Märt Tammearu: Life After Flow3 Laser Eye Surgery

Glasses, contacts, and sport: a difficult combination

Märt Tammearu is 24, a professional volleyball player and member of Estonia's national team. Born in the small village of Rabavere, his career has already taken him to clubs in Belgium, France, and Poland. For three consecutive years, he's been named Estonia's best volleyball player.

When the competitive season winds down, Märt fills his summer in Estonia with beach volleyball and disc golf. Sport isn't just what he does—it's woven into who he is.

Recently, he made a decision to improve his quality of life: Flow3 laser eye surgery at KSA Silmakeskus.

Märt got his first pair of glasses six years ago, when vision problems started affecting both school and the gym. Glasses and contact lenses quickly became a permanent source of frustration—especially in his professional career and during military service, where contacts weren't permitted in field conditions.

"At the shooting range, you want to actually see where the target is," Märt explains, nodding to one of his main reasons.

One forest exercise stays with him. During a lunch break after shooting practice, he removed his glasses and rested them beside his rucksack. A minute later, he accidentally sat on them.

"They broke, of course. At least it was the last few days of service," he recalls with a wry smile.

The volleyball court brought its own share of mishaps.

"During a friendly match with the national team, I took a ball to the face during warm-up—and my contact lens just flew out of my eye. The warm-up ended with a sprint back to the hotel: get a new lens in, and back to the game as fast as possible," he remembers.

A three-month break: the perfect window

This season, Märt's volleyball schedule finished earlier than usual. National team training wouldn't resume until mid-summer. That meant something rare: a full three-month break—and the ideal moment to make a change.

He learned about KSA Silmakeskus from a national team teammate, Robert Tähel, who'd had excellent results and recommended the clinic.

"I didn't overthink it," Märt admits. "I booked a consultation, and as soon as I got the green light—I decided to go ahead."

Recovery: faster than expected

The healing process surprised Märt. It went much smoother than he'd anticipated.

The first four days were the toughest. Vision remained blurry, his eyes watered a bit, and there was an occasional sandy feeling. His girlfriend's support helped enormously, as did fresh air walks and listening to podcasts.

By day seven, when his protective contact lenses came off, Märt was back to normal life—and most importantly, back to training.

Within a month, his vision had fully stabilized. Today, three months post-procedure, he's training hard, competing at the highest level, and enjoying sport without the friction of lenses or glasses.

"The recovery was straightforward," he says. "The procedure itself felt safe. And now I can just play volleyball—without worrying about my eyes."

Why Flow3 was the right choice

Märt chose Flow3 because it's the flapless surface laser technique—meaning no corneal flap, no cut, and faster return to full activity for athletes. The procedure takes about a week to settle into daily life, and the clinical team at KSA Silmakeskus performs the procedure on themselves, which tells you something about confidence.

For someone whose livelihood depends on quick reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to react in split seconds, that safety margin matters.

"I'd recommend it to any athlete," Märt says simply. "The procedure works. And then your sport is just your sport again—not a puzzle you're trying to solve around your eyewear."

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Interested in vision correction for your sport? Book your consultation at KSA Silmakeskus. Over 55,000 procedures completed, led by Dr. Ants Haavel and a team that trusts Flow3 with their own eyes.