The day the clock was turned back, I regained some of my younger years and was able to see again!
It was Friday 19th August, the day I underwent Laser Eye Surgery at Bolton’s Visualase, Laser Eye Surgery Clinic on Newport Street. It’d been less than a month since I first looked in to having the treatment, but then I’ve always been one to act quickly if I thought something was worth doing.
To be honest I’d dismissed the idea of corrective surgery for my eyes after being wrongly informed that long sightedness was unable to be corrected by any form of laser surgery and although I found wearing glasses a real faff, after having near perfect eyesight for the first forty years of my life, I’d become resigned to the fact that age has a price and now at 56 years old I couldn’t expect everything to work as it used to!
But then Gaynor, my wife, read about a procedure which created ‘monovision’, which means that each eye individually has responsibility for either near vision or distance vision and that the procedure was practiced at Visualase in Bolton and they offer a free consultation to assess viability and suitability for individuals to undergo the treatment. So what was there to loose, I called them up and had an appointment with a week.
The initial appointment was with the surgeon who would be carrying out the procedure, Dr Stephen Doyle, a very well qualified and experienced eye surgeon, who explained the procedure in detail and carried out a thorough examination of my eyes before giving me the great news that it would be possible to treat me and as my right eye was near perfect for distance vision, I only required surgery on my left eye, which would then become the eye responsible for near vision and reading. The obvious benefit there was that it would only cost me half the price as each eye is charged separately and at £1195 per eye, it was less than I had imagined anyway.
Apparently not everyone is able to make the adjustment necessary to cope with monovision as the brain has to adapt to switching from one eye to the other as we move from close to distant vision and some find that process uncomfortable, so I was offered a trial using a single contact lens in my left eye which would simulate the effects of the surgery and give me the opportunity to test drive what would be my new eyesight.
I was amazed and delighted that all this initial consultation and trial period was being offered without any charge or obligation to have to go through with the ultimate surgery but served to give me confidence that the final results would be the outcome I had hoped for.
The results of the trial were, honestly life changing, I reverted to my glasses only a couple of times during the two week trial period and that was late in the evening at times I wanted to read and my eyes were clearly getting tired and this is something I will still continue to do even after surgery when reading with tired eyes or in low light, as Visualase were great at managing my expectations and I was advised that while the procedure is not a perfect solution, for daily life and working I do not have to wear my glasses.
In simple terms, the benefits I’ve experienced so far are the difference it makes in shops, looking at prices or descriptions and reading menus, etc. I just don’t have to wear my glasses anymore, where previously I did!
Benefits experienced with VISUALASE, Bolton:
Immediately before the procedure I was strangely apprehensive, I’m not given to nervousness in general and take most things in my stride but I think it was the reaction of others who asked if was nervous or said they couldn’t do it themselves that made me wonder if I was missing something but the fact was there was absolutely nothing to worry about, everything went smoothly and painlessly.
Clearly, as with any medical procedure there are risks and these are all explained beforehand and you take a judgement based on personal beliefs and expectations and for me there was no question. I wanted it done!
The procedure takes just a few minutes, less than 15 minutes from entering to leaving the surgery and after a 20-30 minute rest with eyes closed Dr Doyle examined the results and at that point, I read the appointment letter I’d received previously, without glasses and without any difficulty. I was amazed how quickly things had changed and I can honestly say without any pain or discomfort.
I was advised to keep my eyes closed for the next couple of hours to aid the healing process and even after that, there was no sensation of discomfort of any kind, I had at least expected to feel some discomfort, as if there was something in my eye for instance, for a period but there was nothing and I went out later that day with total comfort and confidence.
It’s been several days since the operation now and I haven’t worn my glasses at all but I am still adjusting. Both my near and long vision are less than crystal clear, that is they’re a little blurry but not unexpectedly and not something I can’t cope with, as I know it can take several weeks for the brain to adapt fully and while I’m not expecting perfection, I know things will improve.
In conclusion and on reflection, I’m so glad Gaynor found this treatment and that I went ahead and had the procedure. Wearing glasses wasn’t something I enjoyed and if I ever found myself without them I was totally incapacitated. Not any more, I’ve been liberated and looking forward to a far greater quality of life, free from the shackles of glasses!
If you want to find out more about the benefits of laser eyes surgery, you can get it all at www.visualase.co.uk and I can certainly recommend them from personal experience.
