Thanksgiving SMILE Laser Eye Surgery

Thanksgiving is one of the few long weekends when almost everyone in Southern California slows down at once. Offices close Thursday and Friday, kids are home from school, and families gather around a table to talk about what they are grateful for. For many people who wear glasses or contacts, it is also the weekend when someone at the table asks, "Have you ever thought about getting your eyes done?"

Why the long weekend matters

A four-day weekend is a natural window for recovery. People who choose SMILE or SMILE Pro often like having a few quiet days before returning to work, without using vacation time. That only works if the planning starts early. Measurements and candidacy have to be confirmed first, contact lenses need to stay out for a period before testing, and the schedule fills up around the holidays. If Thanksgiving is your target, book a Free VIP consult, in office and virtually, in October or early November.

SMILE and SMILE Pro, in brief

SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) corrects eligible nearsightedness, with or without astigmatism, by creating a thin lenticule inside the cornea with a femtosecond laser and removing it through a small opening, without a LASIK flap. SMILE Pro uses the newer ZEISS VISUMAX 800. Both are for adults with a stable prescription who meet the measurement criteria. Read more on the SMILE and SMILE Pro pages.

If you are recovering over Thanksgiving

Follow your surgeon's instructions exactly, and use these as reminders, not replacements. Use your prescribed drops on schedule, even in the middle of a busy dinner; setting phone alarms helps. Do not rub your eyes, and keep curious nieces and nephews from poking around your face. Wear any protective shields as directed while sleeping. Kitchen steam, smoke from a fireplace or a backyard smoker, and spattering oil are all reasons to stay a step back from the stove for a few days and let someone else handle the turkey.

Screens, football and rest

Long afternoons of football and movies are part of the holiday. In the first days after treatment, your surgeon may suggest limiting screen time and taking frequent breaks. Blink often, rest your eyes during halftime, and use lubricating drops if they have been recommended. Bright stadium-style lighting at home is fine; staring at a phone in a dark room for hours is less comfortable.

Traveling for the holiday

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel weekend of the year. If you are flying, ask your surgeon about timing first; dry cabin air can make healing eyes feel scratchy, so pack your drops in your carry-on. If you are driving, someone else should drive until you are cleared. The first follow-up visit is usually soon after treatment, so plan travel around it rather than the other way around.

Gratitude for sight

Thanksgiving is a good time to notice the things we take for granted, and vision is near the top of that list. Being able to read a recipe card without searching for glasses, or see the faces across the table clearly, is a quiet kind of gift. That is why some families choose this season to give a loved one a gift certificate toward vision correction. It is their present, chosen in the amount they wish, not a promotion from Khanna Vision Institute.

Who should not plan surgery around the holiday

Not everyone is a candidate for SMILE or SMILE Pro. People whose prescriptions are still changing, who have certain corneal conditions, or who need reading correction may be better served by another approach, or by waiting. Rajesh Khanna, MD has more than 25 years of experience and 25,000+ procedures, and the consult is designed to give an honest answer. Results vary from person to person.

Where to start

Khanna Vision Institute has offices in Beverly Hills, at 9100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 265 East with validated parking, and in Westlake Village, at 31824 Village Center Rd, Suite F with a free lot. Call (310) 482-1240 or (805) 230-2126.

Thanksgiving FAQ

Can I have SMILE right before Thanksgiving?

Possibly, if candidacy is confirmed in time and the follow-up schedule works. Book the consult early.

Can I cook Thanksgiving dinner after SMILE?

Let someone else handle steam, smoke and spattering oil for the first few days, and follow your surgeon's instructions.

Can I fly over the holiday after treatment?

Ask your surgeon first, and keep your drops in your carry-on.

Request a Free VIP consult or call (310) 482-1240.