Optical Express

Within less than 24hr I could see better than I could ever see with my Spectacles or Contact lenses. I should have had it done sooner!! The Refractive Counsellor at St Albans (Hament) was very polite, helpful, friendly and thourough. He explained everything and gave the telephone number if I had any questions when we got home. The Laser Optometrist (Sharanjeet) was also very thourough in her tests and explained every little thing. She also reasurred me of the things I was nervous of. She even called me the next day to see how I was getting on. The surgery team were excellent. They explained everything all the way. The surgeon was Rodney Blumenfeld and I would recommend him to everyone. Friendly, welcoming and explained every little detail. The procedure only took about 15 minutes!! The St Albans practise was a great place with a very friendly and welcoming team. The Refractive counsellor was very welcoming and has always been great. If you are thinking of having Laser Eye Surgery, Optical Express St Albans is definately the place to go!!

I have 2 £50 vouchers for treatment. If you want one then send me an email with your address and I will post it to you. I think you can only use one per person. Cheers

My prescription was -5.25 in both eyes. I had my consultation at the Westfields branch and my surgery at Harey Street with Dr Blumenfield After my first check up I was a bit dubious as I had read other reviews on here saying Optical Express gave a hard sell, and funnily enough they did recommend the most expensive treatment. So I went to a few other clinics to get a second opinion (which I would highly recommend). I was told at Accuvision that my cornea was just borderline thick enough to allow me to have Lasik treatment (500-550ish microns) and they recommended Lasek. I then did my own research and found out that intralase treatments result in a thinner 'flap' and are therefore more suitable for people with thinner corneas (Accuvision only have the option of manual flap creation when undertaking lasik procedures). So I was wrong in my worry that I had been recommended the most expensive treatment as a sales technique. There is still an element of risk as it makes me less suitable for a re-treatment should something go wrong, and obviously I can't yet advise about the long term effects. However I weighed up these risks against my preference to have the less painful treatment. I had initially booked for lasek treatment and paid a deposit to Accuvision. However when I phoned up 2 weeks before the procedure they were very good and gave me my deposit back straight away with no fuss. I had the treatment 24 hours ago. The treatment wasn't painful at all, a bit weird because I knew what was going on, but not painful. The first three hours my eyelids were very heavy and I struggled to open my eyes, it was very difficult to fight the urge to scrunch up my eyes, and they felt very gritty. I kept my eyes closed for most of the evening and after about 6 hours it just felt like I had a dry/uncomfortable contact lens in. The day of the treatment took about 2 hours (most of it hanging around waiting to have various tests done). I didn't spend very much time with the surgeon himself. A quick check up where he asked if I had any questions (which he would have answered). However, as by this time I was committed to the payment, I had asked all my questions to the optometrists beforehand! This morning I am fine. My vision seems the same as when I wear contact lenses. I am really looking forward to waking up in the morning (once I no longer have to wear the googles) and being able to see! I have my one day check up in a few hours, and if any of my opinions change I will be sure to update on here.

I am disappointed that you haven't seen fit to put my previous review on your site which seems to imply you only put those giving high ratings on. I do not feel I can give full ratings at this stage but will reveiw as the days progress. I would feel comforted to know that my experience is not unusual and that I am not the only one experiencing this slow progress, but more importantly to know it turns out right in the end. My experience 3 weeks ago with the surgery as previously advised was great, the staff at the clinic were kind, helpful and reassuring as was the surgeon. The process albeit a little scary was quick and painless. My eyes were stinging severly by the time I got home but were much better after a couple of hours rest/sleep, however my sight still remains very blurry. Whilst I can see my distance vision is not at all clear and does not feel like it is improving. My optician assures me that it is improving but slowly. The haze effect is not helping but I understand it can take some months to go and this will help my vision when it does. At the moment I feel I want to reach for my glasses as I no longer have sharp distance vision nor can I read without glasses (the latter I was expecting). I will write again when/if things improve as I believe it is reassuring for other people going through my experience to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. It makes you feel there is something wrong when you continue to read reviews that indicate great vision almost immediately. There is nothing wrong with slow progress as long as it works at the end of the day.

Only into second 24hours but already am really pleased with the results. Optical Express very profesisonal. I was absolutely bricking it before hand and nearly bottled out. The surgeon Mr Stefan Klopper was fantastic: calm, gentle. He offered me more time to think things over and made it clear that it was my decision to have the surgery. He also made the risks and complictations completely clear to me - no flannel, no sales talk, no 'pushiness'. The procedure was over within seconds - the intralase bit was by far the most uncomfortable: the suction cup that applies pressure on your eye wasn't painful but wasn't without feeling either, despite the drops. However, one of the attendants counted down the 18seconds it took to cut the flap and boy ... that made all the difference! I felt I could cope with 18secs of discomfort!!! The actual laser bit, although a bit smelly - yes it does smell! - was over in around 10 seconds. Aftercare advise was clear and staff friendly. I in fact ended up being at the centre for longer than necessary - not because of delays on their part but becuase my lift couldn't pick me up quick enough ... that's how fast the procedure took!!! Pain: sale of 1-10 around 3 or 4. No where near as painful as childbirth!!! And the stinging was limited to a couple of hours - 6 hours later and everything was fine. One bit of advise ... BUY AND BRING YOUR PAINKILLERS WITH YOU!!! I thought that they supplied painkillers - they don't. I had to be led into Boots to buy ibuprofen after the event with increasingly tingly eyes. All in all fab. So far really pleased. Have had post-op check and have better vision than with glasses ... and they say that it will keep getting better! Rock on!

I have worn glasses since the age of 12 and cannot believe that I did not do this sooner!! I am now 34. I had my consultation last week, my surgery yesterday, and my post op checkup today. I cannot believe how easy it was. I was so nervous leading up to the surgery but there was no need to be. Joanne, Susan and Dr J Carr at the Shaftesbury Avenue branch did wanders. I can not being to thank them enough. After my initial consultation I decided to go with OE because of their thoroughness and friendliness. I had been to 2 other providers and even though one of them came very close OE made me feel a lot more comfortable. On the day of my surgery I was absolutely shaking, even though I had read so many reviews about how simple the procedure was. There was no need to worry, Dr J Carr was absolutely brilliant, he re-checked my eyes and talked me through the procedure again. During the procedure he calmed my nerves down by talking me through every single step, before I knew it it was over!! I took a taxi home with a friend keeping my eyes closed for the whole journey. Once home I went to bed and just kept them closed. My pain threshold is very low so was frightened about how much pain I was going to be in but to be honest, it was just uncomfortable, it felt like onions stinging our eyes. When I opened my eyes a little later my bedroom clock said 6:49 – that’s 6:49 I haven’t been able to see my digital clock without glasses, in my bedroom since I don’t know when. This morning I felt like I was viewing the world through fresh eyes. At my checkup Susan confirmed that my sight was already at 20/20 and it could still improve! All I can say is if you are thinking about getting this done, don’t just think about it – do it ?

mega pleased with the results!

Consultation & surgery at Aberdeen Branch. I Didn’t really think much about the procedure until I arrived on the day. Any nerves that I had were put to ease by the staff. The entire procedure was a breeze and I was ready to leave in just over 1 hour. You are taken into a small room and drops are placed in your eyes and the post op drop regime is explained very clearly to you. During this time, the person in front of you is getting ‘zapped’ and you can hear it. The whole operation is like a production line, however at no point do you feel like just another person in the chain – the staff are keen and willing to spend extra time with each person to talk further on any issues or answer any questions you may have, you never feel like you are being rushed. After the anaesthetic drops are placed in your eyes and they take effect, you are taken through to the procedure room and asked to lie on a chair similar to that in dentists. On each side of this chair are the devices that perform the procedure. First up, you are positioned under the machine that cuts the flaps in your eyes. I felt no pain during this part of the procedure, only some discomfort with the application of the cup that holds your eyelids open and applies pressure to the eye prior to the cutting of the flaps. After these are cut, you are swivelled over to the next laser to do the rest. A loud clicking noise can be heard along with a slight smell of singed hair as it does its stuff. For me it felt like seconds for each eye and it was all over. The surgeon repositioned the flaps and I sat up. My vision was cloudy & blurry but I was told this was normal. I was taken through to the recovery room and my vision got progressively worse until I got to a point where I could only see light and dark with no discernable resolution whatsoever. This worried me a bit, and I mentioned this to someone who came in to see how I was doing. Again, the member of staff (not sure who she was) reassured me that this was Ok, and not to worry. I was then seen by the surgeon, who checked everything out and said I was ready to go. After being collected by my wife who was somewhat hacked off because she thought she would have had 3 hours shopping available instead of the 1 it took for me to be finished, I had to be driven home. This took just under a couple of hours, during which my blurred vision improved. After a couple of hours sleep, I could see the clock in my room, but it was still blurred – panic stations, I was worried that things didn’t work etc. etc. etc.....However as the evening went on my eyesight began to improve significantly. I went back today for my next day check up and everything is fine. My eyesight is well above that required to be able to drive, and well above the best that my glasses ever gave me. My right eye is pin point perfect; my left is not quite as good (although better than pre surgery) but is getting better each hour. I am experiencing slight hazing / glare around lights, especially when driving but I had this before and I understand that things will improve in the months to come. Would I do it again and spend what could effectively pay for a couple of weeks in the sun having a right good party?? – Of course I would. And I would recommend the same to anyone. All of the staff have been brilliant from the first consultation, right through to the after care support. The procedure is painless, although uncomfortable for the first day. Let’s not forget that your eyes are cut open and lasers are fired into them to reshape them before being sealed up again. Considering what has been done, it’s remarkable and I only wish that I could have afforded it earlier in my life. Different people heal at different speeds and have different pain thresholds, so for some it might be painful and /or might take longer to achieve good results, however I can only express how easy it was for me and how happy i am with the results, and I tend to be a big girls blouse when it comes to pain and real grouchy and critical at every opportunity. Well worth it.

I have had poor vision all my life & have worn glasses for 43 years, not any more & never again thanks to the wavefront treatment I had at Optical Express. I went to the store in Bolton and I could not have received better treatment anywhere. The staff were extremely professional & proficient throughout & went out of their way to show care & consideration both to me & for me every step of the way. [In fact I could not have been better treated if I had been their own mum.] Everything was fully explained every step of the way and nothing was too much trouble. As for the treatment itself, when they say you won't feel anything it's true , it is completely painless and takes literally seconds to complete. I went home & to bed to rest for a couple of hours, & was astounded when I woke & realised I could see clearly without my glasses. It felt like I was day dreaming until I looked in a mirror & on top of that my eyes looked perfectly normal i.e. no redness or inflammation of any kind. I am now nearly two weeks into the new me , my eyes are wonderful, my sight is better than twenty twenty & I read everything everywhere because I can. If I said thank you to the staff at Optical Express Bolton everyday for the rest of my life it would not come any where near to expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the gift that they have given me in my sight. Thank-you

On the day of my surgery I was a little nervous but the staff at the clinic were very kind and reassuring. The surgery didn’t hurt at all. My eyes were very light sensitive after and watered profusely. They were really stinging when I got home which was the worst part but it went off after a couple of hours. Now 10 days later , whilst I can see my vision is by far no where near as sharp as with my glasses. My vision is still blurred. My right eye is pretty good but my left eye is very blurry which gives me unbalanced vision. I struggle at work with this and end up with a headache by the end of the day, I don’t usually suffer with headaches at all. I drive but have not driven since my surgery as I do not feel confident with my vision as it is. My aftercare has been great and they keep reassuring me that this is not unusual and the it will get better as the days go by. I am keeping an open mind. Although they tell me that my vision is 20/20 at this point in time I wish I still had my glasses and am left wondering if I did the right thing in having this done. There do not appear to be any other reviews from anyone having this problem, hence why I have posted myine I will post another review in due course to update you. I was not warned that this might happen.