Accuvision Laser Eye Clinic

15 months post-op - I keep meaning to post comments on this site because I remember when I was investigating the surgery that I found it very frustrating that hardly anyone posts comments after a year or more after their surgery. The reason I haven't done yet is that my vision is so good that I forget about all the frustrations I used to have with glasses and contact lenses. For a brief history of my prescription and operation see my posting of 27th Nov 2002 on page 10. Suffice it to say, I had very bad eyesight. I now have 20/20 vision using both eyes in good conditions. Night vision is fine. I notice a difference when I am very tired and in low light, but much better than it was with contact lenses when they would dry out. At first after the surgery I worried constantly about protecting my eyes and whether I had made the right decision or not. I now only worry occasionally and for the most part really enjoy having 'normal' vision. I know Accuvision are expensive and other clinics are hopefully catching up on the technology, but when I had my surgery done, they were the best. They don't have a 100% success rate, but no surgery does. It is a decision that only the individual can make and it really is their responsibilty. My advise would be to wait as long as you can to have the surgery done as there are no long term examples of lasik surgery. If you feel you must have it done, do your eyes a favour and find the best clinic you can regardless of the money as you only have one pair of eyes, but you can buy another pair of glasses if they break. Don't forget, I am very happy with my results, but I might not have been. Good luck. Please e-mail me with any questions.

I had Lasik at Accuvision in January 2003, with a relatively high prescription of -6.75R and -5.25L. I had previously been to Boots who turned me down due to my high prescription and corneal thickness. I had seen on this web site the claim that Accuvision could treat people turned down by other clinics so I contacted them and was informed that they would be able to treat my prescription. Due to my age, I was advised to have monovision (one eye slightly under-corrected) which would enable me to continue to read without the need for glasses as it seemed silly to replace one pair of glasses with another. Accuvision were extremely professional throughout. Everything was fully explained and I went for my consultation having already sought out as much information as possible so I would know what to ask about. They were very patient and quite happy to answer my numerous questions. On the day of treatment, I was like a nervous wreck and as the surgeon approached me I nearly took off out the door. The treatment itself was uncomfortable completely painless and having the benefit of not being able to see what was happening because of my short-sightedness was a bonus. Due to living 100 miles from London, I had to stay overnight in an hotel as I would need to be checked the next morning. I also chose an appointment late in the day so I could just return to the hotel and rest my eyes for the remainder of the day. My eyes felt gritty for a few hours, but by 9 o'clock this had passed. My husband had to administer the hourly eye drops, which was the only time I opened my eyes until the next morning. It was immediately struck by being able to see the clock when I woke up, something which I haven't been able to do for a long time. However, I was unable to read, but it was early days and was told this could improve. The next day I was +0.5 in both eyes. When I returned for my monthly check up, this had reduced to +0.25 and, as there was a possibility that this would be the case, I was already booked in for an enhancement to be done on the same day. I must say I went in feeling rather blasé about it all having already had the procedure once, but the downside was that I could see everything they were doing which was a bit daunting. Everything went well and the discomfort after was much less than the previous treatment due to only slight surgery. I still had to have an overnight stay so I could be checked the next morning. Anyway, the next day I had 20/20 in the right and -1 in the left which was the intended outcome so I can function without any need for glasses. I would point out that during the whole process I was meticulous about my eyes, ensuring nothing got into them and following the advice on eye drops, etc, to the letter. I even wore the eye covers overnight for an extra couple of nights as I was petrified about rubbing my eyes in my sleep. A year later my eyes are stable and it still amazes me that this can be done at all, especially after 20 years of wearing contact lenses. It is brilliant to go on holiday and not to worry about falling asleep on the plane and getting lenses stuck to the eyes and not having to carry numerous of pairs of contact lenses with me. I can't thank Accuvision enough. It was a bit of a pain having to keep travelling back and forward to London for the regular checks, but it was certainly worth doing and I would recommend Accuvision to anyone. Obviously there are risks, but you need to weigh up the pros and cons and I feel Accuvision are one of the leaders in the field.

I am 58 years old and have worn glasses since the age of seven. For the last 20 years I have worn soft contact lenses. Previous enquiries about corrective surgery had always resulted in disappointment, as my sight was too poor for the technology available. In December 2003 I had a consultation at Ultralase. Although they were unable to offer me treatment they did refer me to Accuvision, for which I will always be grateful to Jay. I had a consultation with Accuvision on 13th January and was stunned to be told I was suitable for surgery. My vision was -11, right eye and -9, left eye, with a high degree of astigmatism. In addition I had thin corneas. The whole process was very clearly explained to me and the consultants made sure I understood every aspect of my treatment. I was advised that all surgery carries a risk and was given time to think it over. I felt very confident that I could trust Accuvision to achieve the best possible result for me. I had my surgery on 5th February 2004. The procedure itself was slightly uncomfortable but not painful, and the nurse was there to hold my hand! It took about 10 minutes. I had an inferior flap (upside down), which meant I would have 'bandage lenses' inserted for one day to aid healing. It was an incredibly emotional moment for me when I sat up and found I could see everything around me. I have been back for two follow up appointments and everything has gone perfectly. My vision is already better than it was with contact lenses and will carry on improving over the next couple of weeks. I have been given near 20/20 vision in my right eye, while my left was deliberately slightly under corrected to allow the best possible near vision. The result is excellent vision, both near and far. I would like to thank everyone at Accuvision - the surgeon Nick Jacobs, and Darius, Nick, Mike and Vik, not only for my sight but for the wonderful care and consideration they showed me. I will be forever grateful.

I had PRK surgery on both eyes in 1993, and went from -7 / -7 to 20/20 vision following the procedure. Over the following 6 months, as the course of steroid eyedrops was reduced, my vision regressed to -6/-3. A repeat PRK surgery to my right eye in 1995 resulted in the same regression. I underwent Lasik surgery at Accuvsion on September 25, 2003. It is now almost 5 months since the Lasik procedure, and my vision is excellent. My prescription was -6 in the left eye and -2.5 in the right eye. I now have 20/15 vision, though I have a slight astigmatism and I would benefit from glasses if watching a cricket match or night driving. My night vision is not brilliant, but that was also the case pre-lasik. My vision was at it's best 1 month after the operation. The astigmatism has worsened from December to now, but my vision is still crisp, and I don't feel the need for any corrective lenses. I'm looking forward to the next check up in May to see whether it has stablized. In light of my experiences with PRK, I am very happy. Because I had corneal damage from my initial treatments, and I needed a clinic that could handle this. After reviewing the top rating clinics on these pages, I chose Accuvision. The team at Accuvision put me at ease.. they had performed lasik on other patients who'd previously regressed after PRK surgery, with good results. I also had a thinner cornea, due to the previous treatment, so was dependant on a procedure that used a very fine laser to reduce the amount of corneal treatment removed. The surgery itself went smoothly, but I found the pain afterwards excruciating. Immediately after the operation, a contact lens was inserted into each eye to ensure better healing, as a precautionary measure given my previous surgeries; I was told this made the eye less confortable, but no-one else I have ever spoken to experienced pain of this degree. This pain (think chilli paste in the eyeball, and the occassional stab with a pin to make it really exciting) lasted approximately five hours, and over this time, I could not open my eyes at all, except to apply the hourly eyedrops.. And I could not take any knockout medication, because I had to apply the drops every hour for the first six hours. After five hours, the pain decreased rapidly, and I slept like a baby. I had functional vision the following morning, and brilliant vision by day 2. The pain was similar to what I suffered on the worst of the three PRK operations I had (except that lasted for 3 days!). So, yes, a happy customer. Thanks to all at Accuvision, particularly Vikash, who put up with me Mr Grumpy post-operative misery.

I first had a consultation at Acuvision in September 2003, following the very successful treatment of my cousin's and aunt's eyesight using Lasik. I am 22 and have been short sighted for 10 years, my vision being stable at a level of -6 and -6.5 in the right and left eyes respectively. At my initial consultation I was told that I had a steepening of the cornea towards the bottom of the iris area and was asked to return for a second consultation in a few months to distinguish whether the steepening was stable or progressive. I returned in January 2004 and was delighted to discover that the steepening was considerably milder that origanlly thought; as I have very watery eyes, the tears were distorting the shape of my cornea, exaggerating the steepening. I would need to have my flaps cut upside down, though, with the hinge at the bottom, to protect the slight steepening, and would need to wear a pair of contact lenses for a day after surgery to help keep the flaps in position. I decided to proceed with surgery. Although other patients have said that the operation is not painful, I did find the proceedure uncomfortable and somewhat painful, but it only lasted a few minutes. Maybe I just have a really low pain threshold! I would have been happy with a visionary outcome of -1 or even -2, just so that I didn't have to wear glasses or contacts all the time. However, after opening my eyes immediately after surgery I was astonished to have pretty much perfect vision - a little watery looking perhaps - but I could see I would have superb vision. I was so shocked I said "I can see perfectly!" and the surgeon replied "but of course you can see! What did you expect!" That day my eyes were very sensitive to light and I did have an aching feeling behind my eyes, which disappeared after a I slept for an hour. The next day my eyes were a little dry but otherwise I was fine. I went back to the clinic for a check up and my contacts were removed. My flaps had healed in place brilliantly and I had 20/20 vision. What more can I say. I'm delighted!

On Thursday 5th february, I had eye surgery at the above clinic having been turned down twice in the past two years by Ultrlase as my corneas were too thin. Following my first consultation with Accuvision they completely reassured me that this would not be a problem for them using the technology available. Three days after my surgery I sit here with perfect vision having been minis 10 in my right eye and minus 8 in my left. The whole procedure took a matter of minutes and was completely painless. My only regret is not having found Accuvision years ago.

Thursday 29th January was D day for me, at 3.30pm I was +7.75 / -2.50 x180 right eye and +8.00 / -2.50 x 180 left eye, by 4.00 pm I could read the time on Daryus' watch. The procedure was painless and very fast, I got off the table and made my way to the waiting room with my eyes firmly shut, each time I opened them they streamed with tears but weren't too uncomfortable. Fifteen minutes later Mike came out and got me a coffee and administered the eye drops. I left the practice approx 20 minutes later. The irritation in my eyes passed within 3 hours and then felt as right as rain, I watched some telly and feel asleep at 10.30 pm that evening. Next morning woke at 5.50 am and felt great I COULD SEE, though a little misty as the bandage lenses were still in. Later that morning I had an appointment at 10.30 with Accuvision and met up with Daryus, Mike and Vikash, they were all very happy to see me and were extremely friendly. Whilst I was talking to Daryus he just lent over and removed my bandage lenses "just like that" and then I could really see properly. For the first time in my life just there and then all of a sudden I could see in true 3D, it was amazing. Vikash took me for some tests and after I had finished reading the bottom line of the chart announced I had 20/20 vision in both eyes, he also showed me a computer generated picture of my eyes, the difference in the shape was amazing. Saturday 31st January 2004, woke and eyes were a little red and sore, gone a bit sight sighted overnight but not worried at all, later my right eye is perfect but my left eye is still short sighted. Sunday I wake and both eyes are slightly short sighted, later right eye improves but left lags a little behind. Today both eyes short sighted again but I'm not worried at all, if my eyes never improve from this position they are still a million times better than they were pre-op. I know my eyes will improve over time and I expect them to fluctuate at times, but one thing I will never forget is Friday 30th January 2004 10.30 am, I had 20/20 without contact lenses without glasses, with my own eyes. I am 40 years old I have worn glasses from the age of 3 yrs, contact lenses since I was 16 yrs. LIFE BEGINS AT 40. NOW I CAN CLEARLY SEE MY DREAMS. Words are not enough to express my gratitude towards Vikash Patel, Daryus, Mike, Nick Jacobs and the lovely nurse, they did a fantastically professional job for me, they really care about people and their eyes. They have the best state of the art equipment and I highly recommend Wave Front Laser Surgery. Accuvision are the only people in the UK that could treat me, thank God they are there. TOP MARKS PERFECT 5/5

I had wavefront Lasik at Accuvision on the 4th of December 2003... now, a month on, I can hardly remember ever needing glasses! I had a particularly difficult set of eyes - high astigmatism, thin corneas and large pupils - you name it, I had it! The operation itself was painless but scary. Thankfully, the nice nurse held my hand. Everyone did everything they could to help me relax and it was over before I knew it. The following four hours were uncomfortable, and I slept through most of them - waking up hourly to put my drops in. I woke up the next morning and could see the clock on GMTV!! A massive thank you to everyone at Accuvision - especially Vik, Darius, Nick Jones and the lovely nurse. Its a shame I can't rate them higher than five stars!!

After being a contact lens and spectacle wearer for 29 years, I decided it was time to look into laser eye surgery. The final push came when my optician advised me to wear varifocal glasses, which would mean wearing larger frames, which were very unflattering to my face. After weeks of research, I had a 2 hour consultation at Accuvision, Fulham and was told that I was an ideal candidate for laser surgery. I was literally over the moon, but also a little anxious. As I am fifty years old and took my glasses of to read or wore reading glasses over contact lenses for short-sightedness and the other (left) was corrected for reading. I had surgery on the 8th December and felt very little discomfort during the procedure, I did feel very anxious and my legs wouldn't stop shaking (it was a very cold day and my mind was playing tricks) the nurse assigned to me was very comforting and held my hand throughout the operation. The only discomfort I felt after surgery was a stinging, as though I had peeled a couple of pounds of strong onions, this lasted for about 11/2 hours. At that stage I couldn't believe what I could see, through streaming eyes I could see the England Rugby team on TV. It has been three weeks since my surgery and I am totally overjoyed with my eye-sight, I am in my second year of a teaching degree and use the computer/internet regularly, I can now differentiate between a full stop and a comma, which I couldn't do before with or without glasses/contact lenses. The whole team at Accuvision were very professional and supportive, they took time to discuss any fears or anxiety I experienced before, during or after surgery, and if I experience any problems now all I have to do is ring and I can speak to someone first hand (not an answer phone) any time of day. I give the whole team at Accuvision a first class grading of 5 and a big THANK YOU! By the way my cheque didn't clear until a week after surgery, but they didn't make a big deal about it. I feel I chose the best after a lot of research and fully recommend Accuvision. If anyone wants to ask any questions about my procedure, feel free to e-mail me.

I had my surgery three weeks ago after what has amounted to a seven year deliberation. My prescription was -10 sph, -2.75 and -12 sph, -1.5 cyl so you could say I was more than a little short-sighted. I have worn glasses or contact lenses since I was seven years old. I am now 39. When I finally decided to go for an assessment, I chose Accuvision. I saw their ad in the newspaper and then checked out both their website and this website and felt comfortable that they were a good start to this quest. My expectations were split between being totally unsuitable and being suitable for a partial correction. So when I had my first appontment with Joan, who explained all the measurements, the safe thresholds that Accuvision worked within and that they could aim for total correction although the final outcome was dependent on the healing process, I became quite excited. A few days later, I booked myself in for the surgery. The surgery itself, performed by Chad Rostron, went very well and my anxiety beforehand was well misplaced. After the surgery, I felt no pain and very little discomfort. At the one week assessment with Vikash, my right eye was 20/20 and my left was a little less which actually means I can see as good, if not better, now than I ever could with glasses or contact lenses. I, personally cannot say that Accuvision are better than any other clinic because they are the only one I experienced. But the people are informative and friendly, their technology is well advanced and I am one happy customer. Many thanks to Joan, Chad and Vikash et al for making a difference in my life.