ARGUS Augen AG

Here for you: Dr. Steffen H. Schicke, ophthalmologist FMH / eye surgeon, and Dr. Michael Bode, ophthalmologist / FMH

We are where you are

Barrier-free, spacious practices in Lucerne, Altdorf, Sursee, Wohlen, and Wolhusen

Your well-being is important to us: our four practice locations are centrally located, easily accessible by public transport, and convenient for you. Our ophthalmology practices and the medical teams at ARGUS Augen are happy to welcome, advise, and treat you in our bright, modern, and friendly premises in Lucerne, Sursee, Altdorf, or Wohlen.

Everything related to general ophthalmology

at all practice locations

Our teams of doctors and their assistants offer the full range of general ophthalmology services at all four of our locations in Lucerne, Sursee, Altdorf, and Wohlen: Whether you need new glasses, want to get a third opinion, or want to use one of our modern diagnostic methods for the early detection and treatment of vision problems or eye diseases. Fast appointment scheduling, short waiting times, personal consultation, and care are our strengths.

Emergency care

at all practice locations

If you have an emergency, every minute counts and short distances are particularly important: All four of our practice locations in Lucerne, Sursee, Altdorf, and Wohlen give you the security of knowing that you will receive fast and targeted emergency care and treatment in the event of an ophthalmological emergency. We are there for you in the event of an eye injury, sudden loss of vision, or any other situation that you perceive as acute and threatening.

Prescription glasses and measurement of your visual acuity

at all practice locations

Visual acuity and eyeglass lenses must be precisely matched. To do this, our opticians not only check your distance and near vision, but also examine the balance of your eye muscles and measure any corneal curvature. Your exact prescription is determined manually by our opticians using trial frames. We determine the refractive power of your eyes using computer-assisted measurement methods. You will then try on a pair of trial glasses. This gives us the final confirmation of which glasses you really need: near or distance glasses, bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses.

Preventive eye examinations

at all practice locations

As in all areas of medicine, the same applies in ophthalmology: prevention is better than cure. Regular check-ups of your eye health for refractive errors and possible eye diseases offer you optimal protection for your eyes into old age. Our team of doctors therefore recommends a preventive eye examination every three years. Our preventive examinations at all four of our locations in Lucerne, Sursee, Altdorf, and Wohlen include a comprehensive screening of your eyes: an eye test, measurement of intraocular pressure, examination of the front and back of the eye, strabismus test, and filter test for early detection of any changes in your visual system. This often allows age-related or pathological impairments to your eye health, such as refractive errors, glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure), cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye), or macular degeneration (degeneration of the photoreceptor cells in the retina), can often be detected and treated at an early stage.

General, modern eye diagnostics

at all practice locations

Thanks to state-of-the-art eye diagnostics, our teams of doctors can now diagnose and treat age-related and pathological impairments to your eye health at an early stage. This means that treatment can be started early on, which is more promising, cost-effective, and less time-consuming. Our general, modern eye diagnostics include:

• Fundus examinations:  Reflection of the retina for early diagnosis of optic nerve, macular, and retinal diseases
• Visual field measurements (perimetry): Measurement of the 180-degree field of vision by means of projection and recognition of light points.
• Diagnosis of color vision deficiencies: Early detection of green-color blindness, red-green color blindness

Specific, modern eye diagnostics: OCT, fluorescence angiography, HRT

at all practice locations

Thanks to the constant advancement of diagnostic methods in ophthalmology, age-related and pathological changes in your eye health can now be detected and treated at an increasingly early stage. We offer you the most modern diagnostic and treatment methods available at an eye clinic:

• OCT examination (optical coherence tomography):  A computer scan is used to examine the retinal layers of your eyes for the diagnosis and early detection of eye diseases
• Fluorescein angiography: This is an imaging procedure for diagnosing diseases of the back of the eye. The pupil is dilated with medication and the flow and distribution of a suitable dye, which serves as a contrast agent, in the vascular system of the eye is documented. This allows vascular abnormalities and diseases of the eye (e.g., eye thrombosis) to be detected and treated at an early stage. Vascular abnormalities of the eye are often associated with diabetes.
• HRT measurements: This is an ophthalmic, laser-assisted diagnostic procedure for examining the cornea and certain areas of the retina. The most common use of HRT is to check out the optic nerve head (papilla) for early detection and monitoring of glaucoma.

Children's consultation hours/vision training for children with visual impairments

at all practice locations

The early detection of visible or hidden strabismus in children, restricted spatial vision, or amblyopia is particularly important. Untreated refractive errors in childhood can lead to lifelong poor vision, which may also affect career choices.
At our vision training center, our orthoptists examine visual acuity, eye mobility, the coordination of both eyes (spatial vision), and the angle of strabismus. Other symptoms and complaints such as double vision and eye tremors are also assessed here. Our team of doctors recommends that you have any abnormalities such as squinting, poor posture, eye tremors, headaches, reading difficulties, or squinting of your child's eyes examined. Regular preventive examinations are also recommended for children with a family history of eye problems, such as wearing glasses or squinting.

Driver's license eye test

at all practice locations

At all four of our locations in Lucerne, Sursee, Altdorf, and Wohlen, we offer testing and assessment of your daytime visual acuity and other visual functions (visual field, eye mobility, color vision, spatial vision), specifically tailored to the ophthalmological requirements of a vision test for obtaining a driver's license.

Contact lens consultation, supply, and fitting

at all practice locations

We provide information and advice and fit you with contact lenses tailored to your individual needs. After a thorough examination of your eyes, we will find the most suitable contact lens materials and types for you. For optimal visual performance and wearing comfort, it is essential to take into account not only refractive errors but also general and specific corneal irregularities and other pathological eye changes. Our team of doctors recommends visiting your ophthalmologist every six months for soft contact lens checkups and once a year for rigid contact lenses. If you experience redness or pain, please consult your ophthalmologist immediately.

Laser treatment for retinal changes

at all practice locations

Following the diagnosis of a pathological change in the retina, we offer treatment for peripheral retinal tears and retinal degeneration using an argon laser at all four locations.

Laser treatment for posterior capsule opacification

at all practice locations.

We are proud of this:

Surgical treatment of cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. Such clouding can be congenital or develop at any age due to accidents, as a side effect of medication, or as part of a general illness. However, the most common type is age-related cataracts, which develop slowly as a result of the natural aging process. Depending on its form and severity, cataracts can cause various symptoms, mainly reduced visual acuity, foggy vision, increasing short-sightedness in old age, increased glare, and shadowy double vision. In most cases, the clouded lens is surgically replaced with an artificial lens implant.

Surgical treatment of glaucoma

Glaucoma is not a single disease, but a group of diseases. What they all have in common is that they cause increasing damage to the optic nerve. This leads to a progressive restriction of the field of vision. Risk factors for the development of glaucoma include increased intraocular pressure, aging, family history, and diabetes. The main goal of surgical treatment for glaucoma is to reduce eye pressure. The ARGUS Augen Ärzte team recommends regular eye exams by an ophthalmologist starting at age 40 for early detection of glaucoma.

Intravitreal injections

This refers to the direct administration of a medication, liquid, or suspension into the vitreous body of the eye. Intravitreal injections are often used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Outpatient retinal and vitreous surgery (pars plana vitrectomy)

We are proud to be the first ophthalmology practice in Central Switzerland to offer outpatient microsurgical procedures on the retina and vitreous body at our surgical facility in Lucerne. Thanks to state-of-the-art surgical technology and intensive, personal care, you can avoid an inpatient hospital stay. All types of surgery on the retina and vitreous body are performed by our experienced team of specialists, led by Dr. Steffen H. Schicke and Dr. Bernhard Amerian. Here, all diseases affecting the retina and vitreous body of the eye are treated using microsurgery, in particular retinal detachments, retinal changes in diabetes mellitus, arterial and venous vascular occlusions, peripheral retinal degeneration, vitreous detachment and opacity, as well as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Medically indicated eyelid surgery

At our practice in Lucerne, the team of doctors also corrects medical indications. These include eyelid disorders and malpositions, the surgical correction of which is not only cosmetically desirable but also medically necessary. The most common are: inflammatory or pathological changes of the eyelid, inward rolling of the lower eyelid (entropion), outward tilting of the lower eyelid (ectropion), tearing due to tilting of the tear drainage point, drooping of the upper eyelid due to muscle/tendon disorders.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery

At our practice in Lucerne, our team of doctors operates on the most common aesthetic eyelid malpositions. In cases of cosmetic eyelid malpositions, surgical correction is aesthetically desirable but not medically necessary. Cosmetic eyelid corrections are usually performed for: drooping eyelids, sagging eyelids, "puffy eyes," and "eye bags."

Conjunctival surgery

The conjunctiva borders the cornea on the outside. It is a mucous membrane that is transparent and relatively thin. It sits loosely on the eyeball. It is firmly attached to the eyelids at the edges. At our practice in Lucerne, our team of doctors operates on pathological changes to the conjunctiva. The most common disease of the conjunctiva is infectious conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

Strabismus surgery

At our practice in Lucerne, our team of doctors surgically corrects misalignments of the eyeball. The aim of the operation is to reposition the eyeballs so that spatial vision is once again possible without any problems (functional indication) or so that the position of the eyes is cosmetically satisfactory (cosmetic indication).

ARTISAN/ARTIFLEX lens implants

These permanent lens implants are implanted at our practice in Lucerne by specially qualified ophthalmologists. Artisan and Artiflex lenses are ultra-thin contact lenses. They are implanted in the eye to correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness, and astigmatism. The lenses are attached to the iris with two clips and remain permanently in the eye. Artisan and Artiflex lenses are designed for anyone who values sharp and clear vision but does not want to rely on glasses or contact lenses. The advantages of this method include the safe surgical procedure, effective handling (no more lens changes), excellent improvement in vision, even in cases of severe plus and minus deviations, and the reversibility of the treatment.

Astigmatic keratotomy

In astigmatic keratotomy, the ARGUS team of eye doctors at the Lucerne location operates on what is known as astigmatism. Also known as corneal curvature, this is a specific refractive error of the eye. In this surgical refractive procedure, deep incisions, usually made in pairs, are used to reduce high, regular corneal curvature.

Clear lens exchange (early cataract surgery)

In cases of particularly high refractive errors or corneal thickness that is too thin for laser correction, laser correction alone is no longer the ideal solution. In this lens replacement surgery, the body's own lens is replaced with an artificial lens. Such a complete lens exchange is particularly common in cases of high hyperopia or age-related lens opacity. This procedure takes no longer than 15 minutes for our experienced ArgusAugen surgeons and is usually performed under local anesthesia.