Have just been for another check up following LASEK at the Newcastle branch on 7th January.

My prescription was R 5.5 and L 4.5 with 1.0 astigmatism in each eye. Pupil width is 7mm and cornea thickness 490 microns.

I had done as much research as possible before surgery so did not have too many questions for the surgeon or other staff but they were helpful and efficient with the queries I had. The operation itself was quick, painless and a bit of a non-event - I just lay down for a couple of minutes then was out in the recovery room. About an hour later as I was getting home my eyes were starting to sting, presumably this was the anaesthetic wearing off. This lasted about 3 hours then stopped but they continued to be very light sensitive for the rest of the day. For any contact lens wearers it was just like having an eyelash or something similar stuck under your lens - uncomfortable, unpleasant but no worse than that.

I had not expected such an immediate improvement but by the time of my check up the next day I met the driving standard on the eye test chart. The improvement continued to be noticeable every day for the next week apart from the day the bandage lenses were removed when the smoothing effect on the surface is lost. I may have been lucky but any halo or starburst effects have been no more obvious than they were pre-op.

For the last 6 weeks I have had excellent vision in my right eye but a little astigmatism remains in the left. The difference is obvious when I compare eyes but the left eye is at least as good as it was with a contact lens before the op.

My recommendation to anyone considering laser surgery would be first of all to do as much research on the internet as possible. Find out as many potential problems as you can and find out which type of surgery is best for you. LASIK seems to be the option clinics will choose for you, but when weighing up the pros and cons, LASEK might be better for you. If you read about the small number of problems which can occur and are happy with the risks, go ahead. I wish I had not waited as long.