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Bad Vision in Pregnancy

The human cornea must be mechanically stable as a structure. One speaks of the biomechanics of the cornea. In recent years there is increasing evidence that hormones, especially during pregnancy, can negatively affect corneal biomechanics. Our group is one of the international pioneers of this branch of research.

Harmless changes in vision during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many alterations take place in the human body. It has been known for decades that a so-called “myopic shift” takes place in late pregnancy, so the human eye becomes more short-sighted. The causes of this are not yet fully understood, but it is believed that the cornea in late pregnancy stores water and thereby changes their refractive index. These hermetic changes usually return in the first months after pregnancy

Oestrogen

It has been known for a number of years now that oestrogen can directly affect the cornea. Increased oestrogen levels during pregnancy can have a direct impact on the biomechanical stability of the cornea. In other words, the cornea becomes “softer” at the end of the pregnancy. This can have a number of consequences.

  • Keratoconus: pregnancy can worsen existing keratoconus. Our group has already published on this topic years ago.
  • Post-LASIK ectasia: our research group was one of the first to report cases of patients who underwent LASIK, who showed excellent results and good vision for years after LASIK… until they became pregnant. During pregnancy, these women then developed post-LASIK ectasia. This is very similar to keratoconus, and is the most threatening complication after LASIK / PRK. These cases demonstrate the importance of the surgeon’s experience in assessing patient’s suitability for undergoing LASIK. Also, the surgeon must be very familiar with the topic of biomechanics of the cornea.

Bad vision and pregnancy

Thyroid

There is increasing evidence that the under-production of thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH, has a direct impact on the biomechanics of the cornea and therefore, good vision. Our research group has been a trailblazer here; read more about our work here.

Our research on this topic

ELZA at the WOC 2020 Virtual Meeting: Dion Paridaens MD, PhD, Chief Executive of the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS) and oculoplastic & orbital surgeon at the ELZA Institute, Zurich took part in WOC 2020 Virtual Meeting in his role as a Subspecialty Coordinator for Orbital, Oculoplastic, and Lacrimal Diseases.
In 2014, the readers of “The Ophthalmologist” voted for the PowerList, the 100 most influential personalities in global ophthalmology. ELZA member Farhad Hafezi is one of them.
ELZA shows that the cornea of a person suffering from keratoconus may show massive estrogen-related changes during pregnancy
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Augeninstitut ELZA
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
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mike
mike
09:02 04 Jan 23
Overall as a 50 year old, who wanted to continue to avoid wearing glasses and/or contact lenses, my goal was 100%... achieved with ELZA and Dr. Hafezi. I greatly appreciated the overall approach by Dr. Hafezi and his friendly and competent team in reviewing my vision at the start and following a comprehensive eye exam- the explanations of my options. For me I chose PRK in one eye for a monovision solution to correct short sightedness which was becoming more prevalent in night driving and sports such as skiing and cycling. PRK heals slowly but the outcome is worth the wait- and the cost- you use your eyes every waking moment- and for me I cannot see any reason not to pursue better vision with the ELZA team! A great quality of life enhancement!read more
Zuzana Fecko
Zuzana Fecko
21:48 31 Oct 22
Thank you so much, Dr. Torres and prof. Hafezi. 26 years I was only “dreaming” about the eye surgery due to possible... complications. I was worried ..Thank you for encouraging me to make a decision and thank you for your professionalism, explanations and great work!I wish you all the best, lots of success and only happy patients!read more
Serena Fazio
Serena Fazio
11:15 06 Mar 22
I have been to the ELZA clinic to have surgery for my miopy, as my eyes were rejecting the contacts and I was tired of... wearing glasses. From the first preliminary visit, to the actual surgery and post-surgery care Dr. Hafezi and all his collaborators have been extremely professional, considerate and helpful. All the steps of the (very short!) surgery were thoroughly explained to me in order to be as calm as possible, together with the medication plan and precautions to be aware of so that my eyes could heal in the best way possible. By following their exact instructions, the healing process has been very successful and smooth, and after about one week I was able to see perfectly. I absolutely recommend this team and their expertise!read more
Robin A
Robin A
11:43 16 Feb 22
Top experts and professional team. Highly recommended
Thunder Shiviah
Thunder Shiviah
14:05 23 Nov 21
After some research on local options I decided to go with ELZA since it stood out as the best. The operation and the... post-operation recovery went extremely smooth (something I was worried about with PRK). Now my vision is much better than I had hoped and I have no side effects such as dry eye or night vision problems. Thank you!read more
Thomas S.
Thomas S.
09:37 07 Jul 21
My left eye had to be operated on because of a cataract. As I had an Artiflex lens implanted a few years ago, it had to... be removed first before a modern lens could be implanted to correct the cataract. Prof. Hafezi treated me in an very competent and friendly manner. I am very happy with the result.read more
Selma A. Rahim
Selma A. Rahim
19:45 02 Jul 21
Dr. Hafezi.. the KING OF CXL🤴
Gianluca Ricci
Gianluca Ricci
12:46 10 Apr 21
Great team and service!
rehaneyecare
rehaneyecare
05:36 08 Apr 21
Excellent surgeon
Steven H.A
Steven H.A
16:13 11 Jan 21
Prof. F. Hafezi s expertise is enormous and he has a very pleasant and calm nature which gives the patient... security.Thank youread more
Online Commande
Online Commande
09:19 05 Dec 20
Totally creepy, very arrogant Prof.He just want your money.It may explain, why this Prof. is not in the center of the... city of Zürich and why he has been thrown away from University of Geneva.read more
Elena Churilova
Elena Churilova
10:06 17 Nov 20
At the moment, 3 months have passed since the moment I made laser vision correction in this clinic. and I can say that... I am happy that I chose this particular clinic and Prof. F. Hafezi. The entire staff of the clinic is very friendly, treats patients with sympathy and patience if they are nervous before surgery (my big gratitude to Aida Alili for all support and patience). The doctor Hafezi and other doctors of the clinic are very professional and ready to explain to you as many times as you need. I can only recommend!read more
Michele Aggiato
Michele Aggiato
18:17 10 Jan 20
The day I had Prof Hafezi checking my keratoconus I knew I was finally in the right place after years of searching for... a good ophthalmologist. Prof Hafezi recommended a surgery due to a drastic degeneration of my cornea. The surgery was performed by himself with the assistance of Dr Rodriguez, one more collaborator of Prof Hafezi’s team who got my full trust.read more
Ashley Faulkes
Ashley Faulkes
15:30 21 Mar 16
Professor Hafezi and the team at the ELZA Institute have done an amazing job of creating a first class eye clinic, with... cutting edge technology and support. I went there for a dry eye issue and other issues with my prescription, and they were easily able to help me and put me on the road to better vision! High recommend them to anyone in the Zurich/Aargau area.read more
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Augeninstitut ELZA
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
powered by Google
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