Health · Healthcare & Policy · 8 hrs ago
Eye specialist outlines criteria and limits for corrective surgery
Ophthalmologist Rubens Belfort Jr. discussed refractive surgery and eye health on a Brazilian TV programme.
He said whether surgery is suitable depends on a patient’s age, vision prescription and expectations.
The procedure is not a guarantee that someone will never need glasses again, though it may provide stable vision and years without glasses when properly recommended and performed.
The prescription must be stable before surgery, and the specialist said results can remain stable for years.
He also warned that myopia can raise the risk of glaucoma and retinal degeneration later in life.
On children and screens, he said outdoor light and physical activity may matter more for myopia risk than screen use, although the reasons are not fully understood.
No specific next step or new policy was announced.
Ophthalmologist Rubens Belfort Jr. said eligibility for refractive surgery depends on factors including age, the type of vision problem, and the patient’s expectations.
He said a stable prescription is needed and cautioned that surgery cannot guarantee freedom from glasses forever.
When properly indicated and performed, the procedure can provide stable vision and years without glasses, he said.
Belfort Jr. also warned that myopia can be associated with a higher risk of glaucoma and retinal degeneration later in life.
He said recent views on screens and childhood myopia have changed, with sunlight exposure and physical activity considered important factors.
- Who
- Ophthalmologist Rubens Belfort Jr. discussed refractive surgery and eye health.
- What
- He outlined factors affecting eligibility for corrective surgery and its limits.
- When
- He spoke in an interview on Saturday, the 7th; the article was published on November 9, 2026.
- Where
- On CNN Brasil’s Sinais Vitais program.
- Why
- To explain eye health, myopia and refractive surgery, and answer questions about them.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Rubens Belfort Jr. discussed eye health and refractive surgery in an interview on CNN Brasil’s Sinais Vitais.
CNN Brasil published its report on the discussion.
- Specialist
- Rubens Belfort Jr.
- Procedure criteria
- Age, type of vision problem, patient expectations and a stable prescription
- Example age
- Surgery at 25 or 26 may provide freedom from glasses until at least 40, he said
- Publication date
- November 9, 2026
- Program
- CNN Brasil’s Sinais Vitais
What people are saying
It depends on the patient's age, the type of vision problem they have, whether it is just myopia, myopia with more astigmatism or not, whether it is farsightedness, and it also depends a lot on the patient's expectations.
If you have surgery at 25, 26, it will give you stable vision, freedom from glasses, at least until 40.
The prescription needs to be stable.
Myopia can also, at an older age, lead to more glaucoma and retinal degeneration.