KSA Silmakeskus: 13 Years of Trust in Eye Care

The Beginning: Vision Born From the Heart

For over 13 years, KSA Silmakeskus has operated as one of Estonia's most successful eye clinics. Looking back at how it all started—the founding story, the turning points, the fortunate moments—you realise that the best things in life rarely come from a business plan alone. They come from luck, faith, and timing.

The best ideas do come from the heart. And that's exactly how KSA was born.

Dr. Ants Haavel, who still owns and leads the clinic today, founded KSA Silmakeskus. Medicine has always run through his veins—his family has produced several respected doctors, so the path seemed natural. After secondary school, Ants followed suit and enrolled in medical studies at university.

Six years of medical training led him toward his residency. But then life threw him a curveball. With two small children and a third on the way, a resident's modest salary made further specialist training impossible. He needed another option. So he stepped away from medicine—temporarily, as it turned out.

His first serious entrepreneurial venture began. "My friends and I started selling hygiene products and hospital supplies across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania," Ants recalls. "We did remarkably well. Eventually, Swedish investors bought us out."

The Fateful Encounter With an Eye Doctor

With capital in hand, Ants needed to invest it somewhere. In the late 1990s, Tallinn's property market was booming, so he pivoted to real estate. "Then one day my aunt called," he remembers. "She said, 'Five years have passed since you left university. You need to choose a direction in medicine, or your exams will expire.'"

Ants didn't have an answer ready. Looking back, he's still not sure whether it was chance or destiny—but his sister asked him to take her son to an eye doctor. "The moment I stepped into that clinic, I was fascinated," Ants smiles. "My nephew's eye condition quickly became secondary. The doctor spent half the appointment showing me the equipment, the diagnostic possibilities. Everything."

That visit changed everything. Ants decided, right then, to become an eye doctor. It was unprecedented in the Haavel family—no one had specialised in ophthalmology before. But his exams were still valid, and he secured a place in his residency training.

A Business Deal Made on Holiday

Three years of residency followed—intense, demanding work. Ants barely took time off. Eventually, his supervisors more or less forced him to take a month's leave. For someone who'd never taken time off for leisure, he had no idea what to do with 30 free days.

"In the first week of that holiday, I was scrolling through property listings out of boredom," he recalls. "I found a large commercial building that caught my eye." Whether it was chance or fate, two weeks later—thanks to fortunate timing and a motivated seller—the building was his at an excellent price. Quick decisions, sometimes even emotional ones, are typical of Ants. What matters is listening to your gut. If the feeling is right, act on it.

A Good Decision Leads to Initial Capital

That property investment proved valuable. Eventually, it provided the capital Ants needed to launch KSA Silmakeskus. After completing his residency and gaining clinical experience in eye surgery, he had both the expertise and the means to build something of his own.

What started as a small vision—to bring modern eye care to Estonia—grew into a clinic that would perform tens of thousands of successful procedures. Today, with over 55,000 procedures completed, KSA Silmakeskus stands as a recognised leader in advanced vision correction.

The clinic specialises in Flow3, our flapless surface laser procedure—a technique so safe and precise that every member of our surgical team chose it for their own eyes. We also offer ICB lens replacement for patients who aren't candidates for laser correction.

From property deals to residency, from hesitation to conviction—Ants Haavel's path to founding KSA Silmakeskus wasn't straightforward. But that's precisely why the clinic exists as it does today: built on real experience, genuine belief in the technology, and a founder who listens to his instincts.

Trust isn't something you claim. It's something you earn over 13 years and 55,000 procedures.

If you're considering vision correction, you're invited to visit us in Tallinn. We're here to answer your questions and explore what's possible for your eyes.