LASIK – SHOULD YOU OR SHOULDN’T YOU?
From someone who’s taken the plunge…

I’ve written this both to help you if you’re considering Laser Surgery and also as feedback to the team at the centre For Sight.

I’m a 34 year old guy who, until six months ago, had been considering corrective eye surgery for ten years before I made the decision to go ahead. I was short sighted in both eyes (-4.5 and -5) before I underwent surgery. During my years of research, I attended consultations at Moorfields and also at Advance Vision Care before deciding to have my operation performed by Mr Daya at the Centre For Sight. I’ll explain why.

I took a long time researching the different kinds of Lasik on offer, the equipment available and the surgeons specialising in this area. I chose Mr Daya and the Centre For Sight for these main reasons:

1) Mr Daya’s credentials and experience . He is a leading figure in the field of refractive surgery and has performed over seven thousand Lasik procedures. He is a Lasik trainer for Bausch and Lomb and he also directs and international centre for corneal transplantation. This guy is at the top of his game and is well placed both to carry out the surgery, and also (I figured) an absolute expert able to care for you in case of any problems.

2) The personal treatment I discovered occurring right from the start at the Centre For Sight. Not only is there always someone at the end of the phone at the Centre For Sight, I was exceptionally impressed with the way Mr Daya answered my emails personally and very quickly when I sent him many questions before my surgery. For such a busy man, this prompt and attentive pre-op care influenced my decision greatly and his answers reassured me at every step.

3) The Equipment used. The fact is that when I had my surgery, Mr Daya was the only surgeon in the UK able to offer the Intralase procedure to make the corneal flap. He also always has the most up to date equipment in the world. I spent many hours on the internet reading medical papers and even listened to long audio interviews with the Managing Director of the Intralase company, so I could find out what the latest technology was in this area. I was then able to ask Mr Daya if he had the very latest equipment, which he does. If you’re going in for eye surgery, then it seems prudent to go somewhere with the latest technology available and the best surgeon too. Because the Lasers involved in the procedure are hugely expensive, not all clinics have the latest upgraded models. The Centre For Sight does.

4) The Clinic is part of a real life hospital. The fact that the Centre For Sight is part of a working hospital was (and still is) very important to me. Should anything unusual happen to your eyes (unlikely though that is), they are well placed to help you, unlike some clinics that are a high street shop or essentially a guy with a laser machine in a plush office.

If you are considering Lasik, and cost is not the driving factor, I urge you to go to an introductory seminar that Mr Daya frequently holds (as I did) and ask Mr Daya any questions you have. I asked Mr Daya many difficult questions about complication rates and type of lasers used, and he answered them all carefully and clearly. Whilst at the seminar I realised that Mr Daya is so skilled in his speciality, that doing Lasik is really a relatively simple operation for him that he has become expert at. This guy treats people with cataracts and really severe eye problems, so I felt reassured that he knew everything there was to know about eyes. I would also recommend you look on the internet for medical papers on Lasik and Intralase to view for yourself the comparative data on these procedures.

The actual procedure was fast and painless. My brother watched the operation on a TV monitor just outside the theatre!

All in all, I feel happy that I went to the best surgeon available with the best team and equipment. At my first post operative consultation a week after surgery, I was told I was 20/15 in both eyes which is better than 20/20. This is remarkable given that I was -5 and – 4.5 with high astigmatism in both eyes before the op. I also complained of sensitive yes before the op – Mr Daya immediately identified the problem and was able to help. Now my eyes are clear and totally healthy.

Was there anything that could have been better? Not much. The drop regimen after surgery is a tiny annoyance, but actually fine, as is the need to wear the protective goggles at night for a few weeks. I experienced halos around lights for a number of months, but these are all but gone six months later. Do these little things detract from the overall result? Absolutely not.

At my six month check up today, I was declared 20-15 in both eyes (better than ‘normal’ sight) and even though I’m reluctant to use a cliché, the operation has most definitely changed my life and I would do it again at the drop of a hat. So, if you’re considering Lasik, do your research, go to see a few clinics, attend a seminar or two and make sure you’re confident you’re going to the TOP PEOPLE. If cost isn’t a deciding factor (which in my humble opinion it shouldn’t be!), then check that skill of the surgeon and the equipment used are the best you can find. After all, these are your eyes we’re talking about. I wanted the best people to carry out my surgery so I searched for a long time and I believe I found them.

Thanks to Mr Daya, Mr Giledi, Karolina, Nicky, Linda and the whole team at the centre For Sight for your care and professionalism.