Customer information

The first examination

When you first come to us, the examination will begin shortly after the time fixed for your appointment. The first step will be to assess the state of your eyesight, and, in the event of eyeglasses being required, how strong they should be. As a precaution, we also measure the intraocular pressure of all patients over the age of 40.

If you have come to us as a result of a deterioration in your eyesight, it may be necessary to dilate your pupils with eye-drops. Once the examination is over, we will talk the findings over with you, establish the course of action to be followed and fix appointments.

N.B. A first examination in all take a good hour to complete and none of the procedures causes any pain. If it has been necessary to dilate your pupils, then you are recommended not to participate in road traffic afterwards ­ your pupils will still be dilated and you could very easily be dazzled by bright light. Please bring a pair of sunglasses with you in any case, to protect your eyes after the examination.

Information session

Central to the way we care for our customers is the doctor-patient talk which takes place before any kind of medical treatment. In this talk the doctor will put you fully in the picture as regards the consequences of your complaint, the range of alternative treatments, risks, possible complications, success rates and side-effects. We will make sure that you are fully informed about all these things.

It is very rare that eye surgery is associated with genuinely serious risk, but complications do sometimes arise. Examples of "serious complications" are, for instance, the dropping of the lens nucleus into the vitreous body, major bleeding or an infection. Every eye operation does contain a latent risk of seriously impaired eyesight, but at Vision International we use an early warning system which offers the highest possible safety levels and prevents complications arising.

An operation is planned

Let us assume that you are due for an eye operation, for which we agree on a date and choose a clinic. In advance of the operation you will be examined by a specialist in internal medicine and the operation itself will take place on the day you go into hospital.

In the case of a cataract operation, which can be carried out using an eye-drop anaesthetic and without stitches, you will not need to wear an eye-patch and will be able to see immediately after the operation. Many eye operations can be carried out on an out-patient basis and you can return home shortly after.

Important for us to know

When an operation is coming up, due account has to be taken of certain medical conditions. We will certainly ask you if you have an allergy, diabetes or high blood-pressure. Acute infections should be given time to get better before an operation is carried out. Please tell us if you are using a pacemaker or if you are taking long-term anti-coagulatory medication. Further, please inform us in case of hepatitis or HIV.

Rehabilitation

The cataract operation, simply the removal of the blear lens, is the most frequently carried-out operation in the world. We customarily carry out cataract operations with an eye-drop anaesthesia and without stitches, which makes an eye-patch unnecessary and enables you to continue your everyday life without interruption. You can resume work immediately and drive a car after only a few days. A three-week course of eye-drops is prescribed and if new eyeglasses are required, you will be fixed up with these four weeks after the operation.

Rehabilitation can take longer after certain glaucoma operations, after corneal surgery, and after operations necessitated by a detached retina; in these cases it can also involve a period of convalescence.