Eyes - Laser Eye Surgery

It’s often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul but what happens when they don’t work as well as they used to?

Previously, sight correction was confined to glasses and contact lenses, or, in the worst cases, complex surgery.

Now however, surgery has come a long way and eye surgeons are using special lasers and lens implants to correct focusing problems so that glasses really can become a thing of the past for people who find them hard to manage.

Using health grants for private eye surgery

Some of The Trust’s beneficiaries have used their health grants to get essential eye surgery. It’s usually unavailable on the NHS, except in extreme circumstances – as in the recent case of a beneficiary whose reduced arm reach made it impossible to get glasses on and off.

Finding out if you’re eligible for NHS surgery can take from six to 12 months – so can be a bit of a trial.  Private eye surgery has made all the difference to beneficiaries who have taken that route and they’re really happy with the results:-

“Having short arms, I was unable to clean glasses or put them on, or take them off, easily. Being such a major inconvenience to me I avoided wearing them for years.

When my eyes had deteriorated to the point of not being able to recognise the make of cars, I knew I had to do something – once I even invited the wrong lady to dinner!

I was recommended to Julian Stevens at Moorfields, where I underwent both lens replacement and refractive laser surgery and the results have been truly amazing. I have been transported from a somewhat hazy world of indistinct objects, into a world of vivid bright colours, and a crispness of focus, I could never have previously imagined.”

If you’re considering eye surgery and need more reassurance, read Pam’s Story about lens replacement surgery and how it has transformed her life; and if you’re about to take the plunge and want to know more about what’s involved, visit the websites of the providers we’ve listed below, or research your own by putting ‘eye surgery providers’ into Google.

Many eye surgery providers host open evenings where you can learn more and ask questions; or you can ask your GP to refer you to a specialist who will assess you and advise you about the best option for you.

Whatever you decide, correcting your vision can bring you a new quality of life – where seeing really is believing.

Eye surgery providers

Moorfields PrivateOptegroCentre for SightScotland and Wales (July 2017)

Moorfields Private is the London-based private division of the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with a reputation as a centre of excellence for providing ophthalmic care to private patients from the UK and across the world.

This flagship centre offers the latest laser and implantable contact lens treatments for people who would like greater freedom from glasses and contact lenses. It does not run open evenings but has a good website. Patients are assessed individually and a decision is made as to whether laser eye surgery or a lens implant is the best way forward. At July 2017 cost for the assessment was £200- £250. Mr Bruce Allen is the director of the service.

Visit the Moorfields Private website to find out more about lens replacement suregery here: -  http://www.moorfields-private.co.uk/conditions/refractive-lens-exchange.
The cost per eye July 2017 for lens implantation after a consultation is £3500- £4500

Information on laser eye surgery can be found here:-
http://www.moorfields-private.co.uk/conditions/laser-sight-correction.
It describes the assessment cost at this area of their website as £150, while treatment prices range between £1,200 for LASEK surgery in one eye, to £2,250 for LASEK surgery in both eyes.

All of Moorfields Private surgeons are world-class consultant eye specialists – you can find an example profile here:-
http://www.moorfields-private.co.uk/consultants/bruce-allan

Optegro  currently (July 2017) has different locations across England, but none in Scotland or Wales. However the centres vary in what they offer. Some offer both and laser surgery and lens implantation. Others only offer one type, currently, such as Leeds which offers only Laser surgery; Altrincham and Yorkshire offer only lens implantation surgery. It would be better to choose a centre that offers both types of surgery initially to make sure you are being advised on the best one for your age and your own eye requirements.
https://www.optegra.com/why-choose-us/open-evenings/

Find out about their lens replacement surgery here:-
https://www.optegra.com/lens-replacement-surgery/what-is-lens-replacement/

Centre for Sight has three bases in London, Surrey and Sussex.
https://www.centreforsight.com/about-us/patient-seminars

At July 2017 we were unable to find a provider in Wales and Scotland that undertakes both laser surgery and lens implantation.

The Edinburgh clinic only offers lens replacement surgery:-
https://www.edinburghclinic.com/eye-clinic-edinburgh/refractive-clear-lens/
They suggest Optical Express for laser surgery.

Before researching local providers in Scotland and Wales it  may be better to go to one of the England-based providers to learn about procedures, or to Moorfields for an actual consultation about the best course of action for you.