Why SMILE Is a Great Option for People in High-Impact Sports

Imagine playing a fast-paced soccer match or diving into a swimming pool without worrying about contact lenses falling out or glasses slipping off. For athletes and active individuals, clear vision isn’t just a convenience — it’s essential for performance, confidence, and safety. Yet many hesitate to undergo traditional LASIK due to concerns about flap complications, long recovery times, or risks during contact-heavy activities.

This is where SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) — and its latest evolution, SMILE PRO — has transformed the landscape of vision correction. With its flapless, minimally invasive design, SMILE has become the go-to procedure for people in high-impact sports ranging from martial arts and basketball to triathlons and skiing.

At SNU Eye Clinic in Gangnam, we’ve treated countless professional athletes, military personnel, and highly active patients who sought SMILE as their solution to visual freedom. In this article, we’ll explore why SMILE is uniquely suited for people in high-impact sports, how it compares to LASIK and ICL, and what athletes can realistically expect before and after surgery.

The Challenge of Vision Correction in Sports

Anyone who plays sports regularly knows that glasses and contact lenses have their limitations:

• Glasses: They fog up, slip with sweat, and limit peripheral vision — a critical disadvantage in fast-moving environments like basketball or martial arts.

• Contact lenses: While more flexible, they can dry out during long training sessions, fall out in water, or cause infections if exposed to dust and sweat.

For athletes, even a momentary loss of clarity can impact performance or safety. That’s why many turn to surgical options for permanent vision correction. But not all procedures are equally suited for high-intensity lifestyles.

Why SMILE Stands Out for Athletes

1. Flapless Procedure = Lower Risk of Trauma

Traditional LASIK creates a corneal flap that can, in rare cases, be displaced by sudden impact — a concern for athletes in sports like boxing, rugby, or martial arts. SMILE, however, does not create a large flap. Instead, it removes a tiny lenticule (a disc-shaped piece of corneal tissue) through a 2–3 mm keyhole incision.

For athletes, this means:

• No flap to worry about being dislodged

• Greater long-term corneal stability

• Peace of mind during high-contact or unpredictable movements

It’s like upgrading from a hinged door (LASIK flap) to a tiny, nearly invisible doorway (SMILE incision) — structurally stronger and less vulnerable to force.

2. Faster Recovery and Return to Training

Most athletes are eager to return to training as soon as possible. With SMILE, recovery is typically faster and more comfortable than traditional LASIK.

At SNU Eye Clinic, many patients report:

• Returning to light workouts in just a few days

• Resuming competitive-level training in 1–2 weeks

• Experiencing less dry eye discomfort, which is particularly beneficial for endurance athletes training outdoors

To be honest, most patients are surprised at how little downtime they need. For example, a marathon runner who underwent SMILE PRO with us was back to running short distances within a week — something she hadn’t expected before surgery.

3. Superior Comfort in Harsh Conditions

Athletes often push their eyes into environments where dryness, wind, or sweat become issues. Compared to LASIK, SMILE tends to preserve more corneal nerves, reducing the incidence and severity of dry eye syndrome.

This is especially helpful for:

• Cyclists or runners exposed to wind

• Swimmers who train in chlorinated water

• Skiers competing in cold, dry air

With fewer complaints of dryness, athletes can maintain sharp focus without being distracted by discomfort.

4. Stable, High-Quality Vision

Performance in sports isn’t just about 20/20 vision — it’s about sharp, stable, and reliable eyesight. SMILE offers exceptional quality of vision with reduced risk of halos or glare, which can be critical for night training or indoor competitions.

For example:

• A tennis player needs clear vision under harsh floodlights.

• A martial artist benefits from precise depth perception and contrast sensitivity.

Because SMILE reshapes the cornea with microscopic precision, it delivers results that athletes can depend on in split-second decision-making.

SMILE vs LASIK vs ICL for Athletes

Let’s compare three common procedures to see why SMILE has gained such a reputation among athletes.

ICL is also a strong choice for athletes, especially those with very high prescriptions or corneas too thin for laser procedures. However, because it involves implanting a lens inside the eye, it is more invasive and requires longer-term monitoring.

For many athletes, SMILE strikes the right balance between safety, recovery, and stability.

Real-Life Athlete Journeys with SMILE

At SNU Eye Clinic, we’ve had the privilege of treating patients whose stories highlight the advantages of SMILE:

• A Taekwondo Instructor: Concerned about flap complications with LASIK, he chose SMILE. Within two weeks, he was sparring again without fear of eye trauma.

• A Triathlete: Tired of juggling contact lenses during long training sessions, she underwent SMILE PRO. Now she competes without worrying about hydration or lens loss mid-race.

• A Military Officer: With a career demanding both peak physical activity and resilience under stress, he trusted SMILE for its structural stability. He returned to duty quickly, with crystal-clear vision.

These cases demonstrate how SMILE adapts not just to vision needs, but also to lifestyles that push the body — and eyes — to their limits.

What to Expect if You’re an Athlete Considering SMILE

1. Pre-Surgery Evaluation
   At SNU Eye Clinic, we begin with advanced diagnostic imaging to assess corneal thickness, curvature, and tear film stability. Athletes often worry about whether years of eye strain or dryness from contact lens use could affect candidacy — our detailed screening ensures we make the safest, most precise decision.

2. Surgery Day
   The procedure itself takes about 10–15 minutes per eye. With the new VisuMax 800 femtosecond laser, suction time is significantly reduced, making the experience more comfortable.

3. Recovery
   Most athletes notice improved vision within 24 hours. While full stabilization takes weeks, many can resume light workouts almost immediately — though we advise avoiding swimming pools and direct contact sports for about 2 weeks.

4. Long-Term Results
   SMILE delivers stable, long-lasting outcomes. For athletes, this means confidence that vision will hold up season after season, without the fluctuations that glasses or contacts often bring.

Why Choose SNU Eye Clinic in Gangnam for SMILE?

With so many clinics offering refractive surgery, why do athletes — including professionals — choose SNU Eye Clinic?

• World-Class Expertise: Dr. Chung Eui Sang, our lead surgeon, trained at Seoul National University, Samsung Seoul Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, and has performed over 50,000 successful surgeries.

• Precision Technology: We use the latest SMILE PRO with VisuMax 800, ensuring faster, safer, and more comfortable procedures.

• Customized Approach: Every eye is unique. For athletes, we tailor treatments to balance vision correction with corneal stability, ensuring optimal performance outcomes.

• Trust Built Over Time: Having treated over 5,000 ICL cases and countless SMILE patients, we’ve seen firsthand how surgery impacts athletic careers — and we design care plans accordingly.

Final Thoughts

For athletes and active individuals, SMILE represents more than just vision correction — it’s a path to freedom, confidence, and peak performance. By removing the barriers of glasses and contact lenses while offering flapless stability and quick recovery, SMILE has become the gold standard for those who push their bodies and eyes to the limit.

If you’ve been struggling with glasses or contacts while pursuing your sport, it may be time to explore your options. At SNU Eye Clinic in Gangnam, we specialize in helping athletes and active people achieve clear, lasting vision with the safest, most advanced techniques available.