By Dr. Jignesh Gala — FRCS (Glasgow), MRCS (Edinburgh), FICO (London), DOMS, MBBS | Medical Director, Topax Eye Hospital, Vile Parle East | Founder & Chairman, Crystal Clear Eye Hospital, Andheri West, Mumbai | Reviewer, BMJ Case Reports | Published Author, Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
If you have been searching online for the best LASIK surgeon in Mumbai, the best glass removal surgery near me, or wondering whether to choose SmartSurf with CustomEyes or Wavelight Plus InnovEyes — this is the honest, surgeon-to-patient explanation you deserve.
I’m Dr. Jignesh Gala. I have personally performed over 3,000 laser vision-correction procedures and over 15,000 ophthalmic surgeries across Mumbai and Singapore. My patients come from Andheri, Vile Parle, Santacruz, Khar, Bandra, Juhu, Goregaon, Malad and beyond — and the most common question they ask me is: “Doctor, which LASIK is actually the best?”
The short answer: SmartSurf with CustomEyes, performed on the SCHWIND AMARIS 1050RS platform — currently installed at my flagship Topax Eye Hospital in Vile Parle East, Mumbai — is, in my professional opinion, the most patient-friendly, safest and most advanced specs removal surgery available today. Below, I’ll explain exactly why.
Quick takeaway: SmartSurf + CustomEyes is the only mainstream laser vision correction technique that involves no flap, no blade, no incision, no suction, and no instrument touching your eye. Wavelight Plus InnovEyes — although excellent technology — still requires creating a corneal flap. That single difference changes everything for the patient.
What Is SmartSurf with CustomEyes?
SmartSurf (also written as SmartSurfACE) is the next generation of no-touch surface laser vision correction, performed using SCHWIND’s flagship AMARIS excimer laser combined with proprietary SmartPulse Technology. The CustomEyes module then layers an aberrometric, wavefront-personalised treatment plan on top, so the laser corrects not just your spectacle number but also the unique higher-order aberrations of your eye.
In simpler words: the laser corrects your vision by gently working through the surface of the cornea — without any blade, without lifting any flap, and without any instrument ever touching your eye. The entire procedure happens in a single, uninterrupted laser step.
How the Procedure Feels for a Patient
You lie down. Numbing eye drops are placed.
You stare at a green fixation light.
The laser begins. There is no clamp, no suction ring, no blade, no instrument on your eye.
In one continuous, computer-guided step, the laser gently smooths the surface and reshapes the cornea to correct your refractive error.
A bandage contact lens goes on. You walk out within 10 minutes per eye.
That’s it. No discomfort during surgery. No pressure on the eye. No fear of “what if I move.”
Wavelight Plus InnovEyes — How It Compares
Alcon’s Wavelight Plus InnovEyes (WaveLight EX500 + InnovEyes Sightmap diagnostic + ray-tracing software) is genuinely good technology. I want to be fair: it offers fast laser delivery, AI-assisted ray-tracing personalisation and excellent eye tracking. Many reputable surgeons across Mumbai use it.
However, Wavelight Plus InnovEyes is still a flap-based LASIK. That means a femtosecond laser must first cut a circular flap in the cornea, the flap is lifted, the excimer laser does the correction underneath, and then the flap is laid back. The flap never fully heals back to its original tensile strength — for the rest of your life, that flap interface remains a potential weak point.
This is the single most important difference between the two procedures, and it has serious real-world implications.
Head-to-Head: SmartSurf + CustomEyes vs Wavelight Plus InnovEyes
Parameter
SmartSurf + CustomEyes (SCHWIND AMARIS)
Wavelight Plus InnovEyes (Alcon EX500)
Corneal flap
No flap. Ever. Cornea remains structurally untouched.
Yes — femtosecond flap is cut, lifted, and replaced.
Blade / instrument contact
Zero. Completely no-touch.
Suction ring + femtosecond docking on the eye.
Suitable for thin corneas
Yes — preserves more corneal tissue.
Limited — flap consumes 100–110 microns of tissue.
Risk of flap dislocation
Impossible — there is no flap to dislocate.
Lifetime risk, especially in trauma or contact sports.
Long-term dry eye risk
Significantly lower — corneal nerves are minimally disrupted.
Higher — flap creation severs more corneal nerves.
Best for athletes, military, defence aspirants
First choice globally.
Generally avoided in flap-restricting professions.
Personalised wavefront treatment
Yes — CustomEyes aberrometry-guided.
Yes — InnovEyes ray-tracing.
Eye tracker
7D active eye tracker — among the most advanced in the world.
6D eye tracker, 1050 Hz.
Treatment of higher-order aberrations
Excellent — SmartPulse leaves an ultra-smooth corneal surface.
Good.
Suitable when patient cannot tolerate suction
Yes — no suction at all.
No.
Anxiety / claustrophobia friendly
Very — no instrument touches the eye, no suction blackout.
Patients often report pressure sensation.
Final visual quality
Sharp, crisp, with excellent night vision.
Sharp, crisp.
The Five Reasons SmartSurf + CustomEyes Is My First Choice for Mumbai Patients
1. It Is Genuinely a “No-Touch” Surgery — and That Matters More Than Marketing Slogans
In a city like Mumbai, where commute, traffic, dust and pollution are part of daily life, the last thing you want is a corneal flap that can theoretically dislocate years later if you take a stray cricket ball, a child’s elbow, or an accident to the eye. With SmartSurf, that risk is permanently eliminated — because there is nothing to dislocate.
2. It Works Beautifully for Thin Corneas
A surprisingly large number of Indian patients I see — especially young engineering students, software professionals from the IT corridor stretching from Andheri to Goregaon, and patients from BKC — have corneas that are simply too thin or too irregular for safe flap-based LASIK. For these patients, Wavelight or any other flap-based procedure is either off the table or pushed to the borderline. SmartSurf saves their candidacy.
3. Lower Long-Term Dry Eye
Mumbai’s air-conditioned offices, long screen hours and the pollution load make dry eye one of the most under-discussed problems after LASIK. Because SmartSurf does not cut the corneal nerves to the same extent as flap-based LASIK, my patients consistently report fewer post-operative dry-eye symptoms in the long run.
4. CustomEyes Personalisation = Real Visual Quality, Not Just 6/6
“6/6 vision” on a chart and “high-quality vision” in real life are two different things. CustomEyes uses your eye’s individual aberrometry profile to fine-tune the laser ablation — so my patients get crisp night driving, fewer halos around headlights on the Western Express Highway, and better contrast in low-light gyms or restaurants.
5. The Fastest Visual Recovery for Surface Laser Correction, Ever
Older surface laser procedures had a slow, painful recovery — and that’s why many surgeons quietly avoided them. SmartSurf changes that. SmartPulse Technology leaves an exceptionally smooth corneal surface, which translates into significantly faster epithelial healing, less post-operative discomfort and useful vision returning within 3–5 days for most of my patients.
Why You Should Choose Topax Eye Hospital, Vile Parle East — for SmartSurf in Mumbai
I am proud to share that Topax Eye Hospital in Vile Parle East, Mumbai, where I serve as Medical Director, is equipped with the SCHWIND AMARIS top-model excimer laser required to perform SmartSurf with CustomEyes at international quality standards. Very few centres in Mumbai — or even India — offer this exact combination on this exact platform.
Patients across Vile Parle, Santacruz East and West, Khar, Andheri East, Andheri West, Juhu, Bandra, Sion, Dadar, Mahim, Borivali and Malad routinely travel here specifically because the technology is not yet widely available outside our centre.
For consultations, comprehensive eye check-ups and post-LASIK care closer to the western suburbs, my flagship clinic Crystal Clear Eye Hospital, Andheri West (opposite Andheri West railway station) offers the same surgical-team continuity, with seamless transfer of your records to the Vile Parle theatre when you are ready for the procedure.
Medical & Surgical Retina FellowshipL V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad (2018–2019)
DOMS Ophthalmology — 2016Seth G S Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai
MBBS — 2012Grant Medical College & Sir J J Group of Hospitals, Mumbai
Ex-Assistant ProfessorB Y L Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai
Research & Peer-Reviewed Publications
Beyond clinical practice, I am an active contributor to ophthalmic research and peer review. I have published in leading international journals including the British Medical Journal Case Reports and the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, and I serve as a reviewer for BMJ Case Reports. I am also a member of the All India Ophthalmological Society, the Uveitis Society of India, and the Royal Colleges of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Gala JM, Khanna RC. “Misplaced Capsule Tension Ring in Anterior Chamber: A Unique Way of Explantation.”Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 2018;66(7):1009–11. DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_1207_17
Kaza H, Gala JM, Rani PK. “Subfoveal retinal pigment epithelium inflammatory lesion presenting as a sign of reactivation of tubercular multifocal choroiditis.”BMJ Case Reports 2021;14(5):e240280. DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240280 · PubMed: 34031072
Gala JM, Narayanan R. “Posterior Polar Annular Choroidal Dystrophy.”BMJ Case Reports 2019;12(10):e230495. DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2019-230495
Gala JM, Narayanan R. “Bilateral Ocular Ischaemic Syndrome: Takayasu Arteritis.”VRSI 2019.
Gala JM, Narayanan R. “VT302 — A Unique Way of Managing Coats Maculopathy: Intraretinal Macular Cyst Aspiration.” Selected for the C.S. Reshmi Best Video Session, AIOC 2020, Gurugram (February 13–16, 2020).
Gala JM, Narayanan R. “VT389 — Posterior Segment: Intrusion of Dacron Suture and Recurrent Vitreous Hemorrhage: A Rare Complication of Scleral Buckle.” Selected for kiosk screening, AIOC 2020, Gurugram.
Co-recommendation of two published studies in F1000Research with Prof. Ramesh Kekunnaya.
This research record matters for one reason: when you choose a refractive surgeon, you want someone who not only operates daily but also actively engages with the global evidence base — questioning techniques, publishing complications, and continuously refining practice based on peer-reviewed science.
Who Is a Good Candidate for SmartSurf with CustomEyes in Mumbai?
You are between 18 and 50 years of age with a stable spectacle number for at least 12 months.
You have myopia (up to -10D), hyperopia, or astigmatism.
You have thin corneas and were told elsewhere that LASIK is “not safe” for you.
You are an athlete, defence aspirant, IPS/SSB candidate, pilot, boxer, martial artist, contact-sports player, or work in a high-impact profession.
You suffer from chronic dry eyes or computer vision syndrome and worry about post-LASIK dryness.
You are anxious, claustrophobic, or simply not comfortable with the idea of a blade or suction on your eye.
You want the most premium, future-proof outcome available in Mumbai today.
SmartSurf LASIK Recovery — What Mumbai Patients Should Expect
Day 0 (day of surgery): Mild watering, light sensitivity, and a gritty sensation for 4–6 hours. Sleep with protective shields.
Day 1–3: Vision is hazy initially, then progressively clears. Eye drops as prescribed. Avoid screens, swimming, and dust.
Day 4–7: Most patients are back to work, driving locally, and returning to normal activity. Bandage contact lens removed at the clinic.
Week 2–4: Vision continues to sharpen. Night vision keeps improving.
Month 3: Final visual stabilisation. Most patients report sharper vision than they ever had with glasses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is SmartSurf LASIK painful?
No — the surgery itself is completely painless because of numbing drops and the no-touch design. There can be mild irritation for the first 24–48 hours of healing, similar to a strong onion-cutting sensation, fully managed with prescribed eye drops.
Q: How much does SmartSurf with CustomEyes cost in Mumbai?
Cost depends on your eye power, corneal mapping and customisation level. We maintain transparent, all-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees. Please call our clinic on +91 77188 85245 for a personalised quote.
Q: Can SmartSurf treat very high spectacle numbers?
Yes — because the technique conserves significantly more corneal tissue, SmartSurf can treat higher myopia values that flap-based procedures often have to refuse.
Q: How is SmartSurf different from SMILE?
SMILE involves a femtosecond lenticule extraction through a small incision. SmartSurf is completely flap-free and incision-free — it is the only mainstream laser eye surgery where literally nothing touches the eye.
Q: Is the technology approved internationally?
The SCHWIND AMARIS platform is CE-marked and is in clinical use in over 100 countries worldwide, including extensively in the European Union, the Middle East and Asia. During your consultation, we will walk you through every regulatory and safety detail so you can make a fully informed choice.
Q: Do you offer SmartSurf at both your clinics?
The SmartSurf + CustomEyes laser platform is currently installed at Topax Eye Hospital, Vile Parle East. Pre-operative work-up, consultation and post-operative follow-up can be done either at Crystal Clear Eye Hospital, Andheri West, or at the Vile Parle centre — whichever is more convenient for you.
Q: How do I book my LASIK consultation with Dr. Jignesh Gala?
Simply call or WhatsApp +91 77188 85245. Our team will schedule a comprehensive screening, walk you through your candidacy, and give you a transparent treatment plan.
