The case in summary Anders Øygard (51) chose to have eye surgery to become spectacle-free, which cost him NOK 80,000. Vision-correcting operations, such as eye lasers and lens replacement, are becoming increasingly popular in Norway. Section chief and surgeon Pål Varhaug at Haukeland University Hospital is critical of the fact that so many choose to undergo lens replacement surgery, due to the risk of serious late consequences such as retinal detachment. In the last 20 years, the number of retinal detachments has increased by 80 per cent, according to a Norwegian study. Almost all the customers of the providers news has spoken to are satisfied, but there are some who are dissatisfied because of expectations that are not met, or about temporary side effects. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. When Anders Øygard (51) was 45, his eyesight began to deteriorate. – It happened so quickly. From when I was 45 to 50, my eyes changed a lot. So I became more and more blind, so to speak. The Røyrleggaren thought it was a lot of fun with glasses. – I had to have a couple at home and one at work. I didn’t like having them on my nose. They were mostly in the way, and I had to take them off and on all the time to see. Had enough A hot working day, lying with hearing protection and fogging glasses under a narrow kitchen bench, was the turning point. – I couldn’t see what I was doing, so I had to take off my glasses. And at least then I didn’t see what I was doing. So the whole thing with wearing glasses became very difficult. – I had watched like a hawk all my life. Walking around with glasses all the time, it wasn’t me, says Anders Øygard, who enjoys being glasses-free again. Photo: Mia Sofie Ytreberg / news Røyrleggaren, like more and more Norwegians, chose to pay for eye surgery. It cost him NOK 80,000 to become glasses-free. Vision-correcting operations There are two main types of vision-correcting operations: Eye lasers are used for vision correction for most people aged 18 to 45. Lens replacement is more common among patients aged 45 and older. This means that the natural lens is replaced with an artificial lens to correct age-related vision and/or vision defects such as farsightedness, nearsightedness and crooked corneas. In growth news has contacted providers and collected figures which show that eye lasers and lens replacement operations are becoming increasingly popular. At Molde vision surgery, they have never advertised for the service. – It is simply word of mouth that is the marketing for us, says optician Per Kåre Johnsen. Memira, which is the largest in Scandinavia within eye lasers and lens replacement operations, now operates over 4,000 people a year in Norway. They have a market share of 58 per cent in this country. Eva Halvorsen Photo: Memira – There is a particularly large increase in the age group 40 to 55 years. 70 percent of our customers change lenses, says Eva Halvorsen, country manager of Memira in Norway. Many of their customers have an active lifestyle or have jobs that require activity. – We help a lot of people to have a better everyday, says Halvorsen. Developments within eye lasers and lens replacement operations Aleris has more than 80 per cent more patients so far this year compared to the same period last year. Since 2020, Memira has had an annual increase of 15 per cent in Norway. Volvat reports 18 per cent growth so far this year compared to 2022. Lirema Eye Clinic has a combined annual growth of around 25 per cent at its six clinics in the Nordics. At ABC vision surgery, there is clearly increasing demand for lens replacement operations. Risks serious late sequelae But section chief and surgeon Pål Varhaug at Haukeland University Hospital is critical of the fact that so many choose to have lens replacement surgery. He says the operation causes changes inside the eye that can lead to new problems, and also increases the risk of, among other things, retinal detachment. – The younger you are when you have the operation, the more years you run the risk of retinal detachment. It is a serious eye disease that can lead to blindness without treatment. Even with treatment, half of the patients will lose their reading vision in the eye. Could you have lens replacement surgery? Yes! No, the risk is too great. Glasses or lenses work well enough for me. I’ve already done it! Show result Do they think they did not get enough information In the last 20 years, the number of retinal detachments has increased by 80 per cent, according to a Norwegian study. Some of the increase is due to private customers becoming public patients. – Do you think that the providers provide sufficient information about the risk? – Several of the patients I have operated on for retinal detachment after lens replacement, at the latest this week, state that they were not sufficiently informed about this, says Varhaug. Pål Varhaug is afraid that people will not realize that there are risks with surgery. – Basically, healthy eyes should not be operated on. If you exchange one sight problem for another, it is a very high price for the patient. Photo: Bård Kjersem At Memira, they inform customers about the risk of retinal detachment both verbally and in writing. – The patients sign that they have read and understood this via a consent form, says Halvorsen. She says that their studies show that 1 in 100 lens replacement patients get retinal detachments within 10 years. Almost everyone is satisfied At the same time, the experience of the providers news has spoken to is that almost all customers are satisfied. According to Memira, 2 percent of laser customers and 3 percent of lens customers are dissatisfied. – It is not about incorrect treatments or mistakes during the operation, says Halvorsen. According to her, the reason is expectations that are not met, or temporary side effects such as dry eyes, halos or worse night vision. Optician Per Kåre Johnsen says that almost never anything wrong happens during an operation, but that he cautions patients who are going to change lenses against thinking that they will get back the vision they had as a 20-year-old. – It becomes more like when you were 40 years old. Sometimes it may be that you have to take out a pair of glasses if you are going to do something very special. We don’t get it perfect. The majority of the customers of Molde vision surgery and Per Kåre Johnsen are in their 60s and for various reasons have problems wearing glasses or lenses. Photo: Roar Jonny Strøm / news Mediated in eight complaints In the period 2019 to 2023, there were 51 people who contacted Norwegian Patient Injury Compensation (NPE) to complain about vision-correcting operations where the goal was to remove glasses or lenses. According to the NPE, they complained of light sensitivity, pain, dry eyes, reduced vision, blurred vision, and the continued need for glasses. They were refused because there was no failure of the treatment, but there are known consequences that are within what must be accepted. – Support has been given in eight cases. The most common justification is that there was no basis for the treatment based on the condition of the eye, writes communications advisor Jacob Andersen in an e-mail to news. – It’s absolutely fantastic to not have to wear the glasses on my head when I’m here, says pipe fitter Anders Øygard. Photo: Mia Sofie Ytreberg / news Felt a tear of joy Anders Øygard believes he was well informed about the risks of his intervention. After thinking about it for three weeks, he took the operation. A few hours later he went to a restaurant to celebrate. – When I could see the menu for the first time in many years without glasses, a small tear fell. He wanted to have the operation after he had heard of others in the village who had done it. – And now there are several people here in the office who want to do the same as me. It is wonderful to let go of glasses. I’ve got a new life, quite simply. At the back of Anders Øygard’s drawer are the glasses that he no longer needs. Photo: Mia Sofie Ytreberg / news Published 27.08.2024, at 16.06
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More and more people are having eye surgery to remove glasses or lenses
