I first considered laser eye surgery several years ago but was put off after visiting one of Accuvision's 'competitors' that advertise laser eye surgery from £395 per eye. When I came out of this consultation the costs had risen to £3,800 and I had been subject to a bit of a sales job.
Having decided to revisit laser eye surgery following a discussion in the pub on how glasses and contact lenses both compromised my and a mates respective hobbies (mine mountain biking and skiing, his golf). I did the usual web based research and became more and more impressed with Accuvision's reviews and honest pricing strategy.
As a result I decided to book a consultation and visited the Wetherby clinic on 25th September 2010. The experience was completely different from my previous consultation. Simon's approach is both professional and friendly, providing clients with a confidence in the ability of a highly professional team. The pricing strategy is clear and there was absolutely no 'hard sell' with clients left to ponder and reflect before taking a decision on whether to proceed.
I decided to proceed at the consultation and booked straight away. My friend spent a few days considering whether to proceed but also ended up booking surgery. We both had surgery on 13th October. My prescription was -3.5 in both eyes; his was somewhere in the region of
-6 and -7. We both opted for the Accuwave Lasik laser eye treatment, selecting 'mono vision' providing a balance between the benefits of correcting our 'short sighted' prescription whilst helping with reading etc.
The surgical team were excellent and took time to answer questions and provide calm reassurance throughout the procedure. The most painful part of the procedure was inserting the anaesthetic drops although the pressure applied before the flap is cut and the cutting of the flap is slightly disconcerting. As most testimonies will state, the impact is immediate, albeit slightly 'foggy' at first (a bit like looking through goggles underwater).
After 15 minutes sitting quietly I was assessed by a member of the surgical team and departed for home wearing sunglasses and with the advice of resting my eyes as much as possible for the remainder of the day and evening and with a bottle of eye drops that needed to be applied hourly.
On waking the next morning my eyes were feeling dry. This was quickly remedied through an application of the drops, which I continued to apply hourly until I revisited the clinic (24 hours after treatment).
At the follow up session my contact lens 'bandages' were removed and Simon rechecked my vision, which was already better than needed to pass a driving test and likely to improve further over the next two to three months.
10 days later and I have just attended my follow up session. My eyes are now starting to feel more 'normal' and less tired, although they do still feel a bit dry if I spend a lot of time on a computer.
I have been extremely pleased with the whole Accuvision experience (quality and value for money) and I cannot speak highly enough of the team and the results that both I and my friend have experienced on day one.
If you are considering laser eye treatment I recommend a consultation with Accuvision. Many of my concerns were dispelled at the consultation and whilst testimonies are reassuring there is no substitute for being able to discuss your particular concerns directly.
Finally I would like to thank the team at Leeds/Wetherby. Your reassurance and honest, accessible and friendly approach has made a huge difference to the overall experience.