Four days in from having standard LASEK peformed at the Manchester branch by Mr Khan. Obviously, my recovery is still ongoing but I thought I'd let everyone know what I think so far.

First off, let's get my only gripe out of the way. For anyone considering Optical Express, forget the £395 price they put about. My price was £695 per eye. You may be lucky, but don't bank on it. Nonetheless, £695 is still on the low-end of the price range so I was happy.

Now on to the good stuff. I attended my consultation, where I was seen by Alain. Like all other Manchester Optical Express staff I have seen subsequently, Alain was friendly, approachable and staunchly professional. After a thorough examination of my eyes, he said that I was a good candidate for standard LASEK. I asked about Wavefront, but he intimated that for a -2.00 (both eyes) prescription, the extra expense probably wasn't really worth it.

He also explained that as my pupils are slightly larger than normal (7mm as opposed to 6mm) that I may stand the risk of hazing. However, he then told me (which corresponded to my own investigation) that at such a small prescription it was unlikely to cause any problems.

I then asked why I was better off with LASEK instead of LASIK, and he told me about the pros and cons of each procedure. Basically, because of my pupils, and the fact that I play rugby, the flap could be something of an issue. I also believe he mentioned that LASEK was the main procedure performed at Manchester.

The one sticking point was that I had a small lump in my left eye. On closer inspection, this proved to be a very slightly infected tear duct. They packed me off with some chloramphenicol which completely sorted that out. As a result though, I had to wait just over a month for my surgery.

That surgery was performed on Friday 14th April by Mr Khan, as mentioned above. Once again, Mr Khan and his entire surgery team exuded the friendly professional confidence of people who have been doing what they do for many years. I couldn't have asked for better.

The procedure itself was unusual, to say the least, but I wouldn't say I felt any real pain during it. The most uncomfortable stage was having the 'eyelid-stretchers' removed. At each step through the procedure, what was happeneing was explained to me, and my girlfriend viewing the proceedings with a queasy stomach from the viewing booth, seeing exactly what Mr Khan was seeing. There was no pain, however, and it was over in about 15 minutes.

After the surgery, my vision was slightly like a 70s porn film - as if vaseline had been smeared on my eyes. I was given a very clear and concise talk about what I needed to do post-op by a member of the surgery team. I have been given a cocktail of eye-drops to take, from artificial tears to steroids, and they're all going in fine.

Post-op, I've felt, once again, no real pain as I would describe it. I appreciate that I may be a lucky one, but my eyes don't seem to have minded that much. In fact, my left eye seems to have been caught off guard and is winning the healing race by a margin. The right eye has been a little uncomfortable at times, but is bearing up well. My sight is unquestionably better in my left at the moment, which can be a little disconcerting, but I'm sure the right is catching up.

In summation, I'll say that I've read a lot of questions about Optical Express along the lines of 'But they're cheap, surely they skimp somewhere?'. Well, having never used another clinic (obviously :)), I can't make a comparison, but I can't feasibly think of any way in which I'd improve Optical Express Manchester.

The staff were absolutely first-class, enjoyed a bit of banter, but during the procedure were consummately professional. The equipment, which I believe to be the B&L Technolas 217z, is hailed by B&L as 'the world's leading excimer laser for personalized vision correction'.

I may write another report on how my eyes are shaping up. One thing I would say to people recommended LASEK, bear in mind that it does take time for all your sight to come back. I was lucky in that the day after I had it done, my left eye was working pretty well. However, I may well have at least another week before it is perfect (touch wood :)

All in all, the Manchester Optical Express has guided me through this possibly traumatic experience admirably. I'd have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone (even if I didn't £100 cashback for each person I recommend) :) If you can avoid the slightly 'marketing-speak' approach of the parent company, then you'll be very happy.