Erik L.J.G. Mertens
Specialisations
- Refractive Surgery
- Cataract Surgery
- Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery (FLACS)
- Presbyopia Correction
- Phakic Intraocular Lenses (ICL)
- EVO Visian ICL
- Premium Intraocular Lenses
- Multifocal Intraocular Lenses
- Trifocal Intraocular Lenses
- Toric Intraocular Lenses
- Refractive Lens Exchange
- Astigmatism Correction
- Corneal Surgery
- Wavefront-Guided Laser Surgery
- Customized Vision Correction
Dr. Erik Mertens is the Medical Director and Founder of Medipolis Eye Center in Antwerp and is recognized as one of Europe’s most experienced refractive and cataract surgeons. Since graduating as a physician from the University of Antwerp in 1991, he has built an international reputation in ophthalmology, with particular expertise in refractive surgery, cataract surgery, premium intraocular lenses, phakic lenses, and presbyopia correction.
During his ophthalmology training, he specialized in advanced techniques including laser vision correction, wavefront-guided treatments, cataract surgery, corneal surgery, and phakic intraocular lens implantation. Innovation has remained at the center of his career. In 2012, he performed Belgium’s first femtosecond laser cataract surgery. To date, he has completed more than 8,500 femtosecond laser-assisted cataract procedures (FLACS).
In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Mertens is a highly sought-after international speaker, researcher, and educator. He has delivered more than 600 scientific presentations at national and international congresses and has published numerous scientific articles on refractive surgery, cataract surgery, and innovative lens technologies. He has also served as principal investigator in multiple international clinical trials evaluating new ophthalmic technologies.
Dr. Mertens is a Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO), a Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences (FWCRS), and obtained the prestigious FEBOS-CR certification in 2025, the European subspecialty qualification in cataract and refractive surgery. He has held leadership positions within several international ophthalmic organizations and served as President of AECOS Europe from 2019 to 2022.
As the founder of Medipolis Eye Center, Eqiris, and Signifeye, he remains committed to delivering innovative, high-quality, and patient-centered eye care. His expertise covers the full spectrum of modern vision correction, ranging from laser procedures to premium lens implantation and advanced cataract surgery.
Treatments and conditions
You can visit Dr. Erik L.J.G. Mertens for, among others:
- Cataracts
- Cataract Surgery
- Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery (FLACS)
- Refractive Surgery
- Refractive Lens Exchange
- Presbyopia
- Presbyopia Correction
- Myopia
- High Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Astigmatism
- LASIK
- Premium Lens Implants
- Multifocal Lenses
- Trifocal Lenses
- Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) Lenses
- Toric Lenses
- Phakic Intraocular Lenses
- EVO Visian ICL
- Corneal Ectasia
- Post-LASIK Vision Problems
- Customized Lens Implantation
Languages
Consultations are available in
Locations
Timeline
Degrees and certificates
Memberships
Awards and grants
Research areas
- Refractive Surgery
- Cataract Surgery
- Premium Intraocular Lenses
- Multifocal Intraocular Lenses
- Trifocal Intraocular Lenses
- Phakic Intraocular Lenses
- EVO Visian ICL
- Presbyopia Correction
- Femtosecond Surgery
- Corneal Surgery
- Astigmatism Correction
- Refractive Lens Exchange
- Ocular Diagnostics
- Clinical Research
- Ophthalmic Innovation
Dr. Erik Mertens combines an extensive clinical practice with international research activities in refractive and cataract surgery. His research focuses on premium intraocular lenses, phakic lenses, presbyopia correction, femtosecond technology, innovative surgical techniques, and advanced diagnostic applications. He has served as principal investigator in multiple international clinical trials and has published extensively in leading scientific journals.
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2008 Custom-designed toric phakic intraocular lenses to correct high corneal astigmatism Journal of Refractive Surgery
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2011 Toric phakic implantable collamer lens for correction of astigmatism Clinical Ophthalmology
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2017 Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgeries reported to the European Registry Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery
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2017 Prospective multicenter trial of a small-aperture intraocular lens in cataract surgery Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery
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2020 Performance and safety of the EDOF implantable collamer lens Clinical Ophthalmology
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2021 Bilateral implantation of a new refractive multi-segmented multifocal IOL Clinical Ophthalmology
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2023 Postoperative vault prediction for phakic implantable collamer lens surgery Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery
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2023 Rotational Stability After Implantation of Two Different Phakic Toric IOLs Journal of Refractive Surgery
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2024 Immediate Sequential Bilateral Implantable Collamer Lens Surgery is Safe and Effective Journal of Refractive Surgery
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2025 Proportion of patients with Demodex blepharitis in ophthalmology clinics in Europe Eye
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2025 Evaluating the predictive accuracy of an AI-based tool for postoperative vault estimation Clinical Ophthalmology