Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic

I had my eyes treated six days ago by Mr Bruce Allan at Moorfields. I had been considering eye surgery for seven years (!!) and eventually decided that, although Moorfields was twice the price of the Laser Surgery centres advertising on Satellite, the opportunity to be treated by the person who might end up fixing you up if it goes wrong elsewhere was worth the extra cost. I certainly don't regret a penny that I have spent! My prescription was -6.5 right eye and -6 left eye, which means you can't see a lot really. I was quite concerned that I would not be able to have the surgery as I have dry eyes (and have had to cease wearing contact lenses because of this). I felt that if I went to one of the other clinics, who don't charge for the initial appointment, they might be more keen to do the surgery on me to get their money back. Not sure about this, but I felt that it was better to pay to see Mr Allan the going rate for his time, and for him to decide on the basis of clinical results only. So, anyway, I went to see him, having had to wait almost three months for an appointment. The John Saunders Suite at Moorfields is a comfy waiting room (that's about it). I was amused to find that several people had self-referred, hoping to have it done on the NHS. No luck for them! The receptionists seemed rather used to giving people the bad news, that bilateral LASIK would cost best part of £3,000. Anyway, various tests were done on my eyes, a sort-of topographical map was produced to show the shape of my cornea. I had medium astigmatism and was glad to hear that this could also be treated. I then saw Mr Allan and discussed my dry eyes problem. He checked me for something called Marfans Syndrome (sticking out eyes and loose joints can be symptoms, which I have, but did not have the syndrome itself); I felt this showed the importance of seeing a proper ophthalmic surgeon - would a "consultant" salesperson have known about this? Perhaps. Anyway, Mr Allan said I would be fine to have the treatment. I had read up quite a lot on it and knew that potentially I might have to continue to use artificial tears for years to treat my dry eyes after LASIK, and we talked this through. In the end I decided that, having been fully informed of the risks (the paperwork they give you is about 8 pages of what can go wrong!!) that it was worth a go. How right I was! I could have been treated a fortnight from that date, but delayed it a further month due to diary crowding. I was told to take four days off work, the Tuesday of the surgery and up to the Friday afterwards when I would have my follow-up appointment. On Monday night as I sat down to my evening meal I had a call from the LASIK team to say the Laser had been serviced and had a "glitch" and so they would have to put me off until Wednesday. Was quite happy to think that they weren't operating with a dodgy laser, and I hadn't got all that psyched up for it at that point. Wednesday came, I wandered it for 9am and left at 10:30am with my shades on. Others have talked about what it was like; all I will say is it isn't a particularly nice experience (not something you'd do for fun), but is over pretty quickly and doesn't hurt. When I got up off the chair I couldn't see very well at all and was initially worried as I'd read lots of reports where people say they had fantastic vision immediately. Mr Allan reassured me that it'd slowly come to me. I was given masses of different drops to take away and told to try and rest with my eyes shut for six hours. I could open them to see as I got on the train, etc, but had to try and shut them as much as possible to aid healing. It's interesting walking through London, hailing a taxi, getting on trains etc with your eyes shut (my husband was with me to help). It makes you realise how difficult it must be for blind people, and that other people assume you can see, even if you're wearing colossal dark shades on a dull day in November. Made me realise that I had actually risked a very precious gift (sight) by having the treatment, but then I knew that anyway. I rested at home with Radio 4 and after the six hours was up, got up and went about as normal. It felt completely pain-free, no grittiness, just the sort of "I've had my contact lenses in too long" feeling. I had to take 3 different drops every hour for the first day but these were OK, didn't sting or anything. I went back on the Friday for the quick consultation with Mr Allan who was very happy. Had a very quick eye test which involved me reading whatever lines i could from the letters board. With my left eye I could read the bottom row, with my right the second from bottom row; with my glasses I had been able to read the first from bottom. That was two days after the surgery and it might improve further; in fact, my left eye has become less sharp now, but I can still see very well with both eyes. Can watch TV, read the video clock, use the computer etc with no ill effects. Driving at night is a bit scary due to star effects but I know these will quieten down, and I had them with contact lenses before when they were dry anyway. One thing I am having to do extra because of my dry eyes is to put special drops in at night. I sleep with my eyes open (weird) which means they were really dry the first two nights, despite wearing the bizarre eye-protecting goggles. So Mr Allan suggested I get some lacri-lube and put that in at night. It appears to be basically paraffin and a few other bits that go IN your eye, and means the world becomes blurry and when you wake up in the morning you've look like you've smeared vaseline all round your eyes. But it means my eyes are moist in the morning, although for the first hour or so life's a bit blurry. Am I glad I had it done? Absolutely! From -6 vision (i.e. you can't function without glasses) to near-perfect vision, it's like a miracle. I was evaluating how much I would have spent to get this result, if it were guaranteed. I reckon easily £10,000; I'm only 31 and I have years and years of benefit (hopefully). The £3,000 charge was excellent value for money and, for me, the chance to have it done at Moorfields very much helped my peace of mind.

This is unbelievable...I was one of three doctors on Mr. Gartry's list. Within 24 hours I had perfect vision in right eye and -0.25 in left. I started out with -3.75 both eyes and -2 astigmatism. Mr. Gartry is UK leader for LASIK eye surgery and therefore you pay a bit extra for the best.

Was scheduled for LASIK with Mr Allan at end of Feb. Had a call on Monday 3rd to tell me there was a cancellation for 4th. I took it and can now read the bottom line on the chart with ease. I was -6.5 in one eye and -5.5 in the other. Painless procedure, minor discomfort and pain later. Minor haloes around lights in the evening.

Now 3 weeks since procedure and night time haloes have gone completely.

Had surgery with Mr Gartry at Moorfields on 3rd Feb 2003. I was –2 in both eyes, with astigmatism. The surgery was quick and although uncomfortable, was NOT painful. Eyes a bit gritty afterwards, but by the evening I could see perfectly and now, four weeks on I have 20:20 vision and have encountered no problems at all. Going for post check up in a couple of weeks. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful it is not to wear glasses/lenses anymore. Just waking up and being able to see – and everything so crystal clear – its amazing. I was driving the other day and it got really sunny – so I just reached down and put on my husband’s sun-glasses – no scrabbling around for prescription sunglasses!! It sounds naff, but it really feels like a miracle! I cannot recommend Mr Gartry enough – if you want to discuss, feel free to mail me.

had LASIK on Weds 19th March with Miss Linda Ficker. My previous concerns about pain during the operation were needless. the process can be best described as "wierd", with evrything happening quite lierally, in front of your eyes, but with no pain or even discomfort. Miss Ficker was very good in keeping me informed and we talked all the way through the procedure, which takes about 2 minutes in total, for each eye. Laser time was about 12-13 seconds for my prescription of -2.5 per eye. My follow up visit the next day was with her "fellow" Tom Poole, who described Miss Ficker's work as "beautiful". Even with my natural cynicism, I have no pain, no bloodshot eyes, fantastic vision and even under close scrutiny, there are no marks on my eyes whatsoever. I am absolutely thrilled with the results. It won't be the first time that you have ever heard this phrase, but you get what you pay for. Thanks to Linda Ficker and her team.

I had laser surgery at Moorfield Eye Hospital on both eyes on Tuesday 25th March, 2003. My surgeon was Mr Bruce Allan. I am in the early stages of adjustment but can report a very positive experience. I thought that the pre-surgical testing & consultations were thorough & efficiently conducted with the surgeons being at pains to provide explanations & respond to questions. I raised an enquiry about pre-existing night vision problems & was referred for further tests before surgery was confirmed: Wavefront analysis. I believe that the data from this test was used at least in part in my eventual surgery. Going in I had -3.75 vision in both eyes with an astigmatism in my left eye. The procedure is completely painless & surprisingly short. That said it is not something on which I would choose to reflect upon at any length. Main point is that it is of short duration & I felt absolutely no pain. It is worth resting up immediately afterwards until the drops & procedure has settled. Get collected by a friend/ partner if you can as this will be one less thing to worry about. I had surgery mid-morning & my vision was starting to come back by the early afternoon. It is a joy to be able to see vividly after years of dependency on contacts & spectacles. By the next day I had good vision: car number plates; shop fronts; posters all seeming clearer than I had enjoyed for years. My eyes felt a residual tiredness though as if the adjustment was creating a bit of a strain. My three day test was uneventful; I was clearly in excess of the standard required for driving & was also told that I would not require any further surgery to improve my vision. It was fun to race through the sight chart & make out rows that had previously been incomprehensible to me. The surgeon told me that my vision would shift about for several days after the surgery and that my eye tiredness was to be expected. I will revert with news & reflections on the next 5 weeks. 6 week test is the next assessment & I hope

I recently had LASIK surgery performed by Mr Gartry on 22nd March and am extremely pleased with the results. My prescription was -6.5 and -7.5. It is now to very nearly the same as it was corrected with glasses/lenses. Two days after the op I could read the second from bottom line with my right eye and the third from bottom with the left. I am suffering from hazing around any bright lights (especially at night) but I understood this could happen and it will hopefully clear up in the next few weeks. The procedure was really quick and completely painless. I was nervous before surgery but was reassured seeing the person in for surgery before me. He walked out of the theatre with a smile on his face and his eyes only looked slightly red. During the procedure Mr Gartry talked me through exactly what he was doing and how long things would last. I had about 45-50 secs. laser treatment on each eye. Everything was pretty blurred for the rest of the day, although I did manage to watch the rugby on TV! The next day things were much better (probably around 90% of how they are now) and improved slightly every day for the next week. I'm so glad that I've had LASIK surgery, it really has made a huge difference to my life. I just wish I'd had it done it earlier!

I had surgery on 7th May, carried out by Mr Julian Stevens. The treatment is quick and painless with no problems afterwards. I even drove back to the hospital the next day. I had been to see two other clinics for similar surgery and cannot recommend Moorfields and Mr Stevens enough. It may be more expensive but you get the best treatment and consultant in the country and you only have one set of eyes.

Now over six weeks since Lasik surgery with Mr. Gartry. I had my final check up today and also had an eye test last week for a second opinion. I can read the 6/5 line unaided with each eye which is an execllent result (apparently this is the requirement for a commercial pilot). My left eye is +0.25 (very slight over-correction) and my right eye is -0.25 with -0.25 astigmatism (very slight under-correction). Pretty much as near perfect as you could get considering I was -7.25 with -1.25 astigmatism in each eye before surgery. There are a couple of minor issues remaining; dry eyes sometimes particuarly with airconditioned offices but this is getting better by the day (I still use artificial tears a couple of times a day). Also slight halos at night but this again is improving. Mr. Gartry expects both issues to be resolved around the 3 month mark. I am also resisting using reading glasses until the 3 months is up although my optician reckons I will need very mild lenses for this. Unfortunately this is an age thing ! This is only a problem when my eyes are tired. Computer use and TV watching is not a problem at all. I absolutely recommend Mr. Gartry and Moorfields. It costs more but you get the expertise and results. Email me if you would like more info or to talk.