SMILE Pro for San Francisco Patients | Christmas SMILE
Plenty of people who live in San Francisco grew up in Southern California, and many fly home for the holidays. The idea of having vision correction in Los Angeles usually comes up at a family dinner: a parent was treated here years ago, or a sibling had SMILE Pro and keeps talking about waking up without reaching for glasses. This page is for Bay Area residents weighing whether that makes sense.
Fog, cold and contact lenses
San Francisco weather is hard on contact lens wearers in a different way than Los Angeles. Wind off the Pacific in Golden Gate Park, cold mornings on the Embarcadero and long BART or Caltrain rides all dry out lenses. Cyclists climbing the Wiggle or riders on the Bay Trail often switch to glasses, then fight fog and rain on the lenses. Those are fair reasons to ask about laser vision correction, wherever you choose to have it.
Flying in: LAX or Burbank
The Beverly Hills office at 9100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 265 East is roughly 25 to 40 minutes from LAX by car, and a similar distance from Hollywood Burbank Airport when traffic cooperates. Many Bay Area patients pick Burbank for the shorter terminal walk. Parking is validated if a family member drives you. Do not plan to drive yourself on treatment day, and avoid booking a flight home the same afternoon.
Follow-ups when you live 380 miles away
Aftercare matters. Before scheduling, ask the team how your follow-up visits will be handled and how long you should stay in town. Some patients extend a holiday trip; others return for a long weekend. The plan should be settled before treatment, not after. If the logistics do not work, it is better to know that at the start.
What SMILE Pro is
SMILE Pro uses the ZEISS VISUMAX 800 to create a thin lenticule within the cornea, which is removed through a small opening, without a LASIK flap. It treats eligible nearsightedness, with or without astigmatism, in adults 22 and older. Rajesh Khanna, MD, with more than 25 years of experience and 25,000+ procedures, evaluates each eye individually; LASIK, ASA, EVO ICL or no procedure may be the better answer for some people. Results vary from person to person. More on the SMILE Pro page.
Use the holiday visit well
If you are home for Christmas, a Free VIP consult, in office and virtually, can be done during the trip, or virtually from San Francisco before you fly. That way the in-person time is spent on measurements rather than introductions. Bring your glasses, contact lens details and any records from your Bay Area eye doctor.
A gift from family in Los Angeles
Parents and grandparents sometimes buy a gift certificate toward SMILE Pro for an adult child who lives up north, in an amount they choose. It is a family gift, not a promotion from the practice. The adult receiving it still makes the decision after the consult.
Questions worth asking before you book
How many follow-up visits should I expect, and when? Can any of them be coordinated with an eye doctor near home? How long should contact lenses stay out before measurements? Bay Area patients who ask these early tend to have the smoothest experience, because the trip is planned around the answers.
Bay Area FAQ
Which airport is closest to the Beverly Hills office?
LAX and Hollywood Burbank are both about 25 to 40 minutes away by car, depending on traffic.
Can I fly home the day of treatment?
Plan to stay in town. Your follow-up schedule is set at the consult.
Can I do the consult from San Francisco?
Yes. Start with a virtual Free VIP consult, then complete measurements in the office.
Book a Free VIP consult or call (310) 482-1240.