Review of Moorfields Eye Surgery
Moorfields Eye Hospital enjoys a global reputation for providing world-class laser eye surgery.
Moorfields Private is the private arm of the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and offers ophthalmic care to patients seeking a vast range of treatments for both common and complex eye health conditions.
Today, Moorfields has a number of clinics around London – located in the City, the West End, Bedford and Croydon – and treats around 400,000 outpatients and 30,000 inpatients each year.
☀ Pros: World-class reputation, highly experienced eye surgeons, central London locations, advanced technology
☂ Cons: No fixed prices (fixed by the surgeons), no monthly payment options, no free consultation
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
Our no-nonsense review of Moorfields Private and Moorfields NHS Eye Hospital covers:
- Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Moorfields laser eye surgery cost
- What laser eye surgeries are offered?
- Moorfields’ best consultants
- Moorfields laser eye surgery reviews
- The Verdict
1. Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
For patients who fail to meet NHS requirements, or for those looking for treatments left off NHS checklists (such as refractive surgery for the average glasses-wearer), Moorfields Private is a viable option.
Private laser eye treatments at Moorfields include the most common surgeries such as PRK, LASEK and LASIK, as well as specialist procedures for more complex conditions. Private patients also benefit from Wavefront guided surgeries, which tend to have higher success rates due to greater laser accuracy.
In addition to providing high quality treatment and aftercare, many patients like to know that the profits from Moorfields Private are used to fund the Moorfields Eye Charity, Friends of Moorfields, which supports critical new research and quality eye care for children and adults.
2. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
If you happen to suffer from a select range of debilitating eye conditions that cannot be treated by contact lenses or glasses (such as cataracts or glaucoma), you may be one of the few people who qualify for laser eye surgery on the NHS.
Moorfields’ NHS Eye Hospital is there for these patients, but for the vast majority of us, Moorfields Private has its door open.
3. Moorfields Laser Eye Surgery Cost
While NHS treatment is free, at Moorfields Private prices will apply to all consultations and surgeries.
Laser eye surgery costs at Moorfields start at £2,000 per eye for common laser eye surgery such as LASIK or LASEK. These prices rise to between £3,000 and £4,000 per eye for more complex procedures including cataract surgery.
An initial consultation at Moorfields is around £150, and the private prices will depend on the eye surgeon you choose. That’s because the laser eye consultants are employed by Moorfields, and set their own fees.
Consultation costs
- Consultation: £150 – £200
Patients considering laser eye surgery usually book one to two consultations prior to receiving treatment. You can book your first appointment on the Moorfields Private website.
Treatment costs (per eye)
- LASIK or LASEK eye surgery: £2,000 – £2,500
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE) or cataract surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
- ICL implantation surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
Other costs
In addition to these costs, you may also need to consider covering your potential stay in the hospital for private treatment. Moorfields Private hospital fees tend to range from £900 to £1800, depending on the procedure.
However, recovery times vary, and many eye treatments allow you to leave following the surgery. Naturally, there are no hospital fees for NHS patients.
Other options?
Moorfields Private Hospital offers some of the latest laser and implantable contact lens treatments performed by world-class consultant eye specialists, and these prices reflect the clinic’s high standards.
However, if these costs are outside your budget, or you would like to compare them with other leading laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, click here to fill in a few details, and talk directly to a trusted clinic to compare their quotes and services.
To see how other eye laser surgery clinics compare with Moorfields Private, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and receive a tailored quote from any trusted clinics near you.
Paying for treatment
Opting for laser eye surgery is a financial commitment for most people, and Moorfields offers three ways of paying for your treatment:
- Private Medical Insurance – If you are covered by private healthcare, Moorfields asks that you try to verify these details before your first appointment, and obtain your pre-authorisation number.
- Self pay – Many patients pay for their own treatment, with no private insurance needed.
- Third party sponsorship – If a third party (such as your employer) has agreed to settled your account, make sure you acquire a letter of guarantee along with a deposit.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
4. Laser Eye Surgery Treatments
Moorfields Private Eye Hospital provides over 100 vision correction treatments for adults and children of all ages.
Here are some of the most requested types of laser eye surgery treatments:
- LASIK: The most common treatment to correct eye conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
- LASEK: A surface laser treatment that is suitable for patients with thinner corneas (eye surfaces).
- Cataract surgery: A refractive lens exchange (RLE), which is an option for those in the “reading glasses” age group.
- ICL surgery: Implants that work like permanent contact lenses are common for younger people, or patients with medical dry eye conditions.
Moorfields Private Hospital usually performs laser sight correction surgery to both eyes on the same day, but with cataract surgery and ICL implantation, most surgeons prefer to leave a week between operating on each eye for their patients’ comfort.
5. Moorfields’ Top Surgeons
Moorfields Private and Moorfields Eye Hospital claim their ophthalmic surgeons and consultants are some of the best in Britain, and six Moorfields Private surgeons were recently named in the Daily Mail’s top doctors list.
Within the industry, Moorfields is also the go-to for ophthalmic expertise: a recent Moorfields report shows that over half of all registered ophthalmic surgeons in the UK received their training there. Not surprisingly, many Moorfields consultants also completed their training onsite.
Plus, based on hundreds of unfiltered reviews from former patients, Moorfields hosts some of the top-rated laser eye surgeons in the UK.
Here are the five best consultants at Moorfields, as voted by you:
- Mr David Gartry: As one of the first surgeons worldwide to perform laser eye surgery, they don’t come more experienced than Mr Gartry.
- Mr Julian Stevens: Mr Stevens is an advisor to the British Society for Refractive Surgery, and is recognised globally as an expert opinion leader in laser eye surgery.
- Mr Bruce Allan: Mr Allan had been the Service Director for Refractive Surgery at Moorfields since 2012.
- Ms Valerie Saw: Ms Saw’s interests lie in inflammation and scarring of the eye, and she regularly treats patients for dry eyes and conjunctivitis.
- Mr Alexander C. W. Ionides: Since 1989, Mr Ionides has specialised in cataract and refractive lens surgery for both long and short sighted conditions.
Read more: Laser Eye Surgeon reviews
6. Independent reviews of Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
Moorfields consistently receive fantastic customer reviews, making them one of the highest rated laser eye providers in the UK. Click here to read their customer reviews below.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic is also featured as one of Lasik Eye’s best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, as well as shining in our list of the best laser eye surgery in London for partnering with some of the most renowned surgeons.
What makes Moorfields Eye Hospital so popular?
- History – Moorfields Eye Hospital first opened in London in 1805, and is now one of the oldest and best reviewed eye hospitals in the world.
- Ophthalmic Research – Moorfields has spent over 200 years researching and providing the latest laser eye surgery and implantable contact lens treatments, in partnership with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
- Cutting-edge technology – Moorfields Private is a flagship location for laser and implant manufacturers. Its surgeons are therefore able to choose from the latest state-of-the-art laser eye equipment and non-invasive techniques like Intralase technology.
- Patient care – The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates Moorfields Eye Hospital as ‘outstanding’ for care in their latest inspection report.
But is Moorfields Eye Hospital right for you?
Not everyone is best suited to Moorfields: as you would expect, world-class laser eye surgery often comes with an eye-watering price tag.
- Expensive treatments – Although patients tend to leave rave reviews, LASEK eye surgery costs on average £2,235 per eye at Moorfields Private, but between £595 and £1,595 per eye at other leading high street eye clinics such as Optical Express.
- No free consultations – Moorfields Private is one of the few laser eye clinics in the UK not to offer free initial consultations: you can expect to pay between £150 and £200, depending on the surgeon you see.
Next Steps: Find the Top-Reviewed Clinic Near You
Compare Moorfields Private with the highest independently reviewed eye laser clinics near you – see if you’re eligible for 20/20 vision or your money back, and receive your very own personalised quote.
Our mission at Lasik Eyes is to make it easy to choose the right clinic for your ophthalmic treatment, pop in for a free consultation, and talk through your options with an eye expert. Here’s how:
Next steps: Our simple tool helps our readers every day get one step closer to 20/20 vision:
- Find a top clinic near you: Answer three questions to be matched with the leading eye clinic in your area
- Check you’re eligible in minutes: Receive a quick call to check you can get surgery (we will never share your number with anyone else)
- Receive a tailored quote: Talk to an expert at a clinic you can trust for a free eye test (worth £800) and personalised quote (with no obligation)
☛ Click here to find the best clinic near you, and receive a tailored quote.
Moorfields Surgeons Reviews
Mr Alexander C W Ionides
BSc FRCOphth MD.
Mr Vincenzo Maurino
Mr Bruce Allan
MD FRCS FRCOphth
Mr Stephen Tuft
Professor David S Gartry
MD, FRCS, FRCOphth, DO, BSc(Hons)
Mr Julian Stevens
MRCP, FRCS, FRCOphth,DO
Moorfields Eye Hosptial Reviews
Elizabeth O’Mahoney
Firstly, a big thank you to all those who posted reviews here – they were instrumental in my decision to get my eyes corrected, where and with which doctor. And what good decisions they turned out to be!
I had my surgery with Dr Julian Stevens about 4 months ago. Before surgery I was about -5.5 in both eyes.
It all started with a round of phonecalls to the Moorfield doctors’ secretaries. I wanted to go with the one with the longest waiting list – nervous, moi? This turned out to be Dr Stevens. Cross-referenced with this site and with additional recommendations from colleagues, I decided Stevens was the man! On request, his secretary sent me out lots of useful information and based on this I arranged an appointment for assessment (£90).
On 31st March, I went along to the Arthur Steele Unit (about a mile from my home) and had a raft of eye tests with various individuals. This day characterised my whole Moorfields experience – lots of waiting around (bring a good book to your ALL appointments), lots of nice people, not enough seats. I saw Mr Stevens, who was nice and very confident, and he told me that I was basically very bog-standard and that Wavefront Lasik should give me perfect eyesight. He answered all my questions very patiently. I would deffo recommend bringing a list of questions with you to this appointment.
I decided to go for it and took the next available appointment, which due to my living nearby and due to a last minute cancellation, turned out to be 11th April. This was in Moorfields Hospital. Having handed over my two cheques (£2200 sugeon’s fee and £1087 hospital fee) I took my place in the nice 4th floor waiting room along with a few other brave souls. So much waiting around though! Dreadful. Oh well. Famous person in waiting room. Yes! After a long time, the lot of us were taken down in a lift to a grottier waiting room.
Anyway, turns out that because everyone in front of me in the queue opted for valium, I was first up! So I was straight out. I was a little unprepared because I knew others had been in the queue HOURS ahead of me. Some of those peeps were extremely on edge – I was just very nervous indeed. But a brave soul. Anyway, I followed a nice bod to a tiny, tiny operating room. So tiny! And filled with people! Maybe 4 people. It look liked a dentist’s room with lots of fancy equipment. Everyone was in green or white scrubs though, which was a bit disconcerting. So someone asked for my glasses and I took them off. Which again was a little disconcerting because I couldn’t see any thing. I think they forget that not being able to see is sometimes a bit unsettling for us short-sighted types. Well, I gritted my teeth and was guided to an almost hoizontal dentist-type chair.
Well, it was then, as I lay there not being able to see, with an assistant knocking my feet because the room was too small, that I began to laugh. I don’t know why. Just because I was nervous I suppose. I think they were all talking about football, which added to the surrealism. Anyway, the staff, including Mr Stevens, were all very encouraging and very soothing. And I soon settled down and was happy enough.
So then to the procedure! I’m afraid I can’t remember exactly what went on. All I know is that it was quick and it didn’t hurt. Like I say, I was lying on this horizontal chair. And Mr Stevens did the whole holding back the eyelids jobby, which DIDN’T hurt and wasn’t even uncomfortable! This was the bit I was dreading, you see. And I didn’t even feel like I needed to blink – it just felt almost normal. So, explaining every step as he went, Mr Stevens swung me under one machine, which did its thing. Cutting the cornea flap. Locked onto my eyeball I suppose. I think under THIS machine I mainly saw a small red dot of flashing light and everything else black. And a loud clicking noise. Or maybe that was the next one, I don’t know. Anyhoo, all that only seemed to last about 1 minute. Easy! I didn’t smell anything during the procedure, except for a horrendous sulphurous stink! What a honk! Apparently, kids in the children’s ward sometimes let off stinkbombs.
I must say, one of the flaps which had been cut proved quite tricky to lift, so Mr Stevens was bashing about in my eye for quite a while! But it was painless and just a bit odd really. And you must remember, I am a bit of a wimp myself, so it really wasn’t bad.
Anyway, I was then swung under the next machine. This one seemed to last about 5 minutes. If that. Did the same locking onto eye thing. By this stage, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. It was a weird sensory experience for me. If you have ever been on Space Mountain in Disneyland or EuroDisney it was a bit like that, but without the rollercoaster. Slightly disoritentating, strange lights, but mainly blackness. Anyway, it was all over quickly. And then they did that whole closing of the flaps milarky. So from start to finish, my whole active Moorfields experience was maybe, 10 mins, And then…then…I could see! Yes! It was weird. Everything seemed very, very bright (remember those sunglasses!) and very, very foggy. The fog gradually liftsed as the hours passed.
I was taken to a room with Mr Stevens, for a super quick eye test. I can see! Amazing! Then I went upstairs and a nurse talked be though the different drops I would be taking and all about after surgery care. As I left with my partner in a taxi my eyes were beginning to hurt. Ouch! Too bright too. Well, of course I should have loaded my eyes up with the anaesthetic they had given me, but seeing as they had just done some I didn’t think I should. Anyway, if truth be told, I was in pain for the rest of the day. But I’m a trooper.
When I went back to Moorfields the following day, no one else in the waiting room had ANY pain issues. (I think the moral of this story then, is make sure you have enough anaesthetic BEFORE you eye gets too sore to open properly!) Anyway, at this appointment – more waiting! – they checked my eyes and did another eye test – better than 20-20! So off I trotted to enjoy my new eyesight. There followed a few weeks with various eyedrops, and sleeping with eye goggles and limited swimming. But since that first day, I had no discomfort or pain. For a while lights were a bit fuzzy.
Now, four months on, I have just had my last follow-up appointment (more waiting!). But it’s official – everything is groovy.
I can’t recommend lasik surgery highly enough. And I can’t recommend Dr Stevens and Moorfields highly enough. I would do it all again in a nanosecond. My eyesight is perfect. It has had a much more profound effect than I thought it would have. I love it. If you want to get this procedure done, go to Moorfields and go to Dr Stevens.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Ritchie Best
I had my eyes operated on by Dr Alex Ionides in march 2007, after years of investigation & research... I got to the end of wearing glasses, breaking them, and contacts were uncomfortable, so I sold my motorbike to pay for surgery.. I used this site to make my decision. I chose Moorfields as they are deemed World leading... Dr Alex Ionides at first seemed abit washy, felt at times he did not answer my questions as direct as I would have liked, however he always replied to my emails and was very open and helpful.. Anyway, I had -3.5 in both eyes, I had the surgery, all done in about 15 mind and within3 hours I could read a licence plate across the road..... Amazing, the after drops are a slight inconvenience but a small price to pay..... once the course finished I used dry eyes drops for a few months.... I would have surgery again tomorrow if I needed, I would not hesitate.. the guy did a sterling job, perfect vision, heeled well, very little star gaze at night etc... I do find my vision deteriorates noticeably more when I am tired these days or if I am doing sports in the wind or dust my eyes get dryer than I remembered pre op, but otherwise the best 3k I ever spent, I would not hesitate to do it again... It was like a new life for me, its changed my life for sure... Ritchie
Roberto
I've just recently had my treatment with Mr Stevens and my sight is already improving dramatically. I just wanted to say how kind and helpful Mr Stevens and his wonderful team are. If you are thinking of having this treatment done, you really couldn't chose a more considerate and knowledgeable doctor.
Elizabeth O’Mahoney
Firstly, a big thank you to all those who posted reviews here – they were instrumental in my decision to get my eyes corrected, where and with which doctor. And what good decisions they turned out to be!
I had my surgery with Dr Julian Stevens about 4 months ago. Before surgery I was about -5.5 in both eyes.
It all started with a round of phonecalls to the Moorfield doctors’ secretaries. I wanted to go with the one with the longest waiting list – nervous, moi? This turned out to be Dr Stevens. Cross-referenced with this site and with additional recommendations from colleagues, I decided Stevens was the man! On request, his secretary sent me out lots of useful information and based on this I arranged an appointment for assessment (£90).
On 31st March, I went along to the Arthur Steele Unit (about a mile from my home) and had a raft of eye tests with various individuals. This day characterised my whole Moorfields experience – lots of waiting around (bring a good book to your ALL appointments), lots of nice people, not enough seats. I saw Mr Stevens, who was nice and very confident, and he told me that I was basically very bog-standard and that Wavefront Lasik should give me perfect eyesight. He answered all my questions very patiently. I would deffo recommend bringing a list of questions with you to this appointment.
I decided to go for it and took the next available appointment, which due to my living nearby and due to a last minute cancellation, turned out to be 11th April. This was in Moorfields Hospital. Having handed over my two cheques (£2200 sugeon’s fee and £1087 hospital fee) I took my place in the nice 4th floor waiting room along with a few other brave souls. So much waiting around though! Dreadful. Oh well. Famous person in waiting room. Yes! After a long time, the lot of us were taken down in a lift to a grottier waiting room.
Anyway, turns out that because everyone in front of me in the queue opted for valium, I was first up! So I was straight out. I was a little unprepared because I knew others had been in the queue HOURS ahead of me. Some of those peeps were extremely on edge – I was just very nervous indeed. But a brave soul. Anyway, I followed a nice bod to a tiny, tiny operating room. So tiny! And filled with people! Maybe 4 people. It look liked a dentist’s room with lots of fancy equipment. Everyone was in green or white scrubs though, which was a bit disconcerting. So someone asked for my glasses and I took them off. Which again was a little disconcerting because I couldn’t see any thing. I think they forget that not being able to see is sometimes a bit unsettling for us short-sighted types. Well, I gritted my teeth and was guided to an almost hoizontal dentist-type chair.
Well, it was then, as I lay there not being able to see, with an assistant knocking my feet because the room was too small, that I began to laugh. I don’t know why. Just because I was nervous I suppose. I think they were all talking about football, which added to the surrealism. Anyway, the staff, including Mr Stevens, were all very encouraging and very soothing. And I soon settled down and was happy enough.
So then to the procedure! I’m afraid I can’t remember exactly what went on. All I know is that it was quick and it didn’t hurt. Like I say, I was lying on this horizontal chair. And Mr Stevens did the whole holding back the eyelids jobby, which DIDN’T hurt and wasn’t even uncomfortable! This was the bit I was dreading, you see. And I didn’t even feel like I needed to blink – it just felt almost normal. So, explaining every step as he went, Mr Stevens swung me under one machine, which did its thing. Cutting the cornea flap. Locked onto my eyeball I suppose. I think under THIS machine I mainly saw a small red dot of flashing light and everything else black. And a loud clicking noise. Or maybe that was the next one, I don’t know. Anyhoo, all that only seemed to last about 1 minute. Easy! I didn’t smell anything during the procedure, except for a horrendous sulphurous stink! What a honk! Apparently, kids in the children’s ward sometimes let off stinkbombs.
I must say, one of the flaps which had been cut proved quite tricky to lift, so Mr Stevens was bashing about in my eye for quite a while! But it was painless and just a bit odd really. And you must remember, I am a bit of a wimp myself, so it really wasn’t bad.
Anyway, I was then swung under the next machine. This one seemed to last about 5 minutes. If that. Did the same locking onto eye thing. By this stage, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. It was a weird sensory experience for me. If you have ever been on Space Mountain in Disneyland or EuroDisney it was a bit like that, but without the rollercoaster. Slightly disorientating, strange lights, but mainly blackness. Anyway, it was all over quickly. And then they did that whole closing of the flaps milarky. So from start to finish, my whole active Moorfields experience was maybe, 10 mins, And then…then…I could see! Yes! It was weird. Everything seemed very, very bright (remember those sunglasses!) and very, very foggy. The fog gradually liftsed as the hours passed.
I was taken to a room with Mr Stevens, for a super quick eye test. I can see! Amazing! Then I went upstairs and a nurse talked be though the different drops I would be taking and all about after surgery care. As I left with my partner in a taxi my eyes were beginning to hurt. Ouch! Too bright too. Well, of course I should have loaded my eyes up with the anaesthetic they had given me, but seeing as they had just done some I didn’t think I should. Anyway, if truth be told, I was in pain for the rest of the day. But I’m a trooper.
When I went back to Moorfields the following day, no one else in the waiting room had ANY pain issues. (I think the moral of this story then, is make sure you have enough anaesthetic BEFORE you eye gets too sore to open properly!) Anyway, at this appointment – more waiting! – they checked my eyes and did another eye test – better than 20-20! So off I trotted to enjoy my new eyesight. There followed a few weeks with various eyedrops, and sleeping with eye goggles and limited swimming. But since that first day, I had no discomfort or pain. For a while lights were a bit fuzzy.
Now, four months on, I have just had my last follow-up appointment (more waiting!). But it’s official – everything is groovy.
I had to score ungenerously on customer service, because at each appointment I waited for hours. However…I can’t recommend lasik surgery highly enough. And I can’t recommend Dr Stevens and Moorfields highly enough. I would do it all again in a nanosecond. My eyesight is perfect. It has had a much more profound effect than I thought it would have. I love it. If you want to get this procedure done, go to Moorfields and go to Dr Stevens.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Davina
this is the total for the surgery and hospital charges. Had this done in August and delighted with the results. its very quick and i would highly recommend anyone that can afford this procedure to do it. Julian Stevens put me at ease - i was very nervous......he was professional, reassuring and charming. Its quick, painless and results are instant - i am still in shock Excellent staff and put everyone at ease. I was -7 in each eye and still awake feeling i have had a miracle perfomed...I guess i have.. cannot recommend the surgeon highly enough good luck to all x
Caroline
Hi - I was wondering if anyone has had ICL treatment at Moorfields? In particular with Mr Maurino. I had my consultation yesterday, which was initially for LASIK. However after the tests Mr Maurino recommended I have ICL treatment. My prescription is -9.5 and -8.5, cornea thickness is good. His recommendation was based on my prescription being on the cusp of LASIK v's ICL plus my age, I'm 28. I would be very grateful if anyone who has had ICL surgery at Moorfields would let me know their experience. Thank you.
Danny Jackson
Please add me to the Mr. Julian Stevens fan club. He was recommended by a Doctor friend of mine who has been to Mr. Steven's lectures. You may have to wait a few months to see him but it is worth the wait. My eyesight was -7.5 and I had been wearing glasses for 49 years so having this surgery was a major life event for me. He performed my surgery on Friday and I had the post op review yesterday. His Saturday waiting room was full of happy smiling people. Conclusions (1) I was very apprehensive about having this surgery - there is no need to worry. Going to the dentist is much worse. (2) The results are fantastic. I came out of the surgery and was able to sit in the waiting room and do the crossword without glasses. I went home on my own. (3) You are being treated by the best surgeon with the most up to date equipment. If anything does go wrong ( very unlikely) you will have the back-up of the world famous Moorfields eye hospital. (4) It was worth the wait and worth the cost. Don't settle for anyone less than Mr. Stevens.
Elaine
I have worn glasses for the last 22 years (and I'm only 29!). With a prescription of -7.5 and -8, I just wanted to be able to see a bit better without glasses and was prepared for the fact that after surgery it may not be possible to not need glasses at all. My surgery with Mark Wilkins at Moorfields 3 days ago has given me the sight I was never blessed with at birth. Straight after the op I could already see the difference and after the 'magic 3 hours' later I was already able to see to a standard not too much worse than my glasses. 3 days later and I'm over the moon my eyes are pretty much to how they were without glasses and it was worth every penny! .............................................................................................................. Before deciding to go through with the surgery I took some time to shop around. With such poor sight I appreciated what I had and wasn't about to take chances... Ultralase were the first appointment - I was initially impressed with what they had to say but was put off when I learned the guy taking the Wavefront readings had worked in a clothes store just 2 weeks prior to my appointment. The 'surgeon' had told me information I was later told by the two other companies to be rubbish - namely that Wavefront speeds recovery time because it is customed to your eye and so less cornea needs to be taken off. There is no evidence to suggest this and in fact one company said there might be slightly more taken off, however all companies promote the newer technology because I have been told it lessens some of the side affects of its predecessor such as star-bursts at night. Optimax - I was impressed with the Optician and the surgeon, but again the rest of the staff were all very new. I was not reassured by the fact that the surgeon I had been booked with for the appointment was only in the UK for a few days a month and so the follow-up after care would all be dealt with by others less qualified. That said, if finance is of particular concern to anyone I'd advise leaving it a while after your appointment before booking an op with Optimax because the deals they send on email keep getting better! Moorfields - a work colleague had seen them about something else and thoroughly recommended the hospital. I felt confident and reassured after the appointment with Mark Wilkins and having paid £150 felt that this removes the incentive for a sales pitch at you! ................................................................................................ I won't pretend that the actual procedure was nice. Yes, as people say it is pain free both before and after, discomfort is the worst of it. But I found the whole thing really quite horrible from a psychological point of view. Having said that......... it is all over within 20 minutes and it is very, very worth it!
Bahar
I went to see Mr Mark Wilkins with my sister for laser treatment as I have worn glasses for far too long and I wanted to be able to see things without my glasses and be able to swim/scuba without contacts. At the end of the very thorough consultation I was told that I had a severely detached retina in my right eye that needed immediate surgical attention and holes/tears in my left retina. I am just posting this message to say that it was only due to Mr Wilkins' thorough examination that I still have my sight. I was told that if I had not gone to the consultation (which I had booked 2/3 months in advance) something would have happened so serious that it would have meant that the chances of losing my sight in my right eye would be very high. This was an absolute shock to both me sister and I since I had only gone in for a laser consultation! My sister was a little apprehensive to begin with that Mr Wilkins was fairly young, however, I wanted to post this message to say that the level of service received was far beyond anything one could imagine. Mr Wilkins delayed seeing his other patients in order to find us the best surgeon available in the hospital. Within 20 minutes I was see by Mr Robert MacLaren who is one of the best surgeons in the country for retinal detachments. I had surgery the next day (18th March) and I'm in recovery at the moment. So, the moral of the story is, look after your eyes, pay to go to a good optician (not Specsavers whom I saw less than 2 months before who said my eyes were fine) and go to Moorfields Eye Hospital!
Wesley
It is the day after my Wavefront eye surgery with Mr Gartry and I feel 15 years younger! (I'm 30), since that is when I first started wearing glasses. Apart from some minor difficulty in reading very close up and slightly bloodshot eyes (two things I will discuss with Mr Gartry tomorrow morning during my first follow-up consultation), my vision is extremely sharp and crisp. I can read things so small, so far away (I was short-sighted, -2.5 in each eye) It is like wearing the most perfect pair of glasses imaginable and each set of eye drops seems to make my vision even clearer! I cannot believe how quick and easy the whole process was, from the first 90 minute consultation a couple of weeks ago to the final, 10 minute procedure yesterday. Mr Gartry was fantastic during the surgery, calmly talking you through every small step, which made me very reassured and never uncomfortable. It was at worst like being under water with your eyes open for about a minute (something that I could never do) but since you don't feel anything, it felt perfectly normal. Immediately following the surgery, my vision was slightly blurred, but there was no pain or discomfort, just a little feeling of dryness. Luckily, my girlfriend was able to drive me home so I could just close my eyes until we got there and once two full hours had passed since the op. I could put in the first set of eye drops (three different types, one in each eye) and from then on the dryness had never returned. For the next week I will have to put in the drops every 2 hours, which is already proving quite tedious, but I know it is worth it in the long run. The other minor problem has been sleeping with goggles, which is something I have never done before so I was worried I would push them off at night so I did as they advised and taped them to my face with the masking tape they provided. I guess this will be the most annoying part of the whole thing but I suppose a week of uncomfortable sleeping is a small price to pay.
