Cebu Doctors University Hospital revolutionizes the Refractive surgery to provide faster and more precise vision correction in a more comfortable manner, through the introduction of its newest acquisition, the Visumax 800 - SMILE pro.
Just in time for the Sinulog Celebration, CebuDoc Group also presents another Cebuano breakthrough as a way of marking a medical milestone and fulfilling the mantra of providing not just innovative patient care but also a quality one.
All this, in 9 seconds, in SMILE pro, the first in the entire Southeast Asia.
The VISUMAX 800 - SMILE pro
The pursuit to offer the latest technology to treat eye problems such as nearsightedness and
astigmatism, birthed the acquisition of the SMILE pro. It is timely and relevant considering that there has been a prevalent eye problem that needed to be addressed in the country alone.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), before the COVID-19 pandemic, there are over 4 million Filipinos living with undiagnosed eye problems. Some of these 4 million Filipinos may have the chance to change these significant figures with the SMILE pro without hampering any of their existing routines.
CebuDoc made waves with the introduction of the SMILE procedure to Cebuano back in 2021. It was the most advanced state-of-the-art laser vision correction option since LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) through the acquisition of the Visumax 500 that eliminates the need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Approximately more than a year of its acquisition, CebuDoc managed to elevate more features that provide a faster, more precise, and now more comfortable eye laser procedure through the newest Visumax 800 - SMILE pro.
Doctor Potenciano ‘Yong’ Larrazabal III, CebuDoc Group’s President and Chairman of the Board expressed that the SMILE pro was an opportunity to provide topnotch medical technology for the public and specifically put it in Cebu.
“Because of the availability of the latest technology, we wanted to be the first not only in the country, but also in Southeast Asia to provide it, so we immediately grabbed the chance,” said the Chairman.
CebuDoc Revolutionizes Refractive Laser Surgery in 9 Seconds
The introduction of the SMILE procedure did not just revolutionize the procedure but eliminated the restrictions the next day that cannot be done with LASIK surgery.
Doctor Yong Larrazabal III, a renowned Ophthalmologist himself, said that the SMILE pro does not just remove the need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses but gives a green light to do normal activities the next day, including intense sports.
These features were specifically highlighted to keep up with patients who don't have the luxury of time to extend their respective recovery periods. The SMILE pro meets the need for an eye treatment that will able them to continue their daily routine the way it is with a better version.
“The most important is the recovery, they can do anything the next day, swimming, sports, if you accidentally rub your eye nothing will happen, you can take a shower right away, and sleep in any position, a lot of patients like that, they want to do their normal activities right away,” Doctor Larrazabal explained.
“Also, there’s a study that showed that it’s very stable in the long run because you don’t cut a flap anymore, you maintain the stability of the entire cornea. And lastly, dry eyes are very common after LASIK, a lot of patients complain, but since we don’t cut any flap anymore, we don’t cut the anterior corneal nerves, so the incident of dryness is almost zero,” he further explained.
These comprehensive elements can be done in 7 to 9 seconds in a minimally invasive and gentle procedure. According to Doctor Yong, the previous 23 seconds SMILE procedure was reduced to less than 10 seconds to eliminate the anxiety of being under operation.
"But with Visumax 800, before you know it, less than 10 seconds, it is done already,” said Doctor Yong.
EYE SMILE Pro for Sinulog
As it also the season for a festivity to amplify the thanksgiving through the Sinulog Festival, Doctor Larrazabal III implies that the introduction of the SMILE pro is a ‘blessing’ not just for Cebu but to the rest of the country. It emphasizes a celebration for the at least 300 patients that were already catered to since its acquisition in November of 2022.
“When I catered my first patient, who also happens to be a Cebuano, I really felt amazing and lucky. The patient is also very lucky to be first to experience this technology, and I also felt blessed to be the first surgeon to do the procedure in the entire Southeast Asia,” said Doctor Yong.
As CebuDoc Group continues the vision to be at the forefront in providing compassionate patient care not only holistically but also in the latest technology, the SMILE for Sinulog is just the beginning.
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