1. [Home](/en) 2. Who Is Your Eye Surgeon, Dr. Van Cleynenbreugel? # Who is your eye surgeon, Dr. Van Cleynenbreugel? Everyone is born with only one pair of eyes. Therefore, we do not entrust them to just anyone. Especially when it comes to a surgical procedure, it is important to know the surgeon's training, expertise, and background. For this article, we have a talk with Dr. Van Cleynenbreugel, eye surgeon at Medifocus. What does it mean to him to perform surgery on the most precious possession people have, namely their eyes? The Eye Hospital in Rotterdam During my medical studies, I opted quite early to train as an ophthalmologist, precisely because eye surgery intrigued me enormously. The high-tech and detailed nature of eye surgery appealed to me immensely, especially because it is combined with a very important human aspect. Being an ophthalmic surgeon means that you are in a privileged position where you can improve people's lives. During my training as an ophthalmologist, I quickly came to the decision that I wanted to commit to one of the most renowned institutions in the world, namely the Eye Hospital in Rotterdam. This is one of the largest hospitals in the world where only ophthalmology is performed. No other specializations. It’s an institute with enormous expertise in which **more than 14,000 operations are performed each year**. Also, about **300,000 consultations** are done **on an annual basis** and it is **one of the largest teaching hospitals in the world**. I ended up there during my internship in my third year and I was able to do part of my surgical training at the Eye Hospital of Rotterdam. After graduating, I continued with surgical fellowship in Rotterdam for 1 more year as an eye surgeon specializing in **corneal surgery**, **cataract surgery** and **refractive laser surgery**. When I was asked to become a staff doctor, I did not hesitate for a moment. I have spent an important part of my life in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital, performing **more than 1000 surgical procedures per year**. That has been an exceptionally intense period especially because of the high numbers of surgeries and consultations performed in the hospital. In 2005, I was asked to become the **medical head of the anterior eye department**. I have therefore had the opportunity to lead the department as head of service for many years. ![](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_small/public/2021-06/_mg_2135.jpg?h=e8406e0c&itok=J14yGKOV) Eye surgery I have had the privilege of being trained in one of the most renowned institutions in the world and I am still grateful to my colleagues for all they have taught me. Like many professions, eye surgery consists of part practice and part theory. You must be prepared to spend hours practicing. However, it is my belief that to a large extent you must also be born as an eye surgeon. **An eye for detail, fine motor skills and a huge dose of patience** are qualities that you cannot learn if you do not own them already. I have always felt that I was born for this work. So yes, I made a conscious decision to enter this profession because improving people's vision is enormously valuable. It gives me a lot of satisfaction. On the other hand, you could also say that ophthalmological surgery chose me; I partly got into it because it seemed obvious to me during my career that I would practice this profession. The step to Medifocus After having worked in Rotterdam for more than 10 years, I decided to take the step that was the most logical in my career at that time. I made the decision to focus even more on laser eye surgery and to start a practice that mainly revolves around the newest laser eye treatment, ReLEx smile. The potential of this new surgery was so clear to me in 2012 that this decision was not a difficult one to make. It seemed obvious to me that with my history as a corneal and laser surgeon I would develop the ReLEx smile treatment. In 2013, I started with Medifocus and co-founded **the development of [ReLEx smile](/treatments/relex-smile)** together with [**Carl Zeiss Meditec**](/en/about-medifocus/carl-zeiss-reference-center). I was, I believe, the fifth surgeon in the world to perform treatments with this new technique. It turned out to be the right decision. ReLEx smile is proving to be a hugely successful treatment that leaves behind some of the disadvantages of the older techniques. It is truly a new step in the world of laser eye surgery. The results we have achieved over the years also demonstrate this. Future I expect that in the coming years the older techniques such as [PRK](/treatments/prk), [Femto-LASIK](/treatments/femto-lasik) and others will be set aside even more in favor of [ReLEx smile](/treatments/relex-smile). The corrections that we currently cannot treat with ReLEx smile will become possible in the future. The world of eye surgery constantly evolves and that’s a good thing. Would you like to know, after reading this article, whether you are eligible for eye surgery? You can do that through our [contact form](/en/contact), or you can contact our office at [+32 16 58 59 58](tel:+3216585958). ## Preliminary examination Would you like to know whether you are eligible for laser treatment or eye surgery? [Plan your preliminary examination](/en/make-appointment-1)