The short answer
At KSA, laser vision correction means Flow3 — a surface procedure with no incision in the cornea. The laser runs for seconds, you are in the treatment room for about 15 minutes, and the bandage lenses come out on days 5–8. It suits confirmed myopes aged 18–45; everything else is settled at the pre-operative examination. Recovery takes a week, not a day.
What the laser actually does
A myopic eye focuses light in front of the retina rather than on it. The reason is optical power: the cornea bends light too strongly for the length of the eye. Glasses and contact lenses solve that from outside, by putting a corrective lens in front of the eye.
A laser solves the same problem on the surface of the eye itself. An excimer laser removes a microscopic amount of tissue from the outer cornea in a precisely calculated pattern, changing its curvature so that light converges on the retina. Nothing is burned or cut — cold ultraviolet light breaks the bonds between molecules.
Flow3 is KSA's incision-free surface procedure, combining the TransPRK method, SmartSurfACE and SmartPulse technology and ITEC thermal control. There is no cut in the cornea, no mechanical blade and no vacuum suction ring. The laser removes the surface layer and corrects the vision in one continuous step, without the eye being touched.
The laser we do it with
KSA's operating suite runs the German manufacturer SCHWIND's AMARIS 1050RS excimer laser. On 25 October 2026 KSA receives a new AMARIS 1050RS in the Signature Line configuration — the current unit is being replaced. In this configuration it is the only such laser in the Baltics.
The Signature Line is not just the machine but the suite around it: a redesigned user interface, extended presbyopia planning modules, SCHWIND Foresight, which computes the expected corneal shape before the laser fires, ATRIUM data management, which carries measurements from the diagnostic devices straight into the laser with no manual entry, and a new Patient Bed EVO.
The procedure itself stays the same: touch-free, incision-free Flow3 surface treatment. What changes is planning precision and how many people we can treat at all — above all those over 40, who until now were not offered laser correction. More on the technology page.
Five numbers and what they mean for you
1050 Hz pulse rate
The laser delivers 1,050 light pulses per second, which puts ablation time at roughly 1.3 seconds per diopter.
Why it matters. The shorter the laser runs, the less the corneal surface dries out mid-procedure. That affects healing directly.
7D eye tracking
The system follows the eye in six spatial dimensions plus time as the seventh — latency-free tracking.
Why it matters. If the eye moves or you blink, the laser pauses by itself and resumes at exactly the right spot. Holding still is not the patient's job.
12–14 µm of tissue per diopter
Correcting one diopter removes an average of 12–14 micrometres of corneal tissue.
Why it matters. For comparison, a human hair is about 70 µm and a sheet of paper 80–100 µm. Less tissue removed means more corneal reserve left.
ITEC thermal control
Intelligent Thermal Effect Control monitors corneal temperature and sequences the pulses so heat does not build up in one place.
Why it matters. Overheating would damage tissue. ITEC is the reason a high pulse rate is safe in the first place.
15 minutes in the treatment room
Preparation, numbing drops, a few seconds of ablation and fitting the bandage lens — all of it.
Why it matters. The laser itself runs for seconds. The rest is preparation, which is why this is not a day you need to book time off for.
Who it suits — and who it does not
Flow3 is meant for a defined group and we do not stretch that boundary. It suits you if you are aged 18–45, have diagnosed myopia up to −9.0 diopters, possibly with astigmatism up to 4.5 diopters, and your prescription has held steady for at least a year.
- Over 45, or farsightedThen the right examination is the Audit, which reviews every option — including presbyopia, the age-related need for reading glasses.
- Under 18The eye is still growing and the prescription still moving. For children we do vision checks, not laser.
- With keratoconusActive keratoconus rules out laser correction of any kind. The 3D topography at every examination looks for it.
- If the examination says noThen we do not perform the procedure. That is also why KSA has had no case of ectasia in 21 years.
Related: reading glasses and presbyopia, keratoconus, cataracts and dry eye.
Why have it done at KSA
- Since 200521 years of refractive surgery and eye health only — it is the whole of our work, not one service among many.
- Over 300,000 eye examinationsSafe outcomes rest on diagnostics. If the examination shows an eye is unsuitable, we do not operate.
- Zero ectasia cases in 21 yearsCorneal weakening, or ectasia, is the most serious possible complication of laser correction. Over 55,000 procedures and not one case.
- The cornea stays wholeBecause no flap is cut, the cornea keeps its biomechanical strength. Sport and swimming resume as soon as the bandage lenses come out.
How to start
It starts with a pre-operative examination: a 3D map of the cornea, intraocular pressure, corneal thickness measured to the micron, and a look at the retina. Only then can anyone say whether a procedure suits you, and which one.
Examinations are done in Tallinn and Tartu. The laser procedure itself takes place in Tallinn.