PRK/LASEK Treatment Testimonial
Dr. Robert Wagner

• Name: Dr. Robert Wagner
• Treatment Method: PRK/LASEK
• Location: Stuttgart

Dr. Robert Wagner in his own words

Before my laser eye surgery, I had myopia of -1.75 diopters and astigmatism. To see clearly, I wore both glasses and contact lenses. Of course, I also experienced the typical problems faced by glasses and contact lens wearers: I didn’t like wearing contact lenses because I found them bothersome and their handling cumbersome. They were often dry or slipped out of place.

My glasses bothered me both at work and in my personal life

But I also wasn’t happy about having to rely on glasses. They bothered me in many situations—both personally and professionally. They were often simply impractical when riding a motorcycle, swimming, skiing, or playing sports. In the summer, they were bothersome when I sweated; in the winter, they were constantly fogged up. They were even a hindrance when showering. My glasses hindered me considerably, especially in my work as an ophthalmologist. Because of them, I could only look through the microscope’s eyepiece from a great distance, which narrowed my field of vision. Once, I lost my glasses at the beach. They were just gone. I then had to wear my prescription sunglasses for the rest of my vacation just to be able to see anything. It just bothered me to be constantly dependent on something. You always have to wear something to see well. I finally decided to undergo laser eye surgery using the PRK/LASEK method.

Experiencing it firsthand was impressive

The day of the treatment itself was very interesting. I knew what was going to happen. I was a little nervous, but I think I handled it well, and in the end it was completely harmless, painless, and over in just 10 minutes. But experiencing it firsthand was truly impressive. With each passing day, I noticed more and more that my vision had already improved significantly. The daily progress was a great feeling.

It’s not about diopters—it’s about freedom from glasses

The special feeling of waking up the next morning and being able to see everything—that was amazing. But it’s not necessarily a specific situation that has improved; rather, it’s my overall quality of life. In the end, it doesn’t matter how many diopters a person has—it’s the dependence on an object, namely glasses, that’s the problem. Personally, I’ve enjoyed that freedom every day since then: shaving in the morning, in everyday family life when my children were still small. Seeing clearly is, of course, important for everyone, but especially for ophthalmologists. The thing is, when you wear glasses and work with a microscope, you’re constantly bumping into the microscope and your glasses—it’s very uncomfortable. Being able to see clearly is much nicer and much more precise. Many years have passed since my treatment, and I still don’t need glasses. Only in the evenings after a long day at work, when my eyes are very tired, do I use reading glasses if I want to read. I read a lot and enjoy it.

I can truly empathize with my patients

Having undergone laser treatment myself is, of course, a wonderful experience for me, but it also gives me the patient’s perspective, allowing me to understand them even better. Since my own treatment, I can fully appreciate how a patient feels during the procedure. During my treatment, I was constantly reassured that everything was going well and according to plan. I really appreciated that, and I’ve been doing the same for my patients ever since.

One of the best decisions you can make

Life without glasses is just so much better than with them. I don’t just say this from my own experience—my daughter also had laser eye surgery because she was nearsighted. That’s why I really recommend it to everyone. It’s one of the best decisions you can make.