What we offer, and what each appointment involves. Every service page in German lists the costs in detail; on this page we summarise what is covered by public insurance and what is charged privately.
Eye examinations and preventive care
A routine check covers visual acuity, eye pressure and an examination of the retina. Most eye conditions begin without symptoms, which is why we recommend a yearly check from the age of 40, and yearly from any age if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
For a detailed look at the retina we usually dilate the pupils with drops. You will be sensitive to light for several hours afterwards and unable to drive, so plan for that or bring sunglasses.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, usually without pain and without early symptoms. By the time it is noticeable, nerve fibres have already been lost and they do not come back. This is the main reason to have your eyes checked while nothing appears to be wrong.
We examine eye pressure, corneal thickness, the optic nerve using OCT, and the visual field. A normal pressure reading does not rule out glaucoma, which is why we look at the nerve itself.
Treatment is usually eye drops. An alternative is SLT laser treatment, which improves drainage inside the eye and can reduce or temporarily replace drops. It takes a few minutes per eye and is not painful.
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. Vision becomes dull, colours fade and headlights glare at night. It develops slowly and it is very treatable.
We examine the eye, take the measurements needed for the artificial lens and discuss which lens suits you. The standard lens is covered by public insurance and gives sharp distance vision; you will need reading glasses. Lenses that correct astigmatism or cover several distances are charged privately, and they involve trade-offs worth discussing before you decide.
[[ Please confirm: the surgery itself takes place where, and we handle the examinations before and the check-ups afterwards. ]]
Contact lenses
Fitting and follow-up by an ophthalmologist rather than an optician means the health of the eye is assessed as well as the prescription. That matters for dry eyes, for irregular corneas and for keratoconus.
We fit soft lenses, rigid gas-permeable lenses, scleral lenses for difficult corneas and orthokeratology lenses worn overnight. Whichever you wear, please come for a check at least once a year, even when everything feels fine.
Children
Squint, lazy eye and short-sightedness are best treated early, and children rarely say that they see badly because they do not know what good vision looks like.
We carry out the eye examinations in the Austrian Eltern-Kind-Pass, formerly Mutter-Kind-Pass, which are also relevant for child benefit payments. Three orthoptists work in the practice.
More about children’s eye care →
Certificates and reports
Ophthalmological certificates for driving licences, including group 2 for lorries and buses, for certain professions, and a tolerance certificate if you meet the required vision only with contact lenses. Certificates are charged privately, because they are not treatment.
Please bring the form issued by the authority, together with your glasses or lenses as you actually use them.
Additional services
Because Dr. Schild-Burggasser is also a general practitioner, vaccinations and infusion therapies are available at the same practice. Note that yellow fever vaccination may only be given by authorised centres in Austria; we are not one, and we will point you to the official list.
Not sure which appointment you need? Write to us in English and describe the problem in a sentence or two.
Phone +43 1 909 22 22 · Email anmeldung@schild-burggasser.at · Insurance and costs →