Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic

Just woke up for the first time with good eyesight. I had my procedure done yesterday by Alex Ionides. First though I had the best eye test I've ever had despite wearing specs/contacts for 40 years. My eyes were very weak (-8.5)with astigmatism and to add insult to injury I suffer from blepharitis (which is partly why I took the plunge). Mr Ionides is one of the nicest people I have ever met and before the procedure I emailed him with loads of questions all of which he amswered in a hugely confidence-inspiring way. After my eye test I was taken to the clinic for the procedure which is just astonishing. It is quick, painless and fascinating and Mr Ionides talks you through the whole minute on each eye. The worst I can say about the procedure is that it was such an anti-climax. Considering the inmpact on my life walking in and out within 10 minutes seemed inappropriate somehow. You kind of expect to need half a day post op recovery being pampered by a nurse and congratulated on your bravery. Anyway, went home, bit of stinging which was killed by a couple of additional drops of local anaesthetic and and hour later I could read the newspaper at arms length. I've had no probloems so far, my sight is already at least as good as it was before with correction and it seems to be improving all the time. I found this board a great help when preparing myself mentally but I couldn't find any posts from those who had been a patient of Mr Ionodes. Well, for anyone who is interested I cannot imagine how anyone could have done a better job. I'm off to see him again today for my follow-up. I'm not really qualified to advise but I would say that if you can afford it go to Moorfields. Being in a world centre of excellence for eye treatment is very reassuring. And finally, Mr Ionides back up crew were also fantastic and they deserve a mention.

I am an office worker age 55, use PC daily and considering laser surgery for correction of approx -8.0 dioptres both eyes. Choosing consultant seems pot luck but David Gartry appears ok. Would appreciate any advice.

I have just had my 3 month check and I have better than 20/20 vision. I was very nervous initially but looked into lasik for over a year before deciding to have it done. Moorfields was my only choice, I felt that I would be in the best hands and that gave me confidence. My surgeon was Mr Stevens and he was confident that this operation would give me good results. I never felt I was pushed into a decision and I went away and thought about it for some time. The operation itself is a weird experience but I was able to see well immediately and read number plates and signs on the way home, much to the amusement of my husband. My eyes were quite dry for a couple of months but I made sure I drank plenty of water, blinked a lot and used the drops when necessary. I would recommend Moorfields and I am so pleased that I finally plucked up the courage and had it done.

I have been reading all the very interesting reports on treatment etc. I am still at the early stage of trying to decide whether to make further investigations. My prescription is fairly unusual, I think. Right eye is: Sphere -3.25, Cyl -0.25, Axis 180. Left eye is Sphere +0.25, Cyl -5.00 Axis 20. Does this mean anything to anyone? I have been wearing contact lenses since 16 (now 41) and would so love not to have to depend on lenses, but although I know there are no guarantees, I would rather not go through with it if there was any chance I would end up worse than now. I have two young daughters and need to be able to see for them! Any advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

I underwent my Laser Surgery with Mr David Gartry in August 2005 to correct quite a bad prescription: -6.5 and -7.00 with astigmatism. After the laser I was left with a small astigmatism which apparently can happen with certain prescriptions and had this corrected in December 2005. Having worn glasses since the age of 7 it is quite amazing that now in by middle forties I am able to see - almost 20/20 vision .... It took me a few years to be brave enough to undergo this treatment but would recommend it to anyone - can transform your confidence and life . what a gift to be able to wake up and see clearly in the morning those with perfect sight do not realise how lucky they are! Would not have considered going anywhere except Moorfield - had every trust in Mr Gartry ...

I thought I'd write a short article on my laser operation which could be useful for those who are interested in going ahead with this in the near future... I had been considering laser surgery for a number of years but had put it off for 1) it was a fairly new surgery and didn't know the long term effects and 2) I was waiting to find out if someone I knew who did it to find out their experience. In the last couple of years, I became more serious about it. My eyes were really short-sighted. -7.25 in one eye and -9.00 in the other, which also happens to be a lazy eye too. I was totally dependent on glasses or contact lenses. I was unable to wear contacts for too long as my eyes would feel tired and dry out. Its not nice having to 'feel' around for your glasses in the morning when you can't find them! I started doing my research by taking advantage of free consulations which are offered by some of these private clinics. Many are based around Harley St. I used London Vision Clinic, Laser Vision and Ultralase to get their opinion of whether I'd be a suitable patient or also gain more information about it. 2 out of the 3 clinics were able to offer me the operation. They all do number of tests on your eyes during the consulation - its very similar to having a normal eye test at your opticians. Bear in mind, some clinics do ask you to take your last prescription with you or even the last prescriptions over the last two years. Try get these together beforehand. The idea is that they can only operate if your eyes have been stable for the last couple of years. Ultralase actually told me I wasn't suitable for laser surgery as I didn't have enough cornea for them to work on and recommended me to have another procedure called ICL, which is a more invasive surgery where they replace your lens altogether. I was not keen on this plus it was even more expensive than laser. I also decided that I would like to check out Moorfields as they are a world renowned eye hospital. Their consultation was not free - £150. It really did hurt to part with that after sitting with the consultant for 5 mins! We in the UK are not used to parting money for our health!! Moorfields have a number of surgeons who perform laser surgery and it was difficult deciding on who to go with because of the lack of information given. I found a website link which gave a lot of information and reviews from patients who had gone through surgery. From here, I decided to choose Mr D Gartry as my surgeon. My operation was booked for 18th June. As the date approached, I was getting increasingly nervous. Have I made the right choice?? Will everything be OK long term? They ask for your money before the day so I had no choice but to continue. On the morning of the surgery, one of my dearest friends took me along with my mum and sister to the hospital. I got called in whilst the others waited for me in the waiting room. It was like being at the dentist where it isn't necessarily painful but very unnerving. I sat on a chair whilst my left eye was covered with a plastic shield. The doctor pulled my eyelids apart and covered the lashes with a tape. He then used a clamp like contraption to ensure my eyes were wide open. It was strange blinking without the eyes shutting. A few drops of anaesthetic was placed in the eyes and then the seat went all the way back til I was under the laser machine. Throughout the procedure, I was told to focus above to a red light and was talked through the whole thing. At one moment they said the light would go hazy and I couldn't see a thing. I did begin to panic but did not show it! Anyway, you hear these funny sounds whilst there. The whole eye must have been less than 10 mins altogether. There was fluid running down the side of my face which I pointed out and the doc joked about me wearing my large earrings! The procedure was then repeated for my left eye. When it was finished, everything was very blurry and I was a little scared. I always knew that I could be wearing glasses again but I felt I was still dependent on them as my vision was still poorly although better than normal. I was told this was normal. I was then talked through the aftercare protocol which mainly involved taking care of my eyes in the first week and taking 2 hourly drops of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drops and artificial tears. By the time I got home, my vision had improved a lot and especially by the evening. I was given a pair of plastic goggles to wear when I sleep to prevent accidental rubbing of the eyes. I went for a post op consultation on Monday and I was told that my vision will improve and stabilise over the month. My right eye is still lazy but hey Allhamdulillah, I can see!!

I had a bilateral Lasek_PRK done last year by Mr Maurino - Im a surgeon and i have confortably lived my life with a myopia of 8.5 !! however after having the procedure I've got a residual myopia of 0.5 Its a fantastic new way of life. no glasses except for night driving - not even for reading the newspaper. i highly recommend the procedure, surgeon and the centre!

It's now a year since Mr Gartry performed Wavefront Lasik on my extreme short sight (-8.50) and astigmatism. I can honestly say that the results are fantastic and at the age of 50 I do not yet need reading glasses. Distance vision is perfectly OK for normal life, but perhaps not as good as someone with perfect sight, however I do not need reading glasses and that's exactly the way that Mr Gartry said it would be. If you are considering having it done, it has been no trouble at all for me. The procedure itself was painless and the recovery swift. Make sure you use the eye drops meticulously though. Thanks to Mr Gartry, Dr Ilari, Mike Behrends and all at Moorfields for a job well done.

I had Wavefront LASEK on 27/01/05. I was very nervous but everyone was very helpful. I would like to ask, I am now into my third week and my vision is still very blurry. Will this get better ? Is there anyone out there who has had this recently who can advise ?

I had Wavefront Lasik performed on 10th December 2004 by Mr Julian Stevens. This was after a long few months of questions and should I, shouldn't I's!! Any of your who've seen my first posting will know I went for my inital consultation on 1st June 2004!! My prescription was -3.5 in my left eye and -4.75 in my right with some astigmatism. Mr Stevens had assured me this was a fairly small prescription and wouldn't be a problem to fix. My appointment was 11.30 am and I had my surgery at 3.00pm. You do have to see the optician for a full sight test, then the nurse to explain all the drops, after care etc, and then Mr Stevens for him to perform a wavefront scan and talk you through the procedure, so it is a long time to be up there, but at least they are testing every single thing and you know the info in the laser machine will be correct. I was a really nervous that morning, kept saying to my parents I didn't think I could go through with it and 'what if it goes wrong?', I was even worried that the laser machine wouldn't be working! But once in the car, calmed down slightly, only to become even more of a nervous wreck when we got hit by a lorry on the M25 - not what I needed at all. But strangley enough, actually stopped me thinking about the surgery and when me and my dad finally rushed through the door at exactly 11.30, I was quite calm and kind of looking forward to it - think I just wanted to get it over and done with. Anyway, back to the surgery. All I can really say is that is isn't at all as bad as you think it will be, but it is a VERY strange experience. Not in any way horrible though, I'm not waking up in the middle of the night having nightmares, so it can't have been that bad! Mr Stevens talks you through everything as he's doing at and the nurses are there to reassure you. The nurse I had told me she'd had Lasik done recently and was fine, so that reassured me even more. You really can't feel a thing, but can see the instruments moving in front of your eyes, but luckily the room is in complete darkness so you can't see that much. The anaesthetic drops work very quickly and it is really all over in a few minutes. Making the flap is the worse part of the surgery as you can hear the machine working, but I didn't feel a thing. The lasering itself takes literally a few seconds and then the flap is smoothed back into place, drops put in, and the second eye is done. Which, by the way, I found worse as you know what's happening, but it's all over soon. After my sugery my eyes were cloudy and watery, but not painful, just a little sore. It was like I was looking through a net curtain. On the way home, I could see the road ahead, car number plates and road signs. My eyes were stinging a little on the way home, but the drops soon fixed that. I have had slight haloing at night for the first week or so, but that has settled down now, and occasionally my right eye is blurry in the morning and takes the rest of the day to sort itself out. That seems to be happening less and less now. I have had absolutely no other problems and can see just fine. The saturday after my surgery I could read the bottom line of the chart which is above driving standard, and I never quite managed it with my contacts, let alone my glasses. I have a check up in 3months after the surgery and that will tell exactly how good my vision is. Mr Stevens is a brilliant surgeon and I have come out with exactly what he promised me - almost perfect vision. He is very confident nothing will go wrong with the surgery, but if it does, who better to sort it out? I still can't quite believe I've had the surgery, nor can my family or friends who had to put up with me worrying about it for so long, but there really is nothing to worry about with the procedure. I work on computers all day without a problem and am driving without problems. I just can't wait to go swimming again and actually be able to see other people in the pool before I swim into them! But for now, it's lovely just to be able to wake up and see. And, no, I don't miss my glasses at all! Feel free to get in contact if you have any questions and I might be able to help.