Three families,
one logic.
All vision surgery rests on three distinct procedures: reshaping the cornea with the laser, supplementing the eye with a phakic implant, or replacing the natural lens. The choice between these approaches is not a preference: it is an indication, established after a complete anatomical assessment.
Laser surgery
Corneal refractive surgery
The excimer laser precisely vaporises a thin layer of corneal tissue to change its curvature and correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Two techniques are offered: transPRK, which acts on the surface without any prior surgical contact, and FemtoLASIK, which creates a thin corneal flap for faster visual recovery. The choice depends on corneal thickness, biomechanics, the correction required and lifestyle.
- transPRK — surface, no surgical contact
- FemtoLASIK — corneal flap + excimer laser
- KLEx — intracorneal lenticule not currently offered
The phakic implant
Additional intraocular lens
When the correction is too high for a corneal laser, or the anatomy of the cornea rules out reshaping, an intraocular lens (ICL or IPCL) is placed inside the eye, in front of the natural lens. The natural lens is kept intact, along with its ability to accommodate. The procedure is reversible.
- ICL — Visian Implantable Collamer Lens
- IPCL — second-generation phakic implant
- Reversibility — removal or exchange possible
The lens and cataract
Lens surgery
When the natural lens becomes clouded (cataract) or too rigid to accommodate (advanced presbyopia), it is replaced with a custom-calculated intraocular lens. The choice of implant — monofocal, EDOF, multifocal or toric — takes into account the patient’s refractive history, visual habits and expectations. A specific biometric calculation is required after previous corneal refractive surgery or after radial keratotomy.
- Cataract surgery
- Refractive cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange
- Implants: monofocal · EDOF · multifocal
- Calculation after previous laser
- Options after radial keratotomy
The indication comes before the technique. No surgery will be offered if your examination does not justify it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which technique is right for me?
No technique is better in absolute terms: laser, phakic implants, and lens surgery each address different situations. The right choice depends on your age, your refractive error, the anatomy of your cornea and lens, and your expectations. It is determined by the preoperative assessment — the indication always precedes the technique.
Why such a thorough preoperative assessment?
Because every eye is different. The assessment maps yours — corneal topography and tomography, aberrometry, biometry, biomechanics — to verify what can be done safely and to guide the procedure toward what suits you. This tailored measurement is what determines the outcome, which is why the decision is made after the assessment, never before.
From what age, and up to what age, can surgery be performed?
Laser and phakic implants require a stable refraction, which generally rules out patients who are too young and whose sight is still changing. Later in life, presbyopia and then cataract open up other options through lens surgery. There is therefore no single age: the window depends on the technique and on your situation, assessed case by case.
Is surgery mandatory, or can I do without it?
To correct myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, surgery is a choice: glasses and contact lenses remain perfectly valid alternatives, and sometimes the best recommendation is not to operate. Cataract is the exception: when it impairs vision, surgery is its only treatment.
Will I really never wear glasses again?
The goal is to reduce your dependence on glasses, not to promise you will never need them again. Depending on the technique, the correction, and the natural ageing of the eye — particularly presbyopia — glasses may still be useful in certain situations. A realistic expectation is better than a promise: it is the condition for a lasting decision.
What does the journey look like, from the first consultation to follow-up?
It begins with the preoperative assessment, followed by a discussion in which the technique and its limits are explained to you before any decision. The procedure itself is generally brief and performed on an outpatient basis. Postoperative follow-up is an integral part of care: vision evolves, and check-ups accompany it over time.
Are these techniques safe? How long have they been in use?
Refractive surgery has several decades of hindsight, and selection criteria have been refined over time. Like any procedure, it is never without risk; serious complications remain rare, and the preoperative assessment serves precisely to rule out at-risk situations. The limits are explained to you alongside the benefits.
Is the surgery reimbursed?
Refractive surgery (laser, phakic implants, refractive lens exchange) is not covered by INAMI, Belgium’s national health insurance; some private insurers contribute. Cataract surgery, on the other hand, is a necessary treatment and is covered, although advanced-technology implants may involve a non-reimbursed supplement.