Being a Cebuano myself, it’s always good news to me whenever I hear that Cebu Doctor’s Hospital has another innovative information to share, but this time it’s quite close to home. For someone like myself who almost all of my life suffered from vision disorder, specifically Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, this is new launch of CebuDocGroup is VERY good news to me.
Enlivening the values to provide quality and innovative patient care, CebuDoc Group introduces the top-notched ReLEX SMILE pro which elevates Refractive Surgery in 9 seconds within minimal access that eliminates the need to wear glasses or contact lenses.

In time for the Sinulog Celebration just this month, CebuDoc Group 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. 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 – 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

What can ReLex SMILE Pro do for you in 9 seconds?
Faster and More Precise
To eliminate the anxiety of being under the procedure for a long period, ReLEx SMILE pro reduces the surgery time to 9 seconds which executes a pain free and gentle manner.
Minimally invasive and Flapless
To provide a quality patient care, the procedure is done in an innovative and minimally invasive approach, that lessen the dryness of the eye thereafter.
Comfortable and Convenient
To sustain compassionate patient care and provide a pleasant experience, CebuDoc continuously considers the patients’ convenience and comfortability while undergoing the surgery.
No restrictions the next day
To value and respect the patient’s time, the ReLEx SMILE pro gives a greenlight to resume normal activities that eliminate all the possible restrictions the next day – which 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.

For questions and inquires, feel free to reach them at their Facebook and Instagram page or contact them at info@cebudocgroup.com.ph | (032) 253 7511 to 12