Is it still possible to work for the police after laser eye surgery?

In the police service, operational readiness is the be-all and end-all, and physical impairments can quickly lead to incapacity for duty. Visual impairments are widespread and do not stop at police officers. If you, as a police officer, are wondering whether you should have surgery to treat your eyes or whether you should stick with visual aids such as glasses, then we have the answer for you!

When is laser eye surgery an option for police officers?

Nowadays, the number of people who need visual aids is significantly higher and, as technology advances, we are able to help these people more and more. In addition to glasses and contact lenses, surgery using modern eye lasers is also popular. Laser treatments are particularly useful for higher dioptres, i.e. more severe visual impairments. We can use this technique to treat many different visual defects, including the three most common ones:

Most people with a visual impairment suffer from myopia: as the name suggests, the person affected can see well at short distances. They only have problems when they try to recognize something in the distance. In the age of smartphones and computers, this vision defect is becoming increasingly common as we get used to focusing our eyes on short distances. Myopia is defined as a negative diopter value, e.g. -1.5.

farsightedness is the second most common condition: This is the exact opposite of short-sightedness: you can see objects sharply in the distance and blurred up close. So if you have problems reading a book, for example, because the letters are blurred, it is probably a case of long-sightedness. The diopter value of long-sightedness is also exactly the opposite of short-sightedness and is given in positive numbers.

Thirdly, there is astigmatism: as the name suggests, this is a curved cornea. As a result, vision is distorted. Corneal curvature is also indicated with positive diopters.

Since you are reading this blog post, it can be assumed that you probably suffer from one of these visual impairments and do not want to give up your job in the police force. The good news first: police work is generally possible even after eye surgery. However, there are various exceptions and special features that you as a police officer should know before the operation. These are summarized below.

Why does an operation make sense, especially as a police officer?

The problem with defective vision in police officers is that they have to manage without visual aids in an emergency. A vivid example to illustrate this: Imagine a police officer loses his glasses during a physical altercation and can hardly see a thing. What’s more, the shards of the glasses can lead to further injuries. Glasses are therefore rather impractical in this professional field. Incidentally, contact lenses are completely banned in the German, Austrian and Swiss police forces, as they react with irritant gas, for example, and can lead to considerable problems, including blindness.

As these two options are therefore not a good solution for police officers, surgical interventions(laser eye surgery for police candidates) are an option. These treatments enable a permanent improvement in vision and the person is therefore less dependent on visual aids. Such treatment is therefore an advantage in the police service.

What official regulations are there on the part of the police?

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the central requirement for active police service is “full capacity to act”. Accordingly, it is important to the three countries that no one comes to harm due to restrictions in the police force. Therefore, this rule of thumb can actually always be applied when the question arises as to whether an illness precludes police service. You must have recovered before you can start police work again. This is usually confirmed by an ophthalmologist in the form of a certificate. Another general tip is to always seek advice from the relevant recruitment authority beforehand. They are best informed about the exact rules in the region and can provide the most reliable information. Nevertheless, we have summarized the most important guidelines in Germany, Austria and Switzerland below.

The most important regulations on laser eye surgery for the police in Austria:

After the operation, you need a medical report, i.e. an assessment of whether and when you can return to work. The findings can vary from case to case, as each case has a different medical history and general health. The doctor will make the assessment to the best of their knowledge and belief, as it must be ruled out that the returning police officer poses a danger to themselves or others. After around six months, it should be possible to tell from the cornea whether and when the patient will be able to return to work.

The most important regulations on laser eye surgery for the police in Germany:

In Germany, there are already significantly more guidelines that the patient must follow. Of course, a medical assessment must also be available, but this may not be made by the treating ophthalmologist, but only by an uninvolved ophthalmologist. In addition, a report must be drawn up both before and after the operation. The reason for this is that police regulations (PDV 300) prohibit surgery that improves vision by more than -5 or +3 diopters. In addition, the doctor must confirm that the cornea has grown back completely. As Germany is made up of individual federal states, the various state police forces have different regulations. The best way to find out about these is to talk to the relevant recruitment authority. The various regulations differ, for example, in the waiting period until you can return to the police service or which types of surgery are accepted.

Last but not least: regulations on laser eye surgery for the police in Switzerland:

In Switzerland, the regulations are much clearer, as you are only assessed on the basis of your dioptre value: If this is a maximum of +0.8 or -0.8, you are fit for duty. This value is also confirmed by a doctor in an official assessment.

Laser eye surgery is an attractive alternative to conventional visual aids, especially for police officers

As the police service is a physically active profession, visual aids can be fatal. An operation that makes it possible to no longer be dependent on them is therefore an attractive alternative, especially for police officers. Of course, it is time-consuming to find out about the exact regulations and requirements, but the benefits of the operation clearly outweigh the costs.