“According to the station and political situation”
In March, vision correction clinics in Russia faced rising prices as imported equipment and components became more expensive due to the strengthening euro, according to Natalya Koval, an eye surgeon at the Ya See Center for Eye Microsurgery.
“Our clinic has increased prices twice since March. We cannot rely on analogues and must adapt to changing conditions and prices. Now we have to raise the cost of these services which depend on the unstable exchange rate,” the doctor explains.
She notes that today some technologies are available only through certain foreign firms, with no viable local alternatives. For instance, the VisuMax femtosecond laser is supplied exclusively by the German company Carl Zeiss Meditec, and this company holds the patent for ReLEx SMILE technology, which is regarded as the most precise, safe, and rapid method today.
“Additionally, each operation requires a separate license and a set of disposable consumables purchased only from the manufacturer of specific devices for each patient,” Koval adds.
Ophthalmologist, professor, doctor of medical sciences, and Dr. Tatyana Shilova, Shilova’s chief physician, states that manufacturing countries—Germany, the United States, France, and Italy—are currently pausing shipments of equipment and medical supplies to ophthalmology clinics. A separate challenge is maintaining and repairing high-tech equipment, with spare parts and components largely produced in Germany and the USA.
“Prices in the clinic have remained at pre-February levels. But as a surgeon operating on roughly 6,000 patients each year, I know that distributors usually keep stocks for six months for multi-surgeon practices, so supply disruptions are unlikely. Prices may rise for doctors with fewer surgeries, and will continue to rise as the political situation evolves,” the doctor observes.
Today, laser vision correction prices have risen by 5-10% on average, while patient demand has grown by about 15%.
Professor Shilova links the increased interest in procedures not only to exchange rate costs and price pressures but also to concerns among Russians about potentially cutting foreign supplies in the future.
Natalya Koval notes a steady flow of patients despite sanctions and rising costs, adding that laser vision correction remains popular because it offers independence from glasses and contact lenses, outweighing other considerations.
Is import substitution possible?
Shilova argues that even with suspensions on licenses for performing procedures and many materials, the situation is not yet at a point of worsening danger.
“I am a Carl Zeiss reference doctor, and company representatives assured us that supply would not be interrupted and that clinics using their equipment would continue to operate without disruption,” she explains.
She notes that manufacturers from other countries show little interest, and the medical community hopes sanctions will not affect medicine. Yet even with optimistic forecasts, no one can guarantee stability, warns Shilova, the head physician of the clinic.
If conditions deteriorate and deliveries to Russia halt, doctors would face a much more challenging landscape.
“Some technologies have been pursued by manufacturers for decades, and equipment that closely matches the original remains difficult to replicate. Even large budgets and advanced technology struggle to duplicate certain systems,” she says.
According to Shilova, a decade of efforts by high-budget firms has not yielded a truly competitive product, so rapid import substitution should not be expected. It would be imprudent to purchase third-country equipment for Russian clinics when manufacturers tightly control end users.
Nevertheless, she adds, the focus should stay on patient care. Clinics continue to function, and procedures proceed thanks to stockpiled consumables. The hope is that the situation does not worsen, and doctors keep finding a way forward.
“There are unique technologies that manufacturers from various nations have tried to replicate for years. The equipment can come close to the original, but it often doesn’t match it. Even with substantial budgets and top-tier tech, true parity remains elusive,” Shilova remarks.
Further, she notes that if ten years of effort by major companies has failed to produce a competitive substitute, a rapid import substitution would be unlikely. Still, for now, clinics stay operational, and surgeries continue as long as consumables are available. The medical community hopes for stability, and doctors will adapt as needed, she concludes.
Laser vision correction: what is the procedure
Tamara Shalbaeva, an ophthalmologist at the Tunkinskaya Central Regional Hospital and a distinguished physician of the Republic of Buryatia, describes laser correction as a method that reshapes the cornea to correct vision errors.
The most common types of laser vision correction include:
1. PRK – photorefractive keratectomy, which involves treating the outer surface of the cornea while avoiding changes to deeper eye structures. The recovery period is longer, and simultaneous correction in both eyes is not feasible during a single procedure.
2. LASIK – laser keratomileusis. This technique protects the cornea by lifting the front layers, allowing laser exposure to the deeper layers. LASIK enables simultaneous treatment of both eyes in one session and offers a shorter recovery period. It is typically painless.
3. ReLEx SMILE – a newer generation method that removes a small portion of the cornea through a tiny incision of 2-4 mm. This approach is very fast, with laser exposure taking about 25 seconds, and recovery typically lasts around one day. The maximum number of treated eyes in a session is two.
Shalbaeva notes that an ophthalmologist helps determine the best correction option, but there are general contraindications: under 18 years old, over 45, thin corneas, diabetes, or progressive vision loss.
“Often SMILE or LASIK is prescribed for mild to moderate vision problems, while PRK is used for more obvious cases,” the ophthalmologist explains.
Natalya Koval, from the Eye Microsurgery Center, adds that advances in techniques today allow corrections in situations that were once impossible.
“A few months ago, a patient with cerebral palsy underwent surgery to achieve better vision and reduced visual discomfort. The patient could not focus eyes, requiring general anesthesia, yet the outcome exceeded expectations,” says the doctor.