Not during the procedure: the eye is numbed with drops and you feel pressure during docking. Pain, burning and light sensitivity come afterwards and last two to four days until the epithelium is closed; a bandage lens, drops and painkillers relieve them. This applies to every surface procedure, including Trans-PRK.

How long is recovery after EASE?

The epithelium heals in a few days and vision improves over weeks. In the registry 82 percent of eyes saw 20/40 or better after one week and 99 percent after one month. Sick leave is usually five to seven days; most people are back in the office after a week.

How does EASE differ from Trans-PRK?

In the laser and in how tissue is removed. In Trans-PRK an excimer laser vaporises epithelium and stroma with UV light; in EASE a femtosecond laser cuts a lentoid through the intact epithelium, which the surgeon lifts off in one piece. Both are flap-free surface methods; EASE delivers far less energy to the tissue, Trans-PRK has many years of data.

The available data are good but short: in the registry of 83 eyes no eye lost a line of best-corrected vision at three months, and grade 1 haze occurred in two eyes. The longest follow-up is 15 months; long-term effects are not yet known. At EyeLaser Zurich we therefore accompany EASE with close check-ups.

Can I have EASE with a thin cornea?

Often yes; a thin cornea is one of the main indications. EASE creates neither flap nor pocket, and the lentoid removes only the tissue the correction needs. The conditions are a residual bed of at least 275 micrometres and a regular corneal shape. If the tissue is not enough even for that, we recommend the ICL lens.

A lentoid is a thin, lens-shaped piece of corneal tissue that the femtosecond laser cuts beneath the intact epithelium; its shape matches the error being corrected. In EASE the surgeon lifts the lentoid off together with the epithelium in one piece. The ATOS cuts the same shape inside the cornea in SmartSight, where it is called a lenticule.

Does EASE correct astigmatism?

Yes, the ATOS compensates for eye rotation and cuts the lentoid with a cylinder correction. In the registry, however, the cylinder was overcorrected by about one fifth on average because no nomogram was used yet, and eyes with more than 1 dioptre of cylinder had haze more often. We therefore recommend EASE mainly up to about 1 dioptre of cylinder.

How does EASE differ from SmartSight and SMILE?

In where the procedure takes place. SmartSight, and its counterpart SMILE on another manufacturer’s laser, cuts the lenticule inside the cornea and removes it through a small access; the epithelium stays intact and you see sharply after one to two days. EASE cuts the lentoid directly beneath the epithelium and removes both together; it heals like a surface procedure, with no pocket in the cornea and about half the energy.

Can corneal haze occur after EASE?

Yes, as after any surface procedure, but it was rare in the registry: 2 of 83 eyes with low cylinder had grade 1 haze that needed no treatment. With more than 1 dioptre of cylinder it was more frequent (7 of 36 eyes). Prevention: steroid drops for four to six weeks and sun protection.

Yes. EASE is CE-marked and is performed on the SCHWIND ATOS, a CE-marked medical device. The manufacturer additionally runs a post-market clinical follow-up under the Medical Device Regulation (MDR 2017/745). At EyeLaser Zurich EASE has been available since September 2026.

Does the refractive error come back after EASE?

We treat only errors that have been stable for at least twelve months; the result is permanent. With age comes natural presbyopia, which is not a return of the error. A residual error does occur, in the registry in 3 of 83 eyes; included for up to ten years after the procedure with a yearly check-up at our clinic.

EASE Zurich | Flap-free laser eye surgery, no UV

In brief

EASE in Zurich — the essentials

EASE (Epithelial All-femtosecond Surface Excision) is a surface laser vision correction method in which the whole procedure is performed with the SCHWIND ATOS femtosecond laser: no excimer laser, no UV light and no flap. The laser cuts a lens-shaped piece of tissue (a lentoid) through the intact epithelium, which the surgeon lifts off in one piece; the epithelium regrows within days. At EyeLaser Zurich Dr Victor Derhartunian performs EASE personally; the procedure takes about 15 minutes for both eyes. EASE costs CHF 2,000 per eye in Zurich.

✓New: EASE is a world first, launched by the manufacturer at the ESCRS congress in London in September 2026; EyeLaser and its sister clinics SwissLaser are among the first centres worldwide to offer it. The method is CE-marked.

✓Principle: a lentoid beneath the intact epithelium, lifted off together with the epithelium in one piece; no flap, no pocket in the cornea, nothing vaporised.

✓Energy: about half that of a lenticule extraction (SmartSight) according to the manufacturer; by theoretical calculation many times less than Trans-PRK.

✓Healing: as with any surface procedure: a few uncomfortable days with a bandage lens, usable vision after a week, full sharpness over weeks.

✓Price: CHF 2,000 per eye, fixed price including check-ups in the first three months; the pre-examination (CHF 300) is credited.

✓Alternative: anyone who needs sharp vision quickly and has enough cornea is better served by SmartSight; Trans-PRK remains the proven surface method, including for hyperopia.

Jump to:Am I suitable? →Results →Healing & risks →All prices →All procedures →

Medically reviewed by Dr. med. univ. Victor Derhartunian, FEBO, FWCRS · Last updated: 29 September 2026

25,000refractive procedures, all performed by Dr Derhartunian personally

CHF 2,000per eye, EASE with the SCHWIND ATOS

2026world launch at ESCRS London; EyeLaser among the first centres

District 1Strehlgasse 33, two minutes’ walk from Paradeplatz

Check my suitability for EASE 044 221 95 02

Suitability

Who is EASE for, and when do we advise against it?

EASE fits when

✓myopia, with or without astigmatism up to about 1 dioptre (higher values assessed individually); the registry treated about −2 to −8 dioptres, single eyes higher

✓age 18 or over, refraction stable for at least twelve months

✓a healthy, regular cornea on tomography with a residual bed of at least 275 micrometres after the procedure

✓a thin cornea in which a Femto-LASIK flap or a SmartSight pocket would cost too much tissue

✓dry eyes or a tendency to dryness, because a surface procedure does not cut the nerves deep in the cornea

✓work or sport in which a flap would be a risk: contact sports, uniformed services, manual work

When we advise against it

iHyperopia — EASE currently corrects myopia and astigmatism. For hyperopia we recommend Trans-PRK or Femto-LASIK, and PresbyMAX from 45.

iHigh astigmatism — In the registry, eyes with more than 1 dioptre of cylinder had haze more often (7 of 36) than eyes with little cylinder (2 of 83), and the cylinder needed a nomogram. We do not refuse outright, but we discuss the alternatives SmartSight NOVA and wavefront-guided Trans-PRK.

iKeratoconus and irregular corneas — As with every laser method. We then treat the condition: cross-linking, CAIRS rings.

iA cornea too thin even for a surface method — If less than 275 micrometres of stroma would remain, we recommend the ICL lens, which removes no tissue.

iAnyone who needs sharp vision immediately — EASE is a surface procedure. Anyone who has to see sharply the next day chooses SmartSight NOVA or Femto-LASIK, if the cornea allows it.

The decision is made at the pre-examination: corneal tomography (shape of the front and back surfaces, exclusion of keratoconus), pachymetry (corneal thickness at every point), an OCT epithelial thickness map, refraction to 0.25 dioptres, pupil size in the dark, tear film and fundus. We discuss the result and the alternatives at the same visit.

Check my eligibility (60 seconds)

Process

How does EASE work at EyeLaser Zurich?

1

Free initial consultation — Quick check, questions, scheduling. The initial consultation is with our team; you see the surgeon at the pre-examination.

2

Pre-examination — Tomography, epithelial map, pachymetry, refraction, fundus; stop soft contact lenses seven days and rigid lenses three weeks beforehand. CHF 300, credited towards the treatment.

3

Procedure — Anaesthetic drops; the laser’s contact glass stabilises the cornea (pressure, not pain); the ATOS tracks the eye, centres and compensates for eye rotation. Three cuts: the posterior surface of the lentoid (this corrects the error), the anterior surface about 75 micrometres below the contact glass (epithelium, Bowman’s layer, 10 to 15 micrometres of stroma) and a 360-degree edge cut. The surgeon lifts epithelium and lentoid off in one piece and places a bandage lens. Both eyes on the same day.

4

Check-ups — Day 1, week 1 (bandage lens removed once the epithelium is closed), month 1 and month 3; steroid drops tapered over four to six weeks. Check-ups in the first three months are included; the yearly check-up costs CHF 180.

Your healing

How does healing after EASE progress?

Guide values from the registry and from experience with surface procedures; your own course is followed at the check-ups.

DAY 0–1

Watering, burning, light sensitivity; vision is blurred. In the registry 57 percent of eyes already saw 20/40 or better on day one, but it is still a day to rest with sunglasses.

DAY 2–4

The epithelium closes the wound and discomfort eases daily. Sick leave is usually five to seven days.

WEEK 1

Check-up, bandage lens removed. In the registry 82 percent of eyes saw 20/40 or better; office work with breaks is possible.

MONTH 1–3

Stabilisation: after one month 99 percent of eyes at 20/40 or better; after three months 77 percent at 20/20 without glasses. The epithelium changes thickness by only one to two micrometres.

Transparency

What are the risks of EASE, and how frequent are they?

EASE shares all the features of a surface procedure with Trans-PRK; the figures come from the Zagreb registry (congress data under review), not from us.

Risks after EASE with frequencies from the Zagreb registry
Risk	How frequent (registry)	What we do
Pain, burning, light sensitivity in the first days	most patients	bandage lens, drops, painkillers, check-up after one week
Slower recovery than after SmartSight or Femto-LASIK	always, a feature of surface methods	explained beforehand; sick leave five to seven days
Corneal haze	2 of 83 eyes grade 1 with low cylinder; 7 of 36 with higher cylinder, including one patient with grade 3 treated with PTK laser	cautious suitability with higher cylinder, steroid drops for four to six weeks, UV protection
Dry eyes	temporarily common, usually milder than after flap methods	lubricating drops, dry-eye treatment before the procedure
Residual error, under- or overcorrection	88 percent of eyes within ±0.50 dioptres; 3 of 83 eyes enhanced	enhancement after stabilisation, included for up to ten years after the procedure with a yearly check-up at our clinic
Overcorrection of astigmatism	cylinder about one fifth too strong on average in the registry, without a nomogram	EASE mainly for cylinder up to 1 dioptre
Infection, delayed epithelial healing	rare; no reliable frequency	antibiotic drops, check-ups, hygiene rules
Unknown long-term effects	longest follow-up 15 months	close check-ups; experience with PRK and lenticule extraction gives no cause for concern

What “new method” means: nobody knows how a cornea behaves five or ten years after EASE. Whoever chooses EASE chooses a method with a shorter track record and should know that. The hypothesis that less energy means less inflammation and less haze is biologically plausible but not yet proven; the registry had no comparison group.

Results

How good are the results of EASE?

Registry of Svjetlost Eye Clinic, Zagreb: 119 eyes of 62 patients, one surgeon, April 2025 to March 2026; primary cohort 83 eyes with cylinder up to 1 dioptre, three months.

77 %

saw 20/20 or better without glasses

at three months, 64 of 83 eyes

96 %

saw 20/25 or better

80 of 83 eyes

0 of 77

eyes lost a line of best-corrected vision

paired measurements

88 %

were within ±0.50 dioptres

69 of 78 eyes; attempted vs achieved slope 0.97

These values come from a congress presentation (ESCRS London, 14 September 2026) whose manuscript is under review, and they are not our own figures. The laser settings were changed three times in the registry; the current protocol has been used since September 2025, and with it 32 of 32 eyes needed no enhancement. The cylinder was overcorrected by about one fifth on average without a nomogram. What is realistic for your eye we tell you after the pre-examination.

Spherical aberration: why night vision might benefit

Spherical aberration is an imaging error in which rays through the edge of the cornea focus differently from central rays; with a wide pupil it shows as halos around lights. The lentoid shape in EASE is the same shape the ATOS cuts inside the cornea in SmartSight. In comparisons with Femto-LASIK, lenticule extraction induced less increase in spherical aberration (Gyldenkerne 2015); comparisons with classic PRK are mixed (BMC Ophthalmology 2021, 2025). For EASE itself there are no data yet, only a single case with −7.3 dioptres and a change of 0.09 micrometres after 13 months. An advantage over Trans-PRK is therefore a hypothesis, not a finding.

Comparison

EASE, Trans-PRK, SmartSight NOVA or Femto-LASIK?

EASE compared with the laser procedures at EyeLaser Zurich (prices per eye)
Feature	EASE	Trans-PRK	SmartSight NOVA	Femto-LASIK
Laser	ATOS femtosecond laser	AMARIS excimer laser	ATOS femtosecond laser	ATOS + AMARIS
Where the procedure takes place	surface, lentoid beneath the epithelium	surface, vaporisation	inside, small access	under a flap
UV light	no	yes	no	yes
thin cornea	yes	yes	depends on reserve	usually not
dry eyes	yes	yes	yes	usually not
contact sports	yes	yes	yes	no (flap)
hyperopia	no	yes	no	yes
cylinder above 1 dioptre	cautiously	yes, wavefront-guided	yes	yes
sharp vision	days to weeks	days to weeks	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 days
clinical experience	since 2025	over 10 years	since 2020	over 15 years
price per eye	CHF 2,000	CHF 1,500	CHF 3,000	CHF 1,800

SMILE is the trade name of lenticule extraction on another manufacturer’s laser, the counterpart of SmartSight, not of EASE. Which method suits you is decided by the measurements at the pre-examination.

Prices & services

What does EASE cost in Zurich?

CHF 2,000 per eye, between Trans-PRK (CHF 1,500) and SmartSight (CHF 2,500).

FIXPREIS

EASE — surface procedure entirely with the femtosecond laser

CHF 2,000 per eye

For thin corneas, dry eyes and anyone who does not want a flap. The pre-examination decides whether EASE or Trans-PRK is the better choice.

Free initial consultation 044 221 95 02

Included in the fixed price

✓Check-ups in the first three months included — afterwards yearly check-up CHF 180

✓Fixed price — no surcharges after the pre-examination

✓Enhancement included — for up to ten years, with a yearly check-up at our clinic

✓Emergency availability after the procedure — around the clock in the first 24 hours via the surgeon’s personal mobile number

✓Pre-examination CHF 300 — credited towards the treatment

✓Six months interest-free instalments (about CHF 333 per month per eye); longer terms via HeyLight with interest

Separate

iMedication and eye drops after the procedure — on prescription at the pharmacy

iYearly check-up CHF 180

«In recent years I have come to value one thing: a lenticule that comes out whole, rather than tissue that has to be vaporised. EASE brings that principle to the corneal surface, where we have treated patients with thin corneas for forty years. Whether it is superior to Trans-PRK, nobody has shown yet. What I can promise is that we do it under a fixed protocol and tell you what the measurements show.»
Dr. med. univ. Victor Derhartunian, FEBO, FWCRS

Medically reviewed by Dr. med. univ. Victor Derhartunian, FEBO, FWCRS · Last updated: 29 September 2026

Overview

All procedures compared

On the overview page laser eye surgery you find all procedures side by side, with suitability traffic light, documented results, healing course and fixed prices.

Other procedures at EyeLaser: Trans-PRK · SmartSight · SmartSight NOVA · Femto-LASIK · ICL lens

EASE in Zurich: laser eye surgery with no flap, no UV light and no incision