After several years of 'playing' with the idea of laser surgery, I finally got down to some serious research over the last 3 months or so. Cost was never going to figure in the equation as, in general, I believe that you get what you pay for. As it turned out, the most expensive clinic I found appeared to have the best track record, in terms of results and complications, and I had a consultation with them in September. I was disappointed in a number of areas; the ‘consulting rooms’ were part of the hospital and were well over-due for refurbishment. To be fair, I did spot one sign apologising for the current state of the facilities. I did not receive particularly good information as to what was involved and what would happen. After about 20 minutes, I was called through to another room by someone who turned out to be an optometrist. This room again appeared cramped, cluttered and untidy. I was then given the normal eye-test using the standard chart and various other tests related to the laser surgery. I then spent some time with the surgeon who was very good and appeared to be extremely competent and ‘knew his stuff’ however… At the end of it all, I came away feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing and decided to check out another clinic so that I would have something with which to compare this experience.

Ultralase had a comparable track record only on a much larger sample so I booked in for a free consultation at their Birmingham clinic. From the moment I arrived, I started to develop a completely different, and very good, feeling from that at the previous clinic. The reception staff took time to explain the procedure… who I would see first, what would happen next… etc. etc. I was given a very thorough examination and each check was explained to me… Corneal scan, Pressures, corneal thickness, pupil size etc. I was encouraged to ask as many questions as I liked all of which were answered candidly and fully. At the end of the consultation, I was advised that I was a good candidate for surgery (-2.5D left eye, -2.75D right eye and -1D of astigmatism in both eyes. Due to having relatively small pupils and thick corneas, I was advised that the ‘basic’ UltraLASIK treatment would be my best option, as there would be little, if any, benefit gained from having either of the more expensive options. At no time did the optometrist, the ‘personal advisor’ or any other member of the Ultralase team, ever ‘push’ any of the more expensive options. I got the feeling that at every stage, they only had my best interests in mind. I did opt to have the flap cut using the intralase laser however, due to the enhanced predictability and precision offered above and beyond that of the Microkeratome blade. I duly signed up and had my treatment scheduled for the following Friday September 29th. On the day of surgery I met my surgeon Mr. Wevill. He introduced himself and took me through to his consulting room. There, he carried out a number of further tests and verified the type of surgery I would be having and answered any further questions that I had. I felt totally comfortable and completely happy that Mr. Wevill would be operating on my precious eyes. The operation went without a hitch and was completely painless. After resting in a ‘quiet room’ for about 20 - 30 minutes (during which time I did take an occasional peek at the clock on the far wall which I could read perfectly :-) !!!) Mr. Wevill re-examined my eyes and pronounced them ‘fine’. I then went back to the hotel to rest. This was the worst part of the experience for me. As the anaesthetic wore off, my eyes became very light sensitive and were streaming quite badly. The sensation of peeling onions is a good description… not painful just (very) uncomfortable. Trying to put the eye shields on in only the light from the bathroom was no fun either! However, with the eye shields in place and lying on the bed, the discomfort eased quickly and I managed a reasonable night’s sleep. I awoke to my ‘new’ eyes!!!. A little hazy for sure but wow! 35 years of wearing glasses were over! My morning check-up went well and I was given the ‘all clear’ to drive home. It is now a week since my operation. After that first day of some haze, I have had no problems with ‘dry eyes’ or my vision. I have stuck rigidly to the after-care regime of eye-drops and wearing the protective eye shields at night to prevent any inadvertent eye rubbing. My eyes are improving steadily and I would estimate that I now have 20-20 vision in both eyes. A heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to Mr. Wevill and all the staff at the Ultralase Birmingham clinic. Highly recommended!