Meet Christina Leydolt,
specialist in cataract surgery

Dr. Leydolt is an ophthalmologist specialised in cataract and lens surgery. She leads a research group with this focus, trains young surgeons and gives international and national lectures.

Dr. Leydolt believes every patient is unique and has his or her own needs and requirements for vision. This depends on hobbies, lifestyle and specific desires. Finding an individually tailored treatment together with the patient is a big priority of hers. With her many years of university practice, Dr. Leydolt can offer patients the latest treatments available.

“I am passionate about giving patients a better quality of life through better vision. I have always been fascinated by eye surgery and the constant new technologies and advances in this field.” – Dr. Christina Leydolt

• Born and raised in Vienna
• 04/2015: Award of the title “Associate Professor”
• 2014-2016: Head of the Outpatient Clinic for Internal Eye Diseases, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna (MUW)
• since 2014: Senior Surgical Physician, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
  09/2013: Award of the title “Assistant Professor”
• since 2012: Deputy head of the artificial lens clinic, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
• 06/2011: Habilitation in ophthalmology and optometry, assessment as “private lecturer”
• 2005-2012: Specialist training, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
• 2001-2004: Postdoc, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
• 1994-2001: Medical studies at the University of Vienna and Universitá degli Studi di Perugia
• 1994: Matura, Sacré-Cœur Gymnasium, Vienna

Doz. Leydolt is a specialist in cataract operations. She is a senior surgeon at the University Clinic for Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, where she works as the deputy head of the outpatient department for artificial lenses and cataracts. Her clinical, as well as scientific focus, is innovative minimally invasive cataract surgery.

Assoc. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr. Leydolt studied medicine in Vienna and Perugia (Italy) and then completed her specialist training at the University Clinic for Ophthalmology and Optometry in Vienna. The focus of her intensive research work is on new technologies and developments in cataract surgery, artificial lens optimization and correction of presbyopia – in this special field, she completed her habilitation in 2011. She has written numerous publications on these topics and has received several awards with her renowned research group.

Doz. Leydolt is fluent in German, English and Italian.

Current occupation

• Senior surgeon, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
• Deputy head of the artificial lens clinic, University Clinic for Ophthalmology, MUW
• Training of assistant doctors
• Supervision of students: teaching and examination activities, supervision of diploma theses, doctoral studies / PhD, mentoring of clinical practical year (KPJ) students
• Scientific activity in the field of cataract surgery, artificial lens optimization (post-cataract prophylaxis, toric artificial lenses), correction of presbyopia
• National and international lectures

2015: Award of the title “associate professor”
2013: Awarded the title of “assistant professor”
2013: Specialist in ophthalmology and optometry
2011: Habilitation in ophthalmology and optometry, MUW, award of the title “Privatdozent

During Dr. Leydolt’s presidency of the Vienna Ophthalmological Society (WOG) 2020, she donated to a project of the organisation “Light for the World”. This project, called “Ophthalmologists for Ophthalmologists”, enables doctors from Mozambique, where there are currently only 25 trained ophthalmologists, to study ophthalmology in Kenya with a scholarship.

In 2016/17, she was president of the Rotary Club Vienna – Franz Schubert. According to the Rotary motto: “service above self”, social projects are regularly supported through fundraising and hands-on projects. Among others, she raised a grant for the organisation “Africa Amini Alama” in Tanzania. This helped expand their school, support “Caritas Socialis” in Vienna and improve medical care for refugees through various smaller projects.

1. Professional competence
2. Excellent surgeon
3. Empathy

Research activities:
Dr. Leydolt is Principal Investigator of several clinical trials. Her scientific focus is in the field of artificial lenses and cataract surgery, for which she also lead a research group.

She is particularly interested in:

• New technologies in cataract surgery (femtosecond laser).
• Further development of intraocular lenses (IOLs):
• Multifocal and EDOF intraocular lens.
• Correction of presbyopia, toric intraocular lenses for astigmatism correction
• Post-cataract prophylaxis
• Improvement of preoperative biometry
• Accommodation
• Myopia

Teaching and presenting activities:

• Ongoing national and international lecturing activities
• Training of ophthalmic surgeons and holding of surgical courses
• Since 2006 lectures and seminars at the Medical University of Vienna as part of the curriculum
• Supervisor of the PhD programme N790 – Clinical Neurosciences (CLINS)
• Organisation and holding of Thesis Seminars and Journal Clubs
• Supervision of diploma students
• Contribution to the development of the learning programme “e-i, Electronic Eye” (interactive online textbook of ophthalmology)

Publications:
First-Authorship Top Journals:

• Leydolt C, Schartmüller D, Schwarzenbacher L, Röggla V, Schriefl S, Menapace R:
  Posterior capsule opacification with two hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses: 3-year results of a randomized trial.
  Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep;217:224-231.
• Leydolt C, Schartmueller D, Schwarzenbacher L, Schranz M, Schriefl S, Menapace R:
  Comparison of posterior capsule opacification development with 2 single-piece intraocular lens types: 3-year-results of a prospective randomized trial
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2017 Jun;43(6):774-780
• Leydolt C, Schriefl S, Stifter E, Haszcz A, Menapace R:
  Posterior capsule opacification with the iMics1 NY-60 and AcrySof SN60WF 1-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens: 3-year results of a randomized trial American Journal of Ophthalmology 2013; 156(2):375-381.
• Leydolt C, Neumayer T, Prinz A, Findl O:
  Effect of patient motivation on near vision in pseudophakic patients
  American Journal of Ophthalmology 2009; 147(3): 398-405
• Leydolt C, Michels S, Prager F, Garhoefer G, Georgopoulos M, Polak K, Schmidt-Erfurth U:
  Effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration using an OCT-based treatment regimen: six and twelve months results
  Acta Ophthalmologica 2010; 88(5):594-600
• Leydolt C, Davidovic S, Sacu S, Menapace R, Neumayer T, Prinz A, Buehl W, Findl O:
  Longterm effect of 1-piece and 3-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses on posterior capsule opacification: a randomised trial
  Ophthalmology 2007; 114: 1663-9
• Koeppl C, Findl O, Kriechbaum K, Drexler W:
  Comparison of pilocarpine-induced and stimulus driven accommodation in phakic eyes
  Experimental Eye Research 2005; 80:795-800.

First-Authorship Standard Journals:

• Leydolt C, Kriechbaum K Schriefl S, Pachala M, Menapace R:
  Posterior capsule opacification and neodymium:YAG rates with 2 single-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses: Three-year results
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2013; 39:1886-1892
• Leydolt C, Menapace R, Stifter E, Prinz A, Neumayer T:
  Effect of primary posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis with posterior optic buttonholing on pilocarpine induced IOL shift.
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2012; 38:1895-901
• Leydolt C, Findl O, Drexler W:
  Effects of change in intraocular pressure on axial eye length and lens position
  Eye 2008; 22: 657-61
• Koeppl C, Findl O, Menapace R, Kriechbaum K, Wirtitsch M, Buehl W, Sacu S, Drexler W:
  Pilocarpine induced shift of an ‘accommodating’ intraocular lens: AT-45 CrystaLens
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2005; 31:1290-7.
• Koeppl C, Findl O, Kriechbaum K, Sacu S, Drexler W:
  Change of IOL position and capsular bag size with an angulated intraocular lens early after cataract surgery
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2005; 31:348-53.
• Koeppl C, Findl O, Kriechbaum K, Buehl W, Wirtitsch M, Menapace R, Drexler W:
  Postoperative change in effective lens position of a 3-piece acrylic intraocular lens
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2003; 29:1974-1979

Co-Authorship Top Journals:

• Schwarzenbacher L, Schartmüller D, Röggla V, Meyer E, Leydolt C, Menapace R.:
  One-Year Results of Arcuate Keratotomy in Patients With Low to Moderate Corneal Astigmatism Using a Low-Pulse-Energy Femtosecond Laser.
  Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 Dec 9;224:53-65.
• Schartmüller D, Schwarzenbacher L, Meyer EL, Schriefl S, Leydolt C, Menapace R:
  Comparison of long-term rotational stability of three commonly implanted intraocular lenses
  Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 Jul 20:S0002-9394(20)30376-7
• Röggla V, Leydolt C, Schartmüller D, Schwarzenbacher L, Meyer EL, Abela-Formanek C, Menapace R:
  Influence of artificial tears on keratometric measurements in cataract patients
  Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 Aug 20:S0002-9394(20)30453-0.
• Röggla V, Langenbucher A, Leydolt C, Schartmüller D, Schwarzenbacher L, Abela-Formanek C, Menapace R:
  Accuracy of Intraocular Lens Power formulae involving 611 eyes – a retrospective data analysis
  Br J Ophthalmol accepted 09/2020
• Schartmüller D, Schriefl S, Schwarzenbacher L, Leydolt C, Menapace R:
  True rotational stability of a single-piece hydrophobic intraocular lens.
  Br J Ophthalmol. 2019 Feb;103(2):186-190.
• Pircher M, Gotzinger E, Findl O, Michels S, Geitzenauer W, Leydolt C, Schmidt-Erfurth U, Hitzenberger CK.
  Human macula investigated in vivo with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography.
  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006 Dec;47(12):5487-94.
• Kriechbaum K, Findl O, Koeppl C, Menapace R, Drexler W:
  Stimulus-driven versus pilocarpine-induced biometric changes in pseudophakic eyes
  Ophthalmology 2005; 112:453-9.
• Findl O, Kriechbaum K, Menapace R, Koeppl C, Sacu S, Wirtitsch M, Buehl W, Drexler W:
  Laserinterferometric assessment of pilocarpine-induced movement of an ‘accommodating’ intraocular lens: a randomized trial.
  Ophthalmology 2004;111: 1515-1521
• Petternel V, Koeppl C, Dejaco-Ruhswurm I, Findl O, Skorpik C, Drexler W:
  Effect of accommodation and pupil size on the movement of a posterior chamber lens in the phakic eye
  Ophthalmology 2004; 111: 325-331

Co-Authorship Standard Journals:

• Schartmüller D, Röggla V, Schwarzenbacher L, Leydolt C, Menapace R:
  Rotational Stability of a New Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL With Modified C-loop Haptics
  J Refract Surg. 2021 Feb 1;37(2):112-118
• Schwarzenbacher L, Schartmüller D, Leydolt C, Menapace R.
  Intraindividual comparison of cytokine and prostaglandin levels with and without low-energy, high-frequency femtosecond laser cataract pretreatment after single-dose topical NSAID application.
  J Cataract Refract Surg. 2020 Aug;46(8):1086-1091
• Schartmüller D, Schriefl S, Schwarzenbacher L, Leydolt C, Kundi M, Pieh S, Menapace R, Kriechbaum K:
  Posterior capsule opacification and Nd:YAG laser rates with two hydrophobic acrylic single-piece IOLs.
  Eye. 2020 May;34(5):857-863.
• Menapace R, Schriefl S, Lwowski C, Leydolt C:
  Impact of primary posterior capsulorhexis on regeneratory after-cataract and YAG laser rates with an acrylic micro-incision intraocular lens with plate haptics: 1-year and 3-year results.
  Acta Ophthalmol. 2019 Dec;97(8)
• Schröder S, Wagenpfeil S, Leydolt C, Menapace R, Langenbucher A.
  Interpretation of the Intraocular Lens Constants for the Haigis Formula.
  Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2017 Aug;234(8):975-978. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-110569. Epub 2017 Aug 11.
• Schröder S, Leydolt C, Menapace R, Eppig T, Langenbucher A:
  Determination of Personalized IOL-Constants for the Haigis Formula under Consideration of Measurement Precision.
  PLoS One. 2016 Jul 8;11(7)
• Schriefl S, Menapace R, Stifter E, Zaruba D, Leydolt C:
  Development of posterior capsular opacification and Nd:YAG capsulotomy rates with the iMics Y-60H and the MI60: 3-year results of a randomized clinical trial
  J Cataract Refract Surg. 2015, May;41(5):956-63.
• Schriefl SM, Leydolt C, Stifter E, Menapace R.:
  Posterior capsular opacification and Nd:YAG capsulotomy rates with the iMics Y-60H and Micro AY intra-ocular lenses: 3-year results of a randomized clinical trial.
  Acta Ophthalmol. 2014 Nov 13 doi: 10.1111/aos.12543.
• Dunavoelgyi R, Sacu S, Eibenberger K, Palkovits S, Leydolt C, Pruente C, Schmidt-Erfurth U.
  Retreatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy based on changes in visual acuity after initial stabilization of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: 3-year follow-up results.
  Retina. 2012 Sep;32(8):1471-9.
• Bolz M, Menapace R, Findl O, Sacu S, Buehl W, Wirtitsch M, Leydolt C, Kriechbaum K:
  Effect of anterior capsule polishing on the posterior capsule opacification-inhibiting properties of a sharp-edged, 3-piece, silicone intraocular lens: three- and 5-year results of a randomized trial.
  J Cataract Refract Surg. 2006 Sep;32(9):1513-20.
• Kriechbaum K, Leydolt C, Findl O, Bolz M, Drexler W:
  Comparison of partial coherence interferometers: Acmaster versus laboratory prototype.
  J Refract Surg. 2006 Oct;22(8):811-6.
• Buehl W, Findl O, Menapace R, Sacu S, Kriechbaum K, Koeppl C, Wirtitsch M:
  Long-term effect of optic edge design in an acrylic intraocular lens on posterior capsule opacification.
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2005; 31(5):954-61.
• Wirtitsch M, Findl O, Menapace R, Kriechbaum K, Koeppl C, Buehl W, Drexler W:
  Effect of haptic design on postoperative change in axial lens position after cataract surgery
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. 2004; 30: 45-51
• Buehl W, Menapace R, Sacu S, Kriechbaum K, Koeppl C, Wirtitsch M, Georgopoulos GM, Findl O:
  Effect of a silicone intraocular lens with a sharp posterior optic edge on posterior capsule opacification.
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2004; 30: 1661-1667
• Kriechbaum K, Findl O, Preussner PR, Koeppl C, Wahl J, Drexler W: Determining postoperative anterior chamber depth
  Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2003; 29: 2122-2126

THESIS

• Movement of a posterior chamber lens in phakic eyes assessed with partial coherence laserinterferometry
  09/2001 (Betreuer: Findl O, Drexler W)

Memberships

• European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS)
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
• Austrian Ophthalmological Society (ÖOG)
• Vienna Ophthalmological Society (WOG)
• German-speaking Society for Intraocular Lens Implantation and Refractive Surgery (DGII)
• Rotary Club Vienna-Franz Schubert – President 2016/17

• Cataract surgery
• Clear lens extraction
• Lens surgery
• Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS)
• Eyelid surgery