When is refractive surgery advisable?

1. Comfort

A number of patients, preferring a kerato-refractive operation, want to be less dependent on glasses or contact-lenses. Some patients do not tolerate their contactlenses anymore because of dry eyes or allergy, or do not want to go on with the fuss of wearing contact-lenses. A lot among them practise sports regularly (swimming, watersports, athletics, football etc.), others want to move freely, safely and independently without optical expedients. Others still choose the operation in order to pass a medical test as a pilot, constable, soldier, fire-fighter etc.

2. Medical reasons

a) Patients with important difference of refraction between both eyes see a different image with each eye (with their glasses or contact-lenses), which is difficult to support.

b) Patients with a serious congenital deficiency of one eye (astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia) cannot be sufficiently corrected by means of glasses or contact-lenses

c) Cataract-patients and patients with corneal grafts who, after their operation, suffer from a corneal deformation, can improve their vision with refractive surgery.

d) Patients with important myopia or far-sightedness have a strong deformation of the image and a limited visual field. This will not be the case anymore after refractive surgery.

e) Enhancements after other forms of Refractive Surgery are possible (after radial keratotomy).

Refractive surgery may benefit firefighters, policemen, soldiers and other
occupations that require good vision without glasses or contact lenses.

Which patients are suitable for a refractive operation?

1. The first condition is a stable vision. The operation will only take place when the refraction has not changed seriously during the last year.

2. Age is important too. The operation is only applied when a patient is over 20 (except for congenital astigmatism). There is no maximum age.

3. The patient's cornea must be healthy and undamaged.

4. Patients with a low degree of myopia can expect a very predictable result. Patients with a serious myopia, even up to -20D, can always obtain a clear improvement after refractive surgery.

5. Patients with astigmatism are also very suitable candidates for refractive surgery.

6. Patients with hypermetropia can be helped with Excimer as well as with Holmium Laser surgery.