Special Hospital for Ophthalmology Svjetlost is a leading ophthalmic institution in the region that provides a comprehensive service. It is known for the highest standards of technical support and knowledge and constantly proves to be a representative of the latest technology in ophthalmologic practice. Svjetlost is the first private university clinic in Croatia with the parent institution situated in Zagreb. Svjetlost has a center in Split in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, and Budva in Montenegro with a franchise in Skopje, North Macedonia.
  Our doctors are top specialists with tens of thousands of surgeries behind them who have an individual approach for every patient, and seek the best possible solution for them.

The Svjetlost clinic is designed based on the model of similar centers of medical excellence in the world. The centre in Zagreb consists of 6 fully equipped operating rooms, 8 departments which have a specific purpose and are specialized for dealing with certain anatomical and functional parts of the eye, the cutting edge diagnostic and outpatient units, eye bank unit, and single and double apartments for postoperative stay of patients with 24-hour care provided by the staff of the Clinic, laboratory for blood tests, and internal medicine unit. Also available is the multifunctional conference hall equipped with multimedia digital equipment for live broadcasting surgeries from the operating rooms and multimedia streaming in the form of teleconferencing for live transmission of image and sound as a part of video conferences with other centers in the country and abroad.

In addition to laser vision correction, cataract surgery and corneal transplants, we also perform vitrectomy - the most complex ophthalmic surgery, glaucoma surgery with the installation of mini glaucoma shunt (drainage implant), strabismus surgery, plastic surgery of eyelids and sty, prosthetic cosmetic surgery of implanting silicone spheres, etc.

Cutting-edge technology and the principle of one-day surgery

The hospital has 6 highly equipped operating rooms in which it is possible to treat all eye diseases that require surgical treatment - laser vision correction, ultrasound cataract surgery, surgery on the back of the eye due to disease caused by diabetes, diseases of macula or degenerative changes of the retina, surgical treatment of glaucoma (elevated intraocular pressure), surgical treatment of strabismus (squint), plastic and reconstructive surgery on eyelids, and cornea transplant.

Most of the eye surgeries are carried out in the day hospital where the patients stay for half an hour after the surgery and are able to go home (so-called one-day surgery). Within the hospital there is a medical unit with 8 beds which provides an opportunity for a longer stay of patients with eye diseases that require intensive care or after complex surgical procedures when there is a need for a prolonged monitoring.

The diagnostic section of the hospital encompasses three floors and is divided into 8 departments. Within the hospital there is the Department for Emergency Patients, the Department of Retina Diseases, the Department of Cataracts, the Department of Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology, the Department of Children's Diseases, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Cornea and the Department of Refractive Surgery. Each department is equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment and staff specialized for each anatomical segment of the eye and its peculiarities. 

The first private university clinic in Croatia

In 2010 the Special Hospital for Ophthalmology Svjetlost became the Department of Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine of the University of Rijeka, and the first private university clinic in Croatia. The association with the School of Medicine is the result of many years of cooperation between prof. Nikica Gabric PhD and prof. Iva Dekaris PhD with the School of Medicine in Rijeka and the Ruđer Bošković Institute on scientific and educational level. The status of the clinic enabled further implementation of scientific research and training of young doctors in Croatia and in the region.

The Svjetlost clinic continues its collaboration with the Ruđer Bošković Institute on the project "Immunology of the eye", which has already borne important insights for a better understanding of the formation mechanisms of inflammation and corneal transplant rejection.

By gaining the status of a special hospitals and a clinic, this facility has made another advance in its work and the desire to constantly achieve excellence in the field, bringing new technologies and providing superior medical care to their patients. By extending its activities it is finally be able to transfer knowledge and human resources knowledge to colleagues in order to raise the level of health care in Croatia. 

Youth education

The Special Hospital for Ophthalmology Svjetlost believes in the education and training of young people and every year employs several new doctors who get a possibility to specialize in ophthalmology. In addition to having their costs of specialization fully covered, these doctors have the option of going to a prestigious global conferences and visiting the most famous ophthalmological centers, where they can acquire new knowledge and always be in step with the latest developments in the profession.

The clinic Svjetlost is in the process of starting postgraduate studies and permanent training courses for ophthalmologists from Croatia and the region, which is to transmit the latest knowledge and technical developments of the profession. The study will be organized in cooperation with world famous ophthalmic professionals with the idea of ​​deepening mutual cooperation and bringing the world of ophthalmology in our region.

The Svjetlost Eye Clinic already disposes of a wet-lab (a laboratory for surgical training with the use of pig eyes and plastic models) where surgical training of young colleagues is taking place with the aim of quicker and better achievement of surgical adroitness necessary for a quality approach to patients.