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When is eye surgery not possible?

In certain cases we definitely cannot perform surgery. We call these absolute contraindications. In about 1 in 20 clients it is medically irresponsible to treat.

Examples of absolute contraindications

  • BMI over 35
  • Age under 18 years
  • Advanced glaucoma – increased eye pressure
  • Pregnancy

Specifically for laser eye surgery

  • Keratoconus – abnormal shape of the cornea
  • Cataracts – a ReplaceLens implant may be an ideal solution

Relative contraindications

Sometimes there is more treatment space. Relative contraindications are conditions where we look at the possibilities per person. Examples are:

  • Diabetes
  • Insufficient corneal quality
  • Inadequate eye health

Consensus Refractive Surgery

All contraindications are described in the Refractive Surgery Consensus. This was drawn up as a consensus among Dutch ophthalmologists by the members of the Dutch Society for Refractive Surgery – NGRC. In addition to the opinion of these ophthalmologists, international standards and opinions were also considered. It forms an important guideline for performing high-quality, safe refractive surgery.