Eye Patients' Comments
Stella: Artisan Phakic IOLs for Myopia
My name is Stella and I am 41 years old. I am married and have a 4 year old son. I appear in the video clip undergoing surgery. I first needed glasses when I was 7 years old.
By the time I was adult, my right eye was -10.00 dioptres and my left eye was -8.00. I tried wearing contact lenses but found them fiddly. When I broke my glasses on various occasions, I was unable to make a cup of tea or answer the door because I could not see properly. A modern pair of glasses with high index lenses would be expensive, about £400.
My eyesight after surgery was better than I thought possible. I am able to drive a car and read without glasses. When I wake in the morning I am able to see the bedside clock and when I have a shower I can see which bottle is shampoo/ conditioner.
I can take my son swimming and he can splash my face which is wonderful. When I go for a walk in the rain I can still see whereas before my glasses would be all steamed up.
The surgery has given me freedom and I am able to enjoy things more now.
Arthur Holroyd: Bilateral Simultaneous Cataract Surgery with Monovision
My name is Arthur Holroyd, I am sixty two and had a cataract operation on both eyes simultaneously, under general anaesthetic, in 2004.
In my late forties my eyesight deteriorated. It began with the need for reading glasses and later with the need for long distance glasses. I accepted glasses as part of the ageing process but was never happy with them. I eventually used varifocal lenses and briefly flirted with varifocal contact lenses (which were for me a complete disaster).
In my late fifties I experienced difficulty seeing whilst driving in low light. Overtaking at dusk and reading 'white on blue' motorway signs became a problem. Assuming I needed stronger lenses I visited an optician. During the eye test I was advised to see my doctor as there was a possibility of cataracts. The doctor referred me to Mr Peckar who agreed to operate.
I was given the option of having each eye corrected in separate operations under general or local anaesthetic or both eyes corrected in one operation under general anaesthetic. I chose to have both eyes corrected in one operation. The operation went ahead on both eyes without a hitch.
Before the operation I was examined by the optician and corrective lenses were recommended. I was offered one reading lens in my left eye and one distance lens in my right eye. It was explained to me that my brain would compensate and both eyes would work in tandem. My hobby is Archery and the dual focus principle seemed attractive because focusing over long distances was very difficult in varifocals.
The operation went ahead and was very successful. I woke up with one eye completely covered and one eye covered by a clear plastic cover. It was obvious, from the minute I woke, that there was an improvement in vision; colours were more vibrant and I could read signs on the recovery room wall without glasses. The cover was removed on the second eye about two hours later.
When my eyes became accustomed to the light it was obvious the both eyes were different. Distant objects were focused with one eye and near objects with the other. I could actually feel the process happening. Gradually over a period of about six to eight weeks this sensation disappeared and I now have no other sensation than that I can focus at all distances without glasses. No more varifocals, reading glasses and prescription sunglasses; brilliant!
Alan: Early Cataract Surgery with Monovision & Toric IOLs for Myopia and Astigmatism
My name is Alan and I am 54 years old.
I was a spectacle and contact lens wearer for over 30 years. During the 3-4 years before my surgery, I became intolerant to contact lenses and actually suffered from a condition called GPC, ‘Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis’. I therefore investigated both laser surgery and possible cataract surgery because I was presenting with the early signs of a cataract. The laser surgery had to be ruled out simply because of the thickness of my corneas and because I suffered, not only from myopia, but from moderate astigmatism in both eyes. I, therefore, investigated the option of cataract surgery, in particular with Toric lenses. Following those investigations I decided to go ahead with cataract surgery with the intention of being as much as possible “spectacle free”. I was looking for 80-90% of the time “not wearing spectacles”. I am glad to say that the outcome has actually achieved that, with my life now being largely spectacle free, only wearing spectacles for reading or driving when I want to sharpen up the vision. I am very happy with the overall result and can resume my active lifestyle of water sports and golf without having to use spectacles.
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