Abstract: Small incision lenticule extraction（SMILE）has been used in clinical practice recently. The advantages of SMILE are thought as cutting  fewer  corneal nerves off, reducing the causes of dry eye, and improving visual quality after surgery,  which can be attributed to its features of small incision and lack of flaps. But it is still in an exploratory stage because of the short practice time in clinic. The surgery  processes, clinical effect, advantages and disadvantages of SMILE are summarized in this review.  (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2013, 37: 411-414)