A vibrating tissue separator suitable for use in separating a lenticule established by a femtosecond laser during a smile procedure may include a surgical implement such as a blunt spatula mounted on a handle that carries a haptic actuator for applying vibratory motion to the surgical implement. A damping arrangement may be provided to isolate the surgeons hand from the vibrations which would otherwise be transmitted through the handle. The actuator may apply a linear vibration along the axis of the handle which applies a lifting and chopping motion to the tip of a surgical implement having a bend. The tip may be suitable to the tissue being separated. For example, for SMILE lenticule separation, a blunt or semi-sharp spatula, blunted wire or loop may be used. The direction of vibration at the tip may be changed by rotating the implement in a plane other than the plane of the bend or by rotating an actuator such as an LRA with respect to the handle.