Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Johannes Gonnermann

If you ask Dr. Gonnermann about his specialty, it is refractive cornea– and lens surgery and in particular the work with modern artificial lenses – the field in which he also qualified at the Berlin Charité. For him, lens operations are clearly the new lasering! Almost every year, new premium lenses with different technologies and innovative ideas are introduced to the market, which can correct almost any visual defect be able to fix it. And so the desire to permanently correct presbyopia, which Dr. Gonnermann prefers to call 'mature vision,' as well as lens independence, is increasingly growing.

The cause of presbyopia is the increasing loss of elasticity of the body's own lenses, which reduces the ability to focus. Choosing the right lens model is essential for a perfect result: The monofocal lens serves to correct either short-sightedness or farsightedness; this means that the image is as sharp as possible only at one distance, either far or near. Glasses are still needed for the other viewing distance. Also, the cataract – 90% of all people over 65 have a clouding of the lens – is successfully treated with this lens.

The multifocal or EDOF lens, on the other hand, is suitable for people even without lens clouding, who wish for a life with more independence from glasses. "In detailed consultation discussions, each patient is talked about which lens is individually best suited or whether there are limitations such as macular degeneration or glare phenomena. The patient's expectations also play a major role," explains the doctor. For example, those who do not feel comfortable with the idea of completely replacing the body's own lens with an artificial lens can rely on the implantable contact lens. "This is implanted in addition to the natural lens in the eye and lasts a lifetime," explains Gonnermann. This type of lens has already been used for more than 25 years, but not for age-related declining vision acuity – until now.

Brand new is "EVO Viva ICL," a biocompatible implantable collamer lens (ICL) that works together with the natural lens, is removable if necessary, and is suitable for correcting both presbyopia and distance vision. "These implants could set a milestone in the treatment of presbyopia," says the doctor, who, as a recognized expert, is also a member of the Visian ICL expert panel.

In general, Dr. Gonnermann spends a lot of time in the operating room, having performed around 30,000 eye surgeries in his career. He started at the University Eye Clinic of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, followed by six years at the Eye Clinic of the Charité Berlin and three years as Medical Director at EuroEyes in Hamburg. In March 2020, the native of Blankenese returned to his neighborhood, where he runs the ophthalmology practice at Blankenese station with Dr. med. Renata Krüger. The nearly 500 square meter practice has five treatment rooms, three waiting areas, and its own operating area.

The bright, elegant, and barrier-free practice concept exudes competence upon entering, all devices meet the latest and most modern standards, and the 20 employees are of exquisite friendliness. An absolute plus, which is especially important for another clientele of the practice: the children. The Eye Center is one of the largest children's eye practices in Hamburg, with a catchment area of a good 200 kilometers, and not only offers eye training from Monday to Friday but also performs squint operations. "From infants to grandparents, the whole family is cared for with us, all generations are represented. And with the best possible treatment concept," says the specialist. And this concept includes, in addition to the passion for lenses and eye laser, of course, the entire range of ophthalmology, such as the treatment of glaucoma, macula- and retinal diseases, corneal operations, as well as the Lidchirurgie.