Get rid of glasses
and contact lenses with
high-precision Swiss
laser eye surgery

Are you suitable for laser eye surgery?

First of all, we can treat 99% of the patients who contact us. However, if you are not suitable for a surgical procedure, we will tell you this and unfortunately have to turn you away as a patient. This is a matter of course for us as serious eye surgeons. However, we will of course do everything in our power to improve your visual performance. At EyeLaser, the decision is in the hands of ophthalmologists and not opticians, as is often the case with laser eye surgery chains.

No two eyes are the same. Our top priority is therefore to determine your vision or defective vision as accurately as possible. To do this, we only use the latest technology and highly qualified staff for the initial preliminary ophthalmological examination.

There are different methods for the surgical correction of visual defects. Not everyone is suitable for classic laser eye treatment. However, there are alternatives such as lens implantation, which can also be considered for more pronounced visual defects or corneas that are too thin or irregular.

In principle, you should meet the following criteria for eye surgery:

• You are of legal age, i.e. at least 18 years old.
• Your visual acuity has been stable for at least one year.
• Your eye is healthy, there are no relevant eye diseases.
• You are in a generally good state of health.

If you meet these criteria, you are generally eligible for laser eye surgery and we can determine which treatment method is most suitable for you during a consultation and preliminary examination. The following methods are recommended depending on your specific visual defect:

Laser eye surgery for short-sightedness

Laser eye surgery for long-sightedness

Laser eye surgery for astigmatism

Laser eye surgery for presbyopia

On the respective subpages you can find detailed information about the visual defects and the appropriate methods to correct them. We are also happy to advise you personally on the phone, by e-mail or in our practice! Simply make an appointment with us for laser eye surgery in Vienna.

One of our basic principles is to always work at the cutting edge of technology. Why? Because this not only makes the operation less complicated for us, but above all for you. In our laser eye surgery practice for refractive and intraocular eye surgery, we therefore only use the highest quality and most modern equipment on the market and maintain it meticulously.

The femtosecond laser

The femtosecond laser is an infrared laser and is used to make an incision in the cornea and create the “flap”: the corneal lid that is lifted and closed again after the laser treatment. At EyeLaser, we use the Swiss Leonardo Da Vinci LDV Z6 femto laser from Ziemer and the German Schwind ATOS laser, both state-of-the-art devices for femto LASIK and corneal lens extraction.

The special features of this laser are the high laser frequency (MHz), the lowest pulse energy (nJ) and the smallest pulse area. Thanks to these unique properties, the quality and precision of the corneal incision has been improved even further. Several million procedures have already been performed using this modern technology.

The excimer laser

With the excimer laser (UV laser), your cornea is reshaped in just a few seconds during laser eye surgery. We have 2 modern eye laser systems:

• The Schwind AMARIS 1050 RS from Schwind is a premium eye laser among excimer laser devices for refractive surgery. It has the fastest 7-dimensional video-supported eye tracking system currently available on the market, which compensates for movements of the eye during laser surgery without latency (without delay). With the Schwind AMARIS 1050 RS, both wavefront-optimized and personalized treatments are possible.

The crosslinking device

In UV crosslinking, the diseased cornea in keratoconus and other corneal weaknesses is reshaped using special eye drops (riboflavin) and subsequent UV irradiation. EyeLaser has the most modern UV irradiation device for this purpose, the IROC UV-X 2000/ AVEDRO KXL. The device was developed by a team of experts in collaboration with the inventors of the crosslinking procedure in eye surgery: Prof. Theo Seiler and Prof. Eberhard Spörl. Thanks to his close collaboration with Prof. Seiler in Zurich, Dr. Derhartunian is very familiar with the device and its precise application.

We will be happy to show you our devices and explain their function in detail at a non-binding information evening!

Risks and side effects of laser eye surgery

As with any operation, there are certain risks and side effects associated with eye surgery, which this page and your surgeon will explain to you in detail.

However, the complication rate for laser eye surgery is well below 1% and, depending on the method chosen, patients may experience different levels of discomfort. With most laser eye surgery methods, however, the pain disappears after a few hours and the patient has good vision the very next day.

Laser eye surgery has been a scientifically recognized procedure for decades and is one of the most frequently performed operations worldwide. The risks are therefore extremely low. Thanks to the critical selection of our patients, meticulous preliminary examinations and years of experience, we reduce them even further.

Nevertheless, we would like to inform you fully about possible complications:

• Pain lasting up to three days and fluctuating visual performance for several months after the operation can occur (mainly with the Trans-PRK/PRK/LASEK method).
• With Femto-LASIK, watery eyes and a foreign body sensation in the eye may persist for 2 to 4 hours after the operation.
• Dryness of the eyes is usually temporary. You can moisten the eye sufficiently with commercially available eye drops.
• Laser treatment can temporarily or permanently increase the sensitivity of the eyes to light.
• In the weeks following the operation, increased sensitivity to glare may occur, which can lead to the perception of halos or reduced visual acuity at dusk and dazzle (e.g. from oncoming cars). Drive carefully! However, the risk can be significantly reduced by using so-called wavefront technology, i.e. appropriate laser programming.
• A post-operative infection is counteracted by the use of antibiotic/cortisone eye drops in the first week. Please contact us immediately if you experience inflammation or pain in the eye. The use of these cortisone eye drops can also lead to increased dryness and increased intraocular pressure.
• A possible over- or undercorrection of up to 20% of the desired visual acuity can occur due to fluctuations in wound healing and laser power and can be corrected within the care period you have chosen after the operation.
• Incision errors when creating the corneal flap are very rare and have been further reduced by the introduction of femtosecond laser technology. They are negligible with appropriate aftercare.
• Softening of the cornea (keratectasia) is extremely rare (in 1 in 10,000 to 40,000 cases) and can be remedied by using corneal crosslinking.
• An ingrowth or displacement of the corneal flap can occur and can be corrected with a short procedure. Therefore, please be sure to keep your check-up appointments!
• Patients over the age of 45 are likely to need reading glasses after myopia correction due to the onset of presbyopia. An exception to this is the use of monovision, hyperopia or PresbyMax.

During the preliminary examination at the EyeLaser eye laser center in Vienna, Linz and Zurich, we will discuss with you directly the risks and side effects that your individual clinical picture may cause. Ultimately, you should only opt for laser eye surgery in Vienna without hesitation if you have confidence in the surgeon treating you.

Preliminary examination

In this personal consultation with the specialist, possible options for eye surgery will be explained to you and all relevant data will be recorded:

• Complex ophthalmologic examination
• Your exact eyeglass prescription
• Digital retinal examination and pressure measurement
• Measurement of the eye (biometry, topography, OCT, corneal pattern, tomography, wavefront)

Important for the preliminary examination for laser eye surgery:

• Please do not wear soft contact lenses for 1 week before the preliminary examination.
• Please do not wear hard contact lenses for 4 weeks before the preliminary examination.
• Please do not wear Ortho-K contact lenses for 3 months before the preliminary examination.
• Eye drops that dilate your pupils are used for the examination. Afterwards, your eyes will be more sensitive to light for 4 hours and you should not drive or operate machinery.

Choice of surgical method

After the preliminary examination, you will find out whether you are suitable for laser eye surgery or lens surgery and which method is most likely to be recommended to you. We will inform you about the course of the operation, the risks and side effects and the follow-up treatment. Of course, we will also be happy to answer all your questions!

You can then make an appointment for an operation either on site or – after sufficient time to think it over – by telephone. We make every effort to accommodate patients as well as possible when making appointments. The waiting time between the preliminary examination and the operation is between one day and a few weeks – whichever you prefer. Contact lenses can be worn again after the preliminary examination.

Before your treatment:

• Please do not wear soft contact lenses for 2 days before the operation.
• Please do not wear hard contact lenses for 7 days before the operation.

Your laser eye surgery

On the day of the operation, you will come to our practice with an accompanying person. Please refrain from using face cream, aftershave, make-up etc. in the facial area on this day. You will only be anaesthetized locally with eye drops and can therefore eat and drink normally.

At this point, any final questions can be clarified and, if in doubt, we will carry out another examination to be on the safe side. We will give you medication and instructions for the time after the operation. We will also make an appointment with you for the follow-up examination the next day (in the morning). You can find detailed information about the treatment procedure for your chosen surgical method under Methods. The operation itself only takes 10 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, we will provide you with protective goggles and all important documents and medication and your accompanying person will take you home.

What you should consider after laser eye surgery

We recommend a downtime of one to several days, depending on the method. Your eyes are very sensitive and most patients report:

• Light sensitivity
• Burning eyes
• Foreign body sensation
• strong lacrimation
• After the operation, keep your eyes closed for the rest of the day if possible and only open them to eat, go to the toilet, etc. The eyelids exert a natural pressure on the cornea, which accelerates healing. This means: no cell phone, no computer, no reading, no television. Listen to music or an audio book until you go to bed.
• Wear sunglasses indoors (even at night) to avoid catching your eyes.
• Use the eye drops we provide to lubricate your eyes regularly. You will also receive dosage instructions from us.
• Avoid rubbing or squeezing your eyes.
• Please do not apply make-up to your eyes for 1-2 weeks after the treatment.
• Avoid baths, spas and saunas for 2 weeks and do not hold your face directly under the water jet when showering.
• Avoid windy, draughty, dusty and smoky environments and physical exertion for 2 weeks.

Aftercare

The day after the successful operation, you will come to our practice for your first follow-up examination. Normally, you will have little or no discomfort on this day and your vision will be around 90%. If your recovery is going well and the post-operative checks are satisfactory, the next examination will be scheduled for one month later (laser eye surgery, after 1 week in the case of lens surgery).

Optimal vision is achieved after a few weeks. The results may fluctuate slightly during this time depending on the day – please give your eyes some time.

Depending on the package selected, regular check-ups and follow-up treatments take place over a period of 1-5 years. During this time, you can contact us at any time with questions and arrange check-ups! In the event of a deviation, we will correct your eyesight again free of charge during this period.

Following laser eye surgery: Enjoy your new attitude to life without glasses or contact lenses!