ophthalmologists, a group comprising of YO leaders from the Asia Pacific Region.
Committed to professional development, he has organised regional congresses, such as the Asia-Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society Congress and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, and has delivered invited lectures across India, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. In 2016, he instructed a retina course at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.
Locally, Dr Wong sits on the committee of the Singapore Society of Ophthalmologists and chairs its Young Ophthalmologists’ Chapter. His outreach work has attracted national recognition, and he represents Singapore on the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Young Ophthalmology Standing Committee.
Dr Gillian Teh
Senior Consultant | Eye Surgeon
Specialities: Oculoplastic, Cataract and Comprehensive Ophthalmology
Languages: English, Mandarin
Qualifications: MBBS (London), MMed (Ophth), FAMS
- Former Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) Clinical Tutor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) - Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Read more about Dr. Gillian Teh
Dr. Gillian Teh received her MBBS from the University of London in 2007 and her Master of Medicine in Ophthalmology (MMed Ophth) at the National University of Singapore where she graduated in 2012. Her dedication to excellence in her area led her to also join the Academy of Medicine of Singapore (FAMS) in 2016, confirming her knowledge and commitment to developing eye care in Singapore and beyond.
Besides her clinical experience, she devotes significant time to teaching and mentoring, working as a clinical instructor at the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Dr. Teh strongly believes in the collective strength of a medical team and actively trains and educates nursing and auxiliary staff. Dr Teh is also a former Ophthalmology Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) specialising in Oculoplastics and Ocular Adnexa Surgery.
Her passion extends beyond the clinic walls and is actively involved in humanitarian activities and mission work. Dr. Teh’s charitable nature inspired her to join in missions in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the remote Indian province of Ladakh. Her dedication to eye care also led her to serve on SNEC’s Philanthropy and Development committee.
From Dr Teh’s perspective, forming a strong doctor-patient relationship is as critical as delivering the highest-quality eye care. She is committed to ensuring that her patients are comfortable at every point and that they achieve the best possible outcome.
Dr. Teh tackles the dual roles of doctor and mom with determination and love. Balancing the duties of her medical work with the joys of family life, she finds contentment in making a good difference for her patients and being available to her husband and three children.
Our Insurance Panels
We welcome all patients, with or without insurance.
Whether you’re covered under a personal or corporate plan, our team can assist you with your claims.
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Ready to Live Every Moment in Clear Focus?
Every week you wait means more fogged lenses during workouts, extra strain while driving, and another year of contact-lens bills. Take the first step toward clearer, more comfortable sight with a quick eye assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon will I see clearly?
Most patients notice markedly clearer vision within a few days, with minor fluctuations settling over a few weeks.
Will it hurt?
Numbing eye drops make the laser step comfortable. You may feel gentle pressure for a few seconds.
What about downtime?
Expect to rest for the first evening. Light desk work and gentle activities are usually fine the next day. Your should wait for your surgeon’s clearance for swimming and contact sports.
Is everyone suitable?
Your suitability depends on your corneal thickness and eye health. A thorough assessment will help you confirm whether SMILE® pro is appropriate for you.
In general, we provide comprehensive treatment options for:
- Myopia treatment – Correct nearsightedness with high precision and reduced recovery time.
- Hyperopia treatment – Improve farsightedness and achieve sharper near and intermediate vision.
- Astigmatism treatment – Address irregular corneal curvature for clearer, more stable vision.
- Presbyopia treatment – Enhance near vision and reduce dependency on reading glasses.
How long do the results last?
The corneal reshaping is intended to be permanent. Natural age-related changes may still occur over time.
References:
- Ganesh S, et al. (2018) “Refractive lenticule extraction SMILE: a new refractive surgery paradigm.” Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
- Reinstein DZ, et al. (2014). Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) history, fundamentals of a new refractive surgery technique and clinical outcomes. Eye and Vision, 1(3)
- Wang B, Naidu RK, Chu R, Dai J, Qu X, Zhou H. (2015) “Dry Eye Disease following Refractive Surgery: A 12-Month Follow-Up of SMILE versus FS-LASIK in High Myopia.” Journal of Ophthalmology