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Laser eye? costs & Risks of Eye Laser OP

Laser eye surgery is one of the most common procedures in modern laser surgery. More and more patients have their eyes lasered to see well without glasses and without contact lenses. But can the eyes still be sharp even years after the laser? What are the costs and risks of laser eye surgery? These and other questions are discussed below. Everything good ophthalmologists should explain to their patients before the laser surgery …

When is laser eye make sense?

As promising and widespread as the laser eye surgery is, not all eye diseases can be cured by laser. A correction of the vision is possible with a refractive error, in which the removal of the cornea (cornea) the refractive power of the eye changed so much that an existing farsightedness or myopia can be resolved again. The prerequisite for the lasering of the eye is therefore a certain thickness of the cornea. The lower the visual impairment – measured in diopter numbers – the more successful the result of the laser surgery. An optimal correction, the doctor can usually reach (there are exceptions!) Within the following limits:

  • Eyes laser in Myopia: Max. -10 diopters
  • further details: Laser myopia
  • Eyes laser in Farsightedness (hyperopia): Max. +5 dioptres
    • further details: Lasers farsightedness
    • Eyes laser in Presbyopia (presbyopia): Max. +5 dioptres
      • Further details: Presbyopia lasers
      • Eyes laser in Corneal curvature (astigmatism): Max. -4 dioptres
        • further details: astigmatism of the cornea
        • Ultimately, however, eye laser success depends on the individual training of the patient’s cornea. Whether the eyes are suitable for lasering, you can learn only after a preliminary examination at a corresponding eye laser specialists. Often parents are considering laser intervention in children and adolescents. Most laser centers refuse such eye surgery in a child before the age of 18. The surgery is recommended only at an age when the eyes have reached stable levels.

          The ideal age at which to get the Let your eyes be lasered can, is therefore rough between 25 and 45 years. This age limit is only a guideline. Check here online if you can get your eyes lasered. From a correction for aesthetic reasons is at a very young age but is strongly discouraged. Here, the use of a visual aid such as glasses or contact lens is recommended as the much better alternative to eye lasers. Even if a minimum age of 18 years is reached, the ocular values ​​should be stable for at least 2 years for eye laser surgery to make sense. For an overview and more information about laser eye conditions, see Prerequisites.

          How does the eye laser surgery work??

          Before you laser your eyes, you should first learn how the treatment works or what exactly happens in the laser procedure. In the following, the steps of a laser operation are explained step by step with the aid of illustrative graphics and images. The crucial procedure takes place directly on the cornea. However, there are several methods of laser vision. The most commonly used method is Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, short LASIK. The following information explains how the LASIK operation works. There are also other procedures and names, such as LASEK, Femto LASIK and Epi LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and transepithelial PRK, FLEx and SmILE, ReLEx smile etc …

          The differences between all these methods of refractive surgery are often minimal in the implementation, e.g. whether operated with or without flaps (see below). The result can make a big difference. A competent comparison and advice can be found in your eye laser center. This clarifies which surgical method is useful for the lasering of your eyes and how the risks and costs of the surgery are.

          In order to even understand how eye lasering works, the procedure is now explained using a LASIK OP. More details and details about the different methods can be found here:

          Course of a LASIK OP

          Of course there is one in the beginning preliminary investigation, So a vision test as well as a detailed consultation, where all questions are answered and the patient is provided with information on eye laser treatment. The free consultation is part of the service of most providers and is important for the final decision of the patient. The patient should not only listen well, but also keep track of it, especially when it comes to cost points and individual risk factors. Also, allergies and intolerances should be mentioned to rule out side effects and complications. In the consultation, it must be checked whether the cornea of ​​the eye is even suitable for lasers. If everything is fine and the conditions are optimal, you can arrange a timely appointment on which the operation takes place.

          Depending on the laser center or clinic, the patient is dressed sterile in the operating room or in a practice and the eye is prepared for treatment. You get one sedative, because the whole thing is a bit exciting, but the laser eye has to stay calm. In addition, you get eye drop. This is a light painkiller on the one hand, to make the eyes less sensitive and to minimize the pain of lasing. On the other hand, the drops prevent the drying of the cornea. Dry eyes would cause pain.

          The eyelids are now pulled apart and clamped so that they are not disturbing during the eye surgery. And of course it must not come to a blink during the laser treatment.

          Eyes exposed for lasing

          Then the eye is rinsed and the top layer of the cornea circular – about 1 centimeter in diameter – incised, but not completely, but only about 90 percent.

          The top layer of the cornea is then folded up and set aside. This piece is called the “flap”. In principle, there are two common methods: The conventional, classic LASIK method is the cutting with a very fine knife. Alternatively, the Femto LASIK procedure has been gaining in popularity for some time, lifting the flap with a femto-second laser.

          The surgeon can easily explain the reason for this cut: after lasering, this layer serves as a wound plaster for eyes when it is put back on the operated tissue. This flip-up method distinguishes the LASIK procedure from many other laser surgery refractive surgery methods.

          After the flap has been folded up, the cornea is open and ready for lasers. The eye is now processed with a laser beam. There are different methods of operation – all have in common that they work with a high-energy laser beam, which removes the corneal layers very fine and precise. (See, for example, femto LASIK, in which the procedure is performed with a femto-second laser).

          The cornea is processed in such a way that its refractive power changes in the direction of the normal value. In myopia The corneal layer is flattened in the center to achieve the effect of a concave diffusing lens. For long-sightedness The outer areas around the center are removed to achieve the effect of a convex condenser lens. At presbyopia (also known as presbyopia) is the lower part of the cornea removed to simulate the effect of reading glasses. In case of astigmatism again a uniform curvature is generated. After lasering, the eye is thoroughly rinsed to remove germs or debris.

          Then the flap is folded down and placed over the treated area. It works like a patch, which should cure the treated area quickly. As a rule, it nestles well and heals in no time. Only in very rare cases, the flap must be sewn.

          Finally, the eyelids are released again. After just a few minutes, the operation is over. The eyes are slightly irritated, but you can start again with full vision and usually without much pain in a new life without glasses.

          Overall, eye lasers is an almost painless experience and you can practically immediately see – without long wound healing time – again without a contact lens or glasses normal. These benefits make the eye laser treatment so popular that almost every wearer of glasses thinks at least once in a lifetime to have their eyes lasered.

          New laser methods and surgical procedures

          The LASIK procedure was developed by the German physicist and inventor Josef Bille. The method is so gentle and successful that LASIK is often and mistakenly used as a synonym for “eye lasers”. Over the past few years, however, refractive surgery has grown by many further surgical procedures added, which also have their right to exist. The most common methods of eye surgery to correct the refractive power include:

          Method of surface ablation

          In the Oberfächenablation the removal of the tissue takes place directly on the surface of the cornea, so no flap is needed. For this, the epithelium has to regrow after surgery, as the epithelium is removed for laser treatment. The regeneration of the epithelium lasts several days, in which the visual acuity (visual acuity) is not completely corrected. In addition, the eyes can hurt after lasering. The most common laser methods of surface ablation are:

          • Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
          • Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK)
          • Epithelial Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (Epi-LASIK)

          Refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx)

          As with the excimer laser PRK and LASIK also aims Refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx) on the treatment of corneal curvature. With the help of a femtosecond laser (an eye laser with very short light pulses in the femtosecond range) so-called lenticles (lenticular tissue) are cut out of the cornea. Depending on whether a flap is opened for the laser of the eyes or not, one differentiates between the FLEx (Femtosecond lenticule) and the smile (Small Incision Lenticular Extraction).

          Summary

          • FLEx: Eyes laser with femtosecond laser after flaps open
          • ReLEx smile: Eyes laser with femtosecond laser, but without flap
          • more about ReLEx-Smile »

          lenses & Implants for correction of the cornea

          In addition to the gentle eye laser, a correction of the refractive vision error can also be done with the help of implants. Here, implants are introduced into the eye, either directly into the beam path or into the peripheral cornea. Lens implants are also called Intraocular lens (IOL) designated. The IOL can consist of PMMA, acrylic, silicone or hydrogel. Also, this alternative to eye laser promises for many patients with ametropia or presbyopia a permanently sharp vision without glasses.

          A new generation of lens implants introduces the so-called Light-adjustable lens (LAL) The LAL can be readjusted and corrected by the operator after the operation with the help of UV light in order to achieve an optimal visual acuity. As with any surgical treatment, the implantation of artificial lenses is associated with risks and side effects. The most common complications include injuries and bleeding, allergies and rejection reactions, and haze or post-treatment pain. In general, the complication rate is very low for experienced eye surgeons. Nevertheless, with lower ametropia, eye-laser is the better recommendation.

          Risks and side effects

          Completely risk-free intervention in a complex sense ergran is impossible. Theoretically, every operation must be expected to have unpredictable events and hazards to health. In practice, fortunately, there are empirical values ​​that can be used to calculate the risk of eye lasers.

          The refractive eye surgery, so the eye lasers, offers the chance to correct refractive errors permanently. The success rate is very high, new technologies, such as the LASIK procedure and the ReLEx smile method, are gentle and can significantly improve the visual acuity quickly and without pain. The expectation of the result of an operation should be discussed in the preliminary examination and a detailed consultation. The chances of success of a laser intervention depend on many factors. If you want to minimize risks with eye lasers, you should only visit an experienced surgeon and use state-of-the-art technology. Statistically, a young, inexperienced doctor attains a significantly higher complication rate during the first laser surgeries than several hundred more later.

          Other risk factors in eye lasers are: Pupil size, thickness of the cornea, diopter, general health. Regardless of whether suboptimal conditions are met or not, general risks associated with eye lasers must always be taken into account. These rare risks to your health include: reduced visual contrast; thus limitations of visual acuity during night and twilight viewing, as well as luster and light effects (halos). Infections must be expected in every surgical procedure. In addition there are long-term risks after the lasing of the eyes, e.g. Over or under corrections.

          A good way to make the eye laser not too risky, is to reject adventurous and absurdly favorable offers for laser surgery, especially from abroad. First contact, advice and service often reveal how serious the provider is.

          Costs, prices and health insurance

          In general, the decision to correct the visual acuity costs: each visit to the optician and the search for a suitable visual aid, whether glasses or artificial lens, costs money, which must be paid either completely by the health insurance or by the patient or proportionately by both. If you want to have your eyes lasered, but with a Reimbursement by the health insurance do not expect. You can read exceptions and tips in our guide Eye lasers: health insurance and costs.

          The statutory health insurance (SHI) considers the lasering of the eyes as an operation for aesthetic purposes. Therefore, local and company health insurance funds such as the AOK and BKK as well as the large health insurance funds such as Barmer GEK or the Techniker Krankenkasse refuse to cover the costs of laser treatment in the vast majority of cases. The performance is rated as not necessarily medically necessary. After all, insurance companies argue that wearing glasses is often enough to get a good look. Where the coffers themselves not the cost of glasses and other visual aids, such as contact lenses, except for a few hardship cases do not take. For special hardship cases and medically necessary procedures by eye laser you should look for the contact to your health insurance.

          Whether a private health insurance (PKV) pays the cost of eye laser treatment, depends on the services and the service, which are to be agreed individually with the insured. Like statutory health insurance, however, private health insurance does not usually pay the costs of eye lasers.

          Thus, the patient has to dig deep into his pocket and pay the costs of about 1500 to 2000 euros – depending on the laser process also significantly more – yourself. At least since eye lasering has become a kind of fad and lifestyle trend, providers with very cost-effective offers attract. Even with prices of about 500 or 600 euros for an eye laser surgery is advertised. But who Save money on eye lasers wants, should examine the best deals with the utmost caution. Many dubious providers have contracts with hidden costs. Eye lasering is also a very serious operation on an important and sensitive organ. Despite all the trends and consumerism, you should not equate the treatment with harmless spending for cosmetic purposes.

          Trend: When shopping fast your eyes laser?

          Like piercing and peeling studios, numerous chic advice centers for laser operations decorate the inner cities of Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Munich. Other cities like Frankfurt, Cologne and Stuttgart already have Laser centers in shopping streets. The message is clear: eye lasering is as easy as shopping.

          But beware! Be absolutely critical of this attitude! When lasering the eyes it is about the correction of an organ, not about fashion. Let us advise you on all risk and cost points of a treatment. On serious eye laser center has transparent costs and you already notice during the conversation whether the consultant is a trained salesman for lucrative operations or specialized personnel with experience. Do not sign any contracts or payment agreements that are required by you immediately and under time pressure. Your initial contact should only be evaluated as a guidebook and let all technical information on eye lasers first drop. Get a quotation in writing and compare the providers online. Reviews and ratings help you choose the best supplier for you.

          A good eye clinic requires physicians with a lot of experience, modern technology and hygienic conditions for professional laser surgery. All that is expensive! Modern technology and high standards are associated with high costs. Experts warn therefore rightly: Discounter prices should you with caution enjoy and compare the comparison of offers not only on the price. What testimonials of patients are there to a clinic? Which procedures are offered? How extensive is patient education and counseling at the first contact? Are doctors and ophthalmologists personally available for your questions? Such criteria should be taken into account in a price comparison for eye lasers.

          Have your eyes lasered abroad

          Some providers promise low-cost professional eye laser surgery abroad. The prices are sometimes very tempting and more and more people are considering, laser the eyes during a vacation allow. What is to be kept?

          First of all: Before the patient arrives for a surgery appointment in a clinic, he should have been at least for consultation on site and have looked at the conditions. This is often not the case with an eye surgery while on vacation. There is an appointment from Germany, with a clinic that you have not seen before. Shown are promotional videos and glossy photos. This is critical to see and can lead to nasty surprises. One can often already see from the external hygienic picture of a laser center how good and serious a treatment can be there. But do not be dazzled by photos.

          Foreign suppliers advertise Eye laser surgery for under 1000 euros per eye. Especially eye laser centers in Turkey, the Czech Republic and Poland are trying to offer eye lasers abroad cheaper than clinics in Germany ever could. Prices from 400 to 700 euros are required there for eye lasers. What appears attractive and inexpensive at first glance can be significantly more expensive afterwards than initially calculated. First of all, travel expenses and the costs for board and lodging in a hotel can be added. Hidden costs such as translation fees or invented costs may be added (and in hindsight). What is also often ignored: Successful laser eye surgery requires both pre-examination and in-depth consultation as well as follow-up. Anyone who lazes in Turkey can not be followed up in Germany by the same operating doctor.

          Turkey, Poland or the Czech Republic?

          It’s not about whether Turkish, Polish or Czech ophthalmologists operate better or worse. Eye lasers in Istanbul, Prague or Warsaw at low cost can be quite serious and provide successful results. Due to the large distance, however, the pre and post-operative eye laser surgery is too short.

          Another risk is the risk of infection. The better the hygienic conditions and protective measures, the safer the operation. A subsequent inflammation of the eyes is not necessarily dangerous, but can be quite painful. Pain and risks can be avoided by relying on experienced eye laser specialists. Overall, the disadvantages of eye surgery on vacation outweigh the benefits. Ultimately, many questions remain open before the procedure and the risk of an adventure is too great. In addition, we were sent some negative experience reports on eye lasers abroad.

          Reviews wanted

          Do you already have experience with eye lasers and are you satisfied with the result? If you have already had good or bad experiences in any of the above countries, we would appreciate your review so we can list all reviews and experiences, as well as the exact costs and risks on Lasikon. We are happy to consider your rating.

          With the help of your review, you can help other patients find good doctors and laser centers. The successful lasering of the eyes leads to a new life with a significantly better quality of life. But malpractice or wrong Promise of dubious providers can lead to a painful experience. Therefore, your report can be a great help to educate.

          Where in Germany eyes laser?

          Which is the best eye laser clinic? Where can I get my eyes lasered? We regularly receive such requests from our readers. Since medical education in Germany is one of the best in the world, we recommend letting your eyes be lasered in Germany and avoiding supposedly cheap providers from abroad. Whether clinics in Berlin, Munich or Hamburg, in almost every major German city, there are now very good eye laser centers, so that you should find the right eye clinic for you. So for eye lasers you do not have to travel for a long time to become a specialist. The best specialists can also be found on-site if you live near cities like Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf or Cologne. You can find the addresses and addresses of good laser centers as well as the best providers in your area in the following list: Eye laser providers

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