The number of inquiries about “Smile Pro” eyesight correction is increasing among students who have completed SAT

Since the end of SAT, inquiries about vision correction from students and parents have been increasing faster than usual. As the number of students rushing to prepare for the new semester before entering college increases, it is analyzed that the main factor is that surgical methods that recover quickly attract attention.

Recently, according to the ophthalmology industry, inquiries about “SMILE Pro (SMILE Pro)”, which has a smaller corneal incision range and faster recovery than conventional LASIK and LASEK, has clearly increased compared to the previous year. The portal search volume also recorded a high number of clicks for related information content, with keywords related to Smilasic and SmilePro rising in a week immediately after SAT.

Students who have completed the entrance exam often have severe myopia due to their lifestyle patterns of being exposed to smartphones and laptops for a long period of time. Because of this, there is a steady increase in the number of cases where vision correction is being considered for reasons such as being clean without glasses before entering college and reducing discomfort in lectures and exercises.

In fact, one student posted a question to the college community, “I'm a freshman in my first year, and I'm not sure if I should use SmilePro during my vacation” and got hundreds of comments. In this way, vision correction is accepted as a practical choice to reduce discomfort in student life rather than simply managing appearance.

The reason why many examinees and students look for SmilePro is that the surgery time is short, around 10 seconds, corneal damage is minimized, and the return to daily life is quick, so it is possible to recover during a vacation. The main factor showing a high response is that the laser irradiation speed is faster than conventional Smilasik, and the speed of improvement from the day after surgery due to the small corneal incision range. This trend is spreading across the country.

Jeong Ji-won, director of Busan Bright Eyes Eye Hospital, said, “The proportion of inquiries from examinees and college students with Smile Pro has definitely increased compared to last year. There is a huge need to recover quickly according to the scheduled start of the course or interview schedule.”

However, just because trends and search volumes have increased, SmilePro is not the right answer for everyone. Individual variables such as corneal thickness, type of astigmatism, and progression rate of myopia are different, so it is not advisable to unconditionally choose a specific surgery.

“While it is true that Smile Pro has many advantages in terms of rapid recovery and corneal preservation, students should consider long-term safety first through accurate testing,” said Jeong Ji-won, the director of the hospital.

He also said, “Rather than making a hasty choice based on only the vacation period, you should first check the condition of the cornea, dry eyes, and whether myopia progresses through sufficient tests. If you plan to correct your eyesight before entering college, I recommend that you allow at least 2 to 3 weeks to start the test.”

[Live News Kwak Dong-shin]