Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic

I had epi-lasek surgery with Mr Tuft on 3rd July. That's the process where the complete epithelium, surface layer of cells, is scraped off and removed, the laser treated and a protective contact "lens" is used for a week. Mr Tuft said that the eye heals better of the epithelium is completely removed and not replaced as in Lasek. I think it makes it more painful as well. I could only have surface treatment as my corneas were at the critical 500 micron thickness, not enough for the Lasik flap. I found it very painful for the 1st 4 days. However the operation was virtually painless. I asked for more anaeshetic drops as I was about to run out. I live 100 miles from London so asked for a prescription to go to my local chemist - this was not possible. I took the precaution of ordering the anaesthetic from my chemist, which would take a day, even though they could not release them without a prescription. Two days later I was still in pain whenever he anaesthetic ran out after about an hour. I went back to Moorfields by train as could not get anyone on the phone numbers I was given. Mr Tuft examined my eyes and said they were healing well and that I shouldn't need any more anaesthetic drops. He gave me 2 further vials. The next day these had run out. I phoned the the hospital and eventually they agreed to send a faxed prescrption to my local chemist. I was very releived to have sufficient anaesthetic drops. On the 4th day I didn't need to take them any more. The problem was more the anxiety of having extreme pain with no way of relieving it. 7 days later Mr Tuft removed the protective lens and reported that the epithelium had grown over. He was very professional and I am sure an excellent surgeon but did not want to indulge me in re-assuring an anxious patient. I think he thought I was a major fuss pot. At the 4 week eye test - both eyes were 20/20 but left eye had a 2.5 astigmatism and I couldn't see the 2nd to bottom line. Mr Tuft said the astigmatism may go over the next 5 months and that there was a 60% prob it would improve. Re treatment was a possibility if no improvement but this carried an exra risk of scaring over and above the risk of the 1st operation. I would like to know the probabilities but can't find any references. Most information on-line seems t be from surgeons selling treatment. Overall I am extremely happy with the results. Oh, I was -6 and -5.5 with a slight astigmatism about 1.25 Obviously I really want perfect eyes and to be able to see the bottom line or even 2nd to bottom line with both eyes - but it's still amazing that I can see without lenses. I would nevertheless recommend Moorfields and Mr tuft, despite their disorganisation and bad admin and poor communication.

I hadn’t considered laser surgery until earlier this year when I discovered that NHS hospitals also carried out the operations, albeit on a private basis. I was curious to learn more, so requested further information from Moorfields and carried out additional research online. This site was particularly helpful in coming to a decision and preparing for surgery, so I would also like to share my experiences so far. After my initial research I booked a consultation with Dr Gartry at Moorfields in October. I figured that even if I didn’t go ahead, it would be worth £150 for some expert and impartial advice. I’d agree with some earlier posts that Dr Gartry can appear a little brusque, but he answered all the questions I had preprepared in a straightforward and professional manner. From the tests I underwent that morning he told me that I was suitable for surgery but in no way did I feel that he was encouraging me to do so. My prescription was -2.50/-2.25 with no astig, and he said that a reasonable expectation would be for him to achieve a 90% correction (i.e. to around - .25/-.5). Dr. Gartry has a strong preference for LASIK owing to the rapid visual recovery and good results that he has seen (his biog says he has performed more than 11,000 Lasik ops to date.). I came away from the consultation feeling undecided, but reassured that if I did go ahead, I should be a straightforward case for a surgeon of Dr Garty’s experience. I spent a few days trying to weigh the risks and benefits. On the one hand I could wait a few more years for the technology to improve and the risk of complications to diminish, but having reached my mid-thirties I was also keen to enjoy the potential benefits as soon – and for as long - as possible. A few days later, I decided to book a surgery date, still telling myself that I could always pull out up until a week before (when you have to pay) if I changed my mind. About ten days before surgery I did have some serious doubts and I started to convince myself that the whole thing was a bad idea. Around the same time I received a call from Moorfields to say that the surgery needed to be postponed by two days. Although this was annoying, in a strange way it also calmed me down by giving me two more days to reflect, and from that moment I was surprisingly relaxed leading up to the surgery. I had a 9.30am appointment which allowed just enough time to drop the children at school and get to the hospital, but not too much to brood on the impending surgery. The operation takes place on the 4th floor of Moorfields eye hospital. For an eye hospital, it is not the most straightforward place to navigate (I overhead another patient saying he had difficulty finding the ‘low vision’ unit…), and on arrival at the fourth floor a small printed sign pointed Dr Gartry’s patients to a rather small and dingy waiting room. There was no-one to meet and greet or confirm that this was the right place, but a small cardboard box for unwanted specs hinted that we might be on the right track. Finally a nurse did confirm that we were in the right place and that we could make a cup of tea while we waited. A small thing perhaps, but a little bit of human reassurance 10 mins before a significant op wouldn’t have gone amiss. A few minutes later I was called and taken to a surprisingly small room where the surgeon and laser awaited. Dr Garty was masked but I recognised his eyes and distinctive voice and he greeted me cheerfully. Seconds later I was in the chair with the seat reclining. From this moment everything was clearly and calmly explained to me as we went through the procedure. I found Dr Gartry very calm and reassuring throughout and the whole thing was over very quickly (20 mins max). And while I wouldn’t say the operation was pleasant, it was certainly not painful. I had read enough posts (and even watched a u-tube video of an op) to know what was going on and I think this actually helped a bit. The second eye was slightly more uncomfortable, partly because I knew what was coming and partly (as Dr Garty later explained) because the body uses up most of its adrenalin dealing with the first ‘attack’. In any case the whole thing was over remarkably quickly and before I knew it, I was walking down the corridor (in a mist but seeing ok) to run through the aftercare procedures with a nurse. My partner had barely had time to get to Starbucks and back in the time it took me to have the operation. During the 40 minute drive home the anesthetic wore off and my eyes started streaming and stinging and I had to keep them closed behind dark glasses for most of the journey. That was as bad as it got. Once home my eyes were still light sensitive and sore for a few hours but this improved with every dose of the drops. By evening I could see reasonably well, watch a bit of television and make my way very comfortably around the house. The next morning my sight had sharpened to about 90% as many people describe. I had a bit of dryness, and slight haloing around street lamps at night, but my vision was amazingly clear. I took the tube for a brief follow-up appointment with Dr Garty who confirmed that my eyes were healing well and that I could expect a good final result. I’m due to go back in a month or so. I am now 48 hours post-op and I’d say that my sight is pretty close to what it was with contacts or glasses. I drove this morning with no problems and I’ve been reading/using the computer for short periods quite comfortably. Still a long way to go, but so far the results and lack of serious discomfort are pretty remarkable. My eyes are still slightly sore and dry but I was anticipating far worse. If you’re after a shiny 5 star customer experience then perhaps Moorfields isn’t for you. On the other hand, I had every confidence in Dr Gartry’s surgical ability and the reassurance of being treated in one of the world’s leading eye hospitals should anything go wrong. To me, those were the most important things.

I had Wavefront Lasik treatment at Moorfields with Julian Stevens about five years ago. I went there for a second opinion after having had ordinary Lasik elsewhere and I was very unhappy with the result. I booked a consultation with Mr Stevens and after lots of tests he said I was an ideal candidate for their Wavefront study (Wavefront was new at the time). I had a lot of aberrations in my eyes, meaning the surface was very uneven which is why my vision was rubbish. To cut a long story short, I had Wavefront in one eye to start with and after I got home and had a sleep, I woke up to perfect vision in that eye. It was amazing and it's what should have happened the first time. I went back as soon as possible to have the second eye done, and my vision has been great ever since. I do get some halos around car headlights at night but some people get that naturally and I can't remember noticing if I had them pre-Lasik or not. It doesn't affect my ability to drive at night. In my last eye test they told me I had 20/20 eyesight, although I have the ability to see up to 20/10 with glasses if I wanted them. I declined! It seems strange to remember that I used to have to wear glasses all the time. I am so glad I went to Moorfields, I just wish I'd gone there in the first place, and I would recommend Mr Julian Stevens to anyone.

I have worn glasses for the last 22 years (and I'm only 29!). With a prescription of -7.5 and -8, I just wanted to be able to see a bit better without glasses and was prepared for the fact that after surgery it may not be possible to not need glasses at all. My surgery with Mark Wilkins at Moorfields 3 days ago has given me the sight I was never blessed with at birth. Straight after the op I could already see the difference and after the 'magic 3 hours' later I was already able to see to a standard not too much worse than my glasses. 3 days later and I'm over the moon my eyes are pretty much to how they were without glasses and it was worth every penny! .............................................................................................................. Before deciding to go through with the surgery I took some time to shop around. With such poor sight I appreciated what I had and wasn't about to take chances... Ultralase were the first appointment - I was initially impressed with what they had to say but was put off when I learned the guy taking the Wavefront readings had worked in a clothes store just 2 weeks prior to my appointment. The 'surgeon' had told me information I was later told by the two other companies to be rubbish - namely that Wavefront speeds recovery time because it is customed to your eye and so less cornea needs to be taken off. There is no evidence to suggest this and in fact one company said there might be slightly more taken off, however all companies promote the newer technology because I have been told it lessens some of the side affects of its predecessor such as star-bursts at night. Optimax - I was impressed with the Optician and the surgeon, but again the rest of the staff were all very new. I was not reassured by the fact that the surgeon I had been booked with for the appointment was only in the UK for a few days a month and so the follow-up after care would all be dealt with by others less qualified. That said, if finance is of particular concern to anyone I'd advise leaving it a while after your appointment before booking an op with Optimax because the deals they send on email keep getting better! Moorfields - a work colleague had seen them about something else and thoroughly recommended the hospital. I felt confident and reassured after the appointment with Mark Wilkins and having paid £150 felt that this removes the incentive for a sales pitch at you! ................................................................................................ I won't pretend that the actual procedure was nice. Yes, as people say it is pain free both before and after, discomfort is the worst of it. But I found the whole thing really quite horrible from a psychological point of view. Having said that......... it is all over within 20 minutes and it is very, very worth it!

Please add me to the Mr. Julian Stevens fan club. He was recommended by a Doctor friend of mine who has been to Mr. Steven's lectures. You may have to wait a few months to see him but it is worth the wait. My eyesight was -7.5 and I had been wearing glasses for 49 years so having this surgery was a major life event for me. He performed my surgery on Friday and I had the post op review yesterday. His Saturday waiting room was full of happy smiling people. Conclusions (1) I was very apprehensive about having this surgery - there is no need to worry. Going to the dentist is much worse. (2) The results are fantastic. I came out of the surgery and was able to sit in the waiting room and do the crossword without glasses. I went home on my own. (3) You are being treated by the best surgeon with the most up to date equipment. If anything does go wrong ( very unlikely) you will have the back-up of the world famous Moorfields eye hospital. (4) It was worth the wait and worth the cost. Don't settle for anyone less than Mr. Stevens.

Hi - I was wondering if anyone has had ICL treatment at Moorfields? In particular with Mr Maurino. I had my consultation yesterday, which was initially for LASIK. However after the tests Mr Maurino recommended I have ICL treatment. My prescription is -9.5 and -8.5, cornea thickness is good. His recommendation was based on my prescription being on the cusp of LASIK v's ICL plus my age, I'm 28. I would be very grateful if anyone who has had ICL surgery at Moorfields would let me know their experience. Thank you.

I had my eyes operated on by Dr Alex Ionides in march 2007, after years of investigation & research... I got to the end of wearing glasses, breaking them, and contacts were uncomfortable, so I sold my motorbike to pay for surgery.. I used this site to make my decision. I chose Moorfields as they are deemed World leading... Dr Alex Ionides at first seemed abit washy, felt at times he did not answer my questions as direct as I would have liked, however he always replied to my emails and was very open and helpful.. Anyway, I had -3.5 in both eyes, I had the surgery, all done in about 15 mind and within3 hours I could read a licence plate across the road..... Amazing, the after drops are a slight inconvenience but a small price to pay..... once the course finished I used dry eyes drops for a few months.... I would have surgery again tomorrow if I needed, I would not hesitate.. the guy did a sterling job, perfect vision, heeled well, very little star gaze at night etc... I do find my vision deteriorates noticeably more when I am tired these days or if I am doing sports in the wind or dust my eyes get dryer than I remembered pre op, but otherwise the best 3k I ever spent, I would not hesitate to do it again... It was like a new life for me, its changed my life for sure... Ritchie

Had Lasek surgery 18 months ago. It was painful and uncomfortable. I would definitely recommend that you book a week at home after surgery and have someone pick you up or help you home after surgery. For 3 months afterwards I would wake up every now and then with the sensation of painfully gritty eyes. But this side-effect was temporary and would subside about 10 minutes after waking up ... in the scheme of things, not a huge issue. Apparently, it does not make much difference which surgeon you have unless things go wrong and I was willing to pay for the guarantee of having Dr Stevens in case they did. His average results are also very good. He was fairly brief in his pre-op time given for discussion but you could say, efficient and utterly knowledgeable. His junior doctors were not so well informed and one lady even fobbed me off with false information. His receptionists (especially Janet - a star) were much better informed. Overall I received all the answers I needed (I was annoyingly inquisitive) but had the sense that as a customer of an expensive and commercial procedure, time for chat was necessarily not huge. Delighted with the results. I used to have a prescription of -2.75 and -3.00 and was completely dependent on glasses or contacts. I am 34. So pleased to have stable eyes from lasek as I do loads of outdoor activities and I can see very well (20:20). I never got used to contacts or glasses and as someone who loves to feel self-reliant, the surgery has made a tremendous difference to my life. Recommend the lasek surgery with Dr Stevens.

Very well looked after by an extremely competent and friendly team. Had very little discomfort after the procedure and my eyesight settled pretty quickly and continues to improve. I don't think about it nowadays which is a sure sign of the surgery's success.

Excellent, well worth the money and definitely worth spending a bit more to get really good care, expertise, equipment, follow-up. No problems at all during or since.