UltraView
FREEDOM.
Two freedoms. One name.
The freedom to be matched to the right procedure for your eyes — SMILE, LASIK, or PRK — and the freedom that follows: a life unhooked from glasses and contacts.
Freedom, in two
senses of the word.
First, the freedom of choice. UltraView FREEDOM isn’t a single operation — it’s a cornea-based program that draws on the three leading techniques: SMILE, LASIK, and PRK. So your surgeon is free to match the method to your eyes, rather than fitting your eyes to whatever a clinic happens to offer.
Then, the freedom you came for. Waking and reaching for the clock — not your glasses. The swim, the run, the rain, without lenses fogging or drying. By reshaping the cornea — the eye’s clear front window — UltraView FREEDOM reduces or removes your dependence on glasses and contacts for good.
Searching for LASIK? At UELC it lives inside UltraView FREEDOM — the same proven science, planned around the unique map of your cornea. For eyes better suited to a lens-based approach, its counterpart is UltraView VISION.
Matched to your eyes —
not the other way around.
A femtosecond laser shapes a thin lenticule inside the cornea, removed through a 2–3 mm opening. No flap is created, so corneal strength is well preserved and the surface stays largely intact.
Best for: higher myopia and astigmatism, active and contact-sport lifestyles, and anyone wanting the lowest incidence of post-operative dry eye.
A femtosecond laser creates a thin hinged flap; an excimer laser then reshapes the cornea beneath it using a map of your eye. The flap settles back naturally — no stitches.
Best for: a broad range of prescriptions and people who want the quickest return to clear, functional vision.
A flap-free, surface technique. The thin outer layer of the cornea is gently removed so the excimer laser can reshape the surface; the layer regenerates over a few days.
Best for: thinner corneas and high-impact occupations — first responders, military, and athletes — where flap-free healing is an advantage.
LASEK, a related surface technique, is available in select cases. For most patients seeking a surface procedure, SMILE or PRK is the better-suited path — your surgeon will explain why at your assessment.
How the three compare.
| SMILE | LASIK | PRK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to functional vision | Same day – 24 hrs | Same day – 24 hrs | 3 – 5 days |
| Procedure comfort | Minimal | Minimal | Sore for 3 – 5 days |
| Suited to thin corneas | Sometimes | Less often | Excellent |
| Contact-sport lifestyles | Excellent | With care | Excellent |
| Post-op dry-eye incidence | Lowest | Common, temporary | Common, temporary |
| Corneal biomechanics | Best preserved | Good | Strong (no flap) |
Full visual stabilization takes 1–3 months and final clarity 3–6 months with every technique. No procedure can promise a specific result — your surgeon will share what’s realistic for your prescription.
Are you a candidate?
We’ll tell you candidly — not everyone is, and that’s an answer worth getting right. A thorough assessment is the only way to know for certain.
Over 40 and mainly frustrated by reading vision? Presbyopia has its own tailored options — explore Vision After 40 → And if laser isn’t the right fit at all, you’re still not at a dead end — see your next step below.
Every candidate is screened for dry eye first.
Dry eye can quietly compromise both the accuracy of surgery and how comfortably you heal. Before any UltraView FREEDOM procedure, your ocular surface is evaluated — and, if needed, treated and stabilized — at the U Dry Eye Institute. We treat this as a clinical imperative, not an afterthought, because it protects your results.
Your eye is a fingerprint.
Your treatment should be too.
Advanced platforms only matter if they change your result. Here’s what ours actually do — in plain terms.
Why Surgeon-Led MattersWe measure not just your prescription but the subtle optical signature unique to your eye, then customize the laser to it — which can mean sharper vision in dim light and fewer halos.
A detailed contour map of your cornea screens for hidden irregularities and guides a treatment planned to the millimetre.
Blade-free lasers create and reshape with micron-level accuracy. Built-in eye tracking pauses instantly if your eye moves — so the treatment stays exactly where it should.
Clear vision, step by step.
Timelines vary by technique — LASIK and SMILE recover quickly; PRK takes a little longer at the start. Here’s the typical arc.
Rest with a protective shield. With LASIK and SMILE, functional vision often returns within a day; PRK clears over several days as the surface heals.
Most people are back to desk work and driving once vision is clear and stable. Lubricating drops keep things comfortable; we see you at your one-week visit.
Vision sharpens and steadies. Any temporary dryness or night-time glare typically eases. Avoid swimming and contact sports for the first month.
Your result reaches its final, stable form. If an updated glasses prescription is ever needed, U Optical handles it once your vision has settled.
No surprises.
No fine print.
Laser vision correction is safe and well-established — and, like any surgery, it carries risks. We’d rather you hear them from us, clearly, than discover them later.
Book a Free ConsultationGood to know.
What’s the difference between SMILE, LASIK, and PRK — and how do you choose?
All three reshape the cornea with a laser, but they differ in approach. LASIK lifts a thin corneal flap before reshaping and gives the fastest recovery. SMILE works through a tiny 2–3 mm opening with no flap, preserving more of the cornea’s structure and carrying the lowest risk of post-operative dry eye. PRK gently removes the surface layer — no flap — and suits thinner corneas or high-impact careers, with a slightly longer early recovery. There’s no single “best”: the right choice depends on your corneal thickness, prescription, and lifestyle, and it’s decided together with your surgeon at your assessment.
What’s the difference between UltraView FREEDOM and UltraView VISION?
UltraView FREEDOM is our cornea-based laser vision correction — SMILE, LASIK, and PRK reshape the surface of the eye, ideal for most nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatic eyes. UltraView VISION is our lens-based correction — it replaces the eye’s lens with an advanced implant (with UltraView ReLACS and the Light Adjustable Lens as its champion), suited to stronger prescriptions, presbyopia, or eyes approaching cataract age. Your assessment determines which path fits your eyes.
Does laser vision correction hurt?
Numbing drops mean you won’t feel pain during the procedure — only light pressure. Afterward, LASIK and SMILE feel mildly scratchy for a few hours; PRK is sore for three to five days while the surface heals, which we manage with drops and medication. The laser itself takes only seconds per eye, though you’ll be at the surgical facility for two to three hours in total.
Will laser surgery give me dry eyes?
Some temporary dryness is common after LASIK and PRK and usually settles within three to six months as the cornea’s nerves recover. SMILE, being flap-free, disturbs fewer of those nerves and has the lowest incidence. Lasting dry eye is uncommon and treatable — and because dry eye affects both your comfort and your result, every UltraView FREEDOM candidate is screened, and treated if needed, at the U Dry Eye Institute before surgery.
Am I too old for laser eye surgery?
There’s no upper age limit — healthy eyes and a stable prescription matter more than age. Two things do change over time: from your 40s, reading glasses may still be needed up close (a natural lens change called presbyopia, which has its own tailored treatments), and if cataracts begin to form, a lens-based procedure may suit you better. We’ll walk through what makes sense for your stage of life at your assessment.
How long do the results last — will I ever need glasses again?
Laser vision correction is permanent: it reshapes your cornea, and your eyes won’t drift back to where they started. Most people enjoy stable, glasses-free distance vision for many years. Reading glasses may still become helpful with age (presbyopia), and a small number of people notice a slight shift over time — which an enhancement can often refine.
Can it correct astigmatism?
Yes. All three techniques treat astigmatism, and wavefront-guided mapping tailors the correction to your eye’s exact optical profile — so nearsightedness or farsightedness and astigmatism can be corrected together in one procedure.
Is laser eye surgery covered by OHIP or insurance?
Because it’s elective, laser vision correction isn’t covered by OHIP. Some extended health plans offer partial reimbursement, so it’s worth checking with your insurer — and we provide itemized receipts for any claim. Your consultation is complimentary, and you’ll receive a clear, all-in quote with no hidden fees once we know which procedure suits your eyes.
I can’t tolerate contacts, or I’m not a laser candidate — what are my options?
Plenty. If contact lenses are uncomfortable or simply haven’t worked for you, our colleagues at U Optical fit specialty lenses for hard-to-fit eyes that many people find far more comfortable. And if laser isn’t right for you, a refractive lens exchange or an assessment at Uptown Eye Specialists may be the better path. There’s always a next step within the U Vision Group.
What if I’m not a candidate for laser?
You’ll still leave with a clear next step. For some eyes, a refractive lens exchange is the better path; others are best evaluated by our colleagues at Uptown Eye Specialists. Within the U Vision Group, there are no dead ends.
Ready to see life
without glasses?
Your UltraView FREEDOM journey starts with a thorough assessment — not a sales pitch. We’ll tell you honestly whether laser vision correction is right for your eyes, and if it isn’t, we’ll explain your alternatives.