Refractive lens exchange & cataract surgery: no more cataracts, defective vision, presbyopia & visual aids

Multifocal lenses have several focal points, trifocal lenses three: for near, intermediate and distance vision. In return, rings of light (halos) can appear around light sources; they usually become less noticeable over time. Toric versions are available for astigmatism.

EDOF lenses (extended depth of focus) give continuous sharp vision from distance to intermediate range, for example dashboard and screen. They cause fewer halos than multifocal lenses; for small print, reading glasses are often still needed.

At the preliminary examination we measure your eye and determine which artificial lens in which power suits you.

On the day of surgery your pupils are dilated with eye drops. After about 30 minutes the eye is anaesthetised with drops, so that the lens exchange is painless.

First, a tiny incision (2.2 – 2.4 mm) is made at the edge of the cornea. This is necessary so that the lens capsule can be opened in a circular fashion. Using modified ultrasound (phacoemulsification), the natural lens is liquefied or fragmented and suctioned out.

If you decide to use the femtosecond laser, the incision is not made with a scalpel but with high precision using the laser. In both variants, the result is that the empty lens capsule (also known as the capsular bag) remains.

The artificial lens (monofocal or multifocal lens) is then implanted through the tiny incision using an injector. The rolled lens can unfold and take the place of the natural lens. Subsequently, the substances used during the operation are suctioned out and the wound is sealed.

To prevent infection, we place an antibiotic in the anterior chamber at the end of the operation. Afterwards you receive eye drops that prevent inflammation. A protective shield protects the eye from rubbing during the first days. Please:

• do not press on the operated eye
• avoid physical exertion
• avoid swimming pools and saunas
• read little at first
• follow the eye-drop schedule

We see you again for the first check-up the very next day.

Removing and replacing an artificial lens is possible in principle, but it is a considerably larger operation than the first lens exchange. EyeLaser does not offer the exchange of an already implanted artificial lens. If a small refractive error remains after lens exchange, it can usually be corrected with the laser on the cornea, from €1,950 per eye.

Artificial lenses usually stay in the eye for life. They do not cloud over and do not age. If an after-cataract appears months or years later, it affects the lens capsule, not the artificial lens, and is removed with the YAG laser in a few minutes.

For office work usually after 1 to 3 days. For physically heavy, dusty or dirty work, we agree the length of sick leave with you at the check-up.

We mainly implant trifocal lenses, which cover distance, intermediate and near vision. There are also EDOF lenses with extended depth of focus: they cover distance and intermediate range, cause fewer halos and often still need reading glasses for small print. Both are available as toric versions for astigmatism.

It depends only on whether a cataract is present, not on which lens is used. With a cataract, the operation is a public health insurance benefit: in a public hospital the Austrian health insurance (ÖGK) covers it in full with a standard monofocal lens, but without a free choice of surgeon and with a waiting time. At EyeLaser you are a private patient and pay the full price; there is no top-up on the insurance benefit in a private clinic. Without a cataract, refractive lens exchange is an elective treatment without insurance contribution. Some private supplementary insurance plans contribute; ask before treatment, we provide a clinical report.

Lens replacement is part of lens surgery and is a procedure in which the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. In addition to the treatment of cataracts, this procedure is particularly suitable for people who already suffer from presbyopia, want to prevent the development of a cataract or have severe visual defects that cannot be easily treated with laser eye surgery.

The procedure for cataract surgery and lens exchange is the same. Only the reason differs. Here, the lens is not removed because it is cloudy. Rather, a visual defect is the reason—whether it be presbyopia, short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or astigmatism. The goal of lens exchange is to enable the patient to live a glasses-free life with clear vision.

We use monofocal lenses (one focal point, reading glasses needed for near), trifocal lenses (distance, intermediate and near; most patients no longer need glasses) and EDOF lenses (distance to intermediate with few halos; reading glasses often still needed for small print). Toric versions correct astigmatism. All cost the same.

Lens replacement is a procedure that usually only needs to be carried out once. The lens can then remain in the eye permanently. It also offers a long-term solution for visual defects and presbyopia. Independence from glasses and contact lenses improves the quality of everyday life. In addition, cataracts can no longer occur once the natural lens has been replaced with an artificial lens. The procedure therefore also has a preventive character.

On the day of treatment, after a final preliminary consultation, the eye is anaesthetized with eye drops so that the procedure is perceived as painless for most people. The operation then begins, during which a tiny incision is made, the natural lens is broken up and replaced with the chosen artificial lens. This usually only takes 15 to 20 minutes. After a short recovery period in the practice, you can go home the same day and the healing process begins. Many patients are already reporting a noticeable improvement in their vision.