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Laser eye surgery – up to what age is it worthwhile?

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// Eye Laser Center PD Dr. med. Frings

Laser eye surgery: what are the disadvantages?

Laser eye surgery is one of the best and most successful options for treating various visual impairments. The respective operations are known for their high level of safety and are considered extremely successful. But does laser eye surgery also have disadvantages? In the following article, we will inform you in detail about possible limitations. Our team around PD Dr. med. Andreas Frings will also be happy to advise you personally on your questions.

// Eye Laser Center PD Dr. med Frings

Laser eye surgery is not suitable for everyone

The biggest disadvantage is that although most people are suitable for laser eye surgery, unfortunately not all people are. There are a number of prerequisites that must be met in order for laser surgery to be successful.

  • solid health situation
  • no serious pre-existing conditions
  • stable visual acuity
  • Exclusion of certain eye diseases
  • sufficient corneal thickness
  • no diopter values that are too high or too low

 

Solid health situation

Basically, a generally good health situation is important as a starting point for laser eye treatment. A thorough examination before the procedure ensures that there are no risks. Informing us about your current medication intake is also an important criterion.

 

No serious pre-existing medical conditions

Ideally, you should not suffer from an autoimmune disease or any disease that is known for its chronic course and inflammatory reactions, particularly rheumatism or neurodermatitis. Diabetes can also be an exclusion criterion. The main reasons are slower healing processes and an increased risk of infection. In our own studies, we examined the results of laser eye surgery in people with chronic inflammatory diseases. The results showed that there were no particular risks if the underlying disease was well treated. This means that in these cases, laser eye surgery was just as effective as in patients without the underlying disease.

 

Stable vision

Ideally, your eyes will have stable vision at the time of the procedure. This usually requires a somewhat older age, from 25 to 45 years. After that, presbyopia sets in, but in many cases this can also be treated with laser eye surgery. In this case, a lens exchange with multifocal lenses is also often an option.

Basically, you must be at least 18 years old to have laser eye surgery.

 

Exclusion of certain eye diseases

Some eye diseases such as cataracts (clouding of the lens) or glaucoma rule out laser eye treatment. In the case of cataracts, we can offer you an alternative lens replacement, which also corrects the vision problem.

 

Sufficient corneal thickness

The cornea of your eyes needs to be thick enough for the operation and must not be too soft. In many cases, however, an advanced no-touch procedure can be used that does not require an incision.

 

No diopter values that are too high or too low

There are also restrictions in terms of diopters. For short-sightedness, laser eye treatment is possible up to -10 diopters, and for long-sightedness up to a maximum of +4 diopters. If you have astigmatism, 5 diopters is the limit. Values that are too high are much more difficult to correct and also increase the risk of side effects and follow-up treatment. If your values are too low, however, there is only a small chance of your vision improving. Let us advise you on the options for your vision impairment.

 

No costs covered by health insurance

The costs of laser eye treatments are not covered by statutory health insurance in Germany because they are not considered medically necessary procedures. Private health insurers often cover the costs at least in part, but this depends largely on the contractual arrangements. In most cases, a medical report issued by the treating ophthalmologist is a prerequisite for this.

A rejection of reimbursement of costs does not have to be a reason not to undergo the helpful and generally very effective laser eye treatment. Please feel free to contact us about financing through installment payments.

 

Possible deterioration of vision

The vast majority of patients report a significant and, above all, lasting improvement in their vision after laser eye treatment, usually even a complete correction. Wearing glasses is therefore no longer necessary. As with all procedures, there can be no guarantee that these excellent results will last permanently. There are patients who report a deterioration in their vision over time. However, this does not mean that the treatment has failed. A repeat operation or corrective follow-up treatment after several years is often a helpful and sensible option.

Regular follow-up examinations are important and useful for people who have had laser eye treatment. This way, even the smallest changes in vision can be detected early on and, if necessary, corrected with another small procedure.

 

Occasionally residual refractive error may persist

Even though wearing glasses is a thing of the past in the vast majority of laser treatments, in individual cases a slight residual visual impairment may still exist. In this case, there may still be a slight visual impairment that you will initially need to correct with glasses or alternatively contact lenses.

The cause is often very high levels of visual impairment as a preoperative starting point. In many cases, we can also offer corrective surgery to correct the remaining visual impairment.

You can always expect very detailed and individual advice from us before any procedure. This includes careful preliminary examinations, which serve as a basis for us to discuss the possible success of the treatment with you. We always offer you a procedure that is precisely tailored to the limitations of your individual vision.

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The problem of presbyopia

Presbyopia is a natural phenomenon that occurs in almost everyone as they get older. It results in a deterioration in the ability to see clearly up close. The process begins around the age of 45 and progresses gradually.

Laser eye treatments are highly effective in correcting visual impairments such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Unfortunately, it is not possible to stop or even reverse presbyopia, but it can be significantly improved (e.g. progressive lenses are no longer necessary all the time!). The cause lies in the condition of the eye itself. The increasing loss of the eye's ability to focus sufficiently on nearby objects cannot be changed by lasers. The lens of your eye loses elasticity as you age, which means that your vision into the distance is not impaired, but your ability to recognize close objects and read is.

However, we can offer you laser treatment! In many cases, presbyopia can be compensated for well (e.g. using the "monovision" principle). In the case of advanced presbyopia, treatment is mainly carried out in combination with lens implantation. The lens is removed using a laser and replaced with an artificial lens. You will find out all the details in a detailed consultation.

No guarantee possible

Many patients understandably want some kind of guarantee that laser eye surgery will mean a definite end to wearing glasses or contact lenses. However, this cannot be guaranteed, even if the need is understandable given the relatively high costs. Nevertheless, we can prove with studies that laser eye surgery is one of the most successful treatments and offers the highest success rates of more than 95 percent.

As with any procedure, there is a small residual risk that you and we have to live with. However, the procedures available are now so refined that the results make the procedure worthwhile. We are available to you with our expertise and will explain the options in detail in the context of your individual visual impairment.

Conclusion

Laser eye treatments offer you a wide range of advantages in every respect, allowing you to improve your eyesight and avoid the need for aids such as glasses or contact lenses. The latest state-of-the-art methods are extremely safe and highly efficient. However, there are some disadvantages or limitations that occasionally rule out treatment, but far more often allow it in an alternative setting. As with any medical treatment, it is always a good idea to carefully weigh up the advantages and disadvantages involved in order to achieve the best possible result.

In order to know what options laser eye treatment offers for your vision impairment, a non-binding consultation is helpful. Feel free to take advantage of the opportunity of a Make an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you.

When can you have laser eye surgery?

I'm nearsighted

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I wear reading glasses

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Experience clear vision without glasses – make your appointment now at the laser eye center at one of our locations and let our competent team treat you!

Eye Laser Center Würzburg

Hofstrasse 10
97070 Wurzburg

+49 931 730 442 90

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