Professor David Gartry is Consultant Ophthalmologist to Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Visiting Professor to the faculty of Visual Sciences at City University, London. Today, his patients include royalty, A-listers, famous musicians, celebrity chefs, as well as high-flying business men and women.
He was one of the first surgeons in the world to perform laser eye surgery, way back in November 1989. That gives him the longest experience in this field of any eye surgeon in the UK. He has performed over 20,000 treatments to date, which is more than some clinics.
What makes him different? As the person we might consider the father of laser eye surgery in the UK, Professor Gartry tops the list of the 10 best laser eye surgeons in the UK, based on thousands of patient reviews since 2002.
What else should I know? Professor Gartry underwent laser eye surgery (LASIK) himself in October 2000, so he fully understands the process from both the doctor’s and the patient’s perspective. He recently founded the Wimpole Eye Clinic to help more people enjoy freedom from glasses.
☝ So is he the one? You’re the only one that can answer that. If you would like a second opinion, you can find the top-rated eye surgery clinic near you using our simple tool here, and book a free consultation with an eye expert to discuss your options.
1. Training and Prizes
Graduating in 1978 with a first class honours degree in Optometry from Glasgow Caledonian University, David then completed his pre-registration year at Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1979. With the first place in the UK professional qualifying examinations under his belt, he was awarded the Colebrook and Porter prizes of The British College of Optometrists, the Master’s Prize of The Spectacle Makers Company (SMC) and the J Stephen Dawson Memorial award of The Institute of Optometry.
He then read Medicine at University College London, where he won several academic awards including the annual national Sir Stewart Duke-Elder prize in Ophthalmology. He became a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists in 1988. And that same year, while at St Thomas’ Hospital, he became involved in the first research work evaluating the then new excimer laser to treat corneal surface disease.
From 1989 to 1992, Professor Gartry held a full-time Iris Fund Research Fellowship, investigating the potential clinical applications of the laser and in November 1989, and became the first surgeon in The United Kingdom to perform laser eye surgery (photorefractive keratectomy or PRK).
He was responsible for the selection and monitoring of all patients in the original St Thomas’ Hospital research trials. And this culminated in the a thesis entitled ‘The Development of Excimer Laser Corneal Surgery in the UK’, which earned him the higher degree of Doctor of Medicine from The University of London.
2. Qualifications
Progessor Gartry moved to Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1992, and from January 1998 onwards he was responsible for the first LASIK (laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis) research protocols there. He has published over 50 scientific papers relating to laser corneal surgery, and has spoken at numerous scientific meetings around the world.
In 1991, he was awarded The Storz Medal and in 1993 The Iris Fund Triennial Award. He has written several book chapters and co-edited 3 textbooks: ‘Excimer Lasers in Ophthalmology – Principles and Practice’ (1997, Martin Dunitz), ‘Cataract Surgery’ (2003, BMA publishing) and ‘Corneal Surgery’ (2013, Springer Verlag).
In February 1995 he delivered one of the prestigious discourse lectures to The Royal Institution of Great Britain, a leading scientific society, and following this was made a member of The Royal Institution. In 2006 he was appointed Visiting Professor to City University and was Refractive Service Director at Moorfields from 2006 to 2013.
He holds The Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ Certificate in Laser Refractive Surgery (2007), and was entered into the 2007 edition of ‘Who’s Who’. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree (DSc) by Glasgow Caledonian University. And in 2013, he received a lifetime fellowship of the College of Optometrists in recognition of his contributions to the field of ophthalmic surgery.
3. Prices
Laser eye surgery costs and lens replacement surgery costs are fixed and easy to digest at the Wimpole Eye Clinic. These are the latest prices (for both eyes) for laser eye surgery at this clinic with surgery by David Gartry:
| Eye Surgery Procedure | Price (both eyes) |
|---|---|
| Initial Consultation | £195 |
| IntraLASIK / LASEK with Wavefront | £4,480 |
| IntraLASIK/ LASEK with Wavefront (Higher Prescriptions) | £4,980 |
| Surgery package for standard treatment with a premium monofocal lens | £3,517 |
| Surgery package for laser assisted treatment with a premium monofocal lens | £4,138 |
| Special order/custom made lens | From £575 |
So how do these prices compare? Unlike with high street clinics such as Optical Express or Ultralase, the initial consultation with Professor Gartry is not free. Plus, any follow-up consultations will slap another £150 on top.
The surgery costs are also higher than at some other eye clinics. Yes, all procedures comes with Wavefront technology as standard, which is a high-precision AI-enhanced laser. But remember other treatment centres will sometimes give their own name to their advanced laser technology – at Optical Express, it’s called iDesign, at Optegra it’s Clairvu.
Are there any hidden costs? Yes and no. These prices include extensive eye tests before treatment, and any aftercare visits will be free for the first two years following surgery.
But patients will usually need two to three follow-up consultations, which are £150 a pop. If you suffer from very high prescriptions or astigmatism, your cost of surgery may even be higher than the prices above.
If these prices are more than you would feel comfortable paying, you might like to consider a leading high street clinic, as most will offer monthly payment options for as little as £30 a month for two years.
4. Professor Gartry Review: The Verdict
David Gartry continues to be at at the forefront of technological innovation in laser eye surgery. But he actually specialises in cataract surgery, and was one of the first UK surgeons to evaluate and adopt the latest femtosecond laser.
So, is Professor Gartry the right eye surgeon for you? Of course, that all depends on where you live, and what you’re looking for.
To find out, you might like to book a consultation with Professor Gartry to meet him, and discuss your eye care in detail. This will cost £195. Or, you can talk to an eye expert commitment-free by finding a well-reviewed eye surgery clinic that offers full eye tests and a surgery consultation at no cost at all.
☝ To find a top-rated laser eye surgery clinic near you, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and receive a tailored match and quote from a clinic you can trust.
Professor David S Gartry Reviews
Sarah Brendlor
I’ve been short sighted since I was young and now developed early onset of cataracts. My eyesight was depressing me. After much research I found David Gartry. David and his team made me feel relaxed and reassured from my first consultation through to the procedure it self. It really is a life changing operation, definitely the best decision I have ever made. I can’t recommend David Gartry enough nor thank him enough.
Jessica fulford
Really pleased and amazed with the results after treatment. I had concerns before but I am so pleased I went ahead. Would thoroughly recommend Mr Gartry.
Barbara Edwards
Excellent – Felt completely looked after –
Barnaby Voss
Happy with everything
Richard Eyre
I can now read very small print without the loss of anything I am a very satisfied customer
Jason B
From my initial consultation through to my final check up – Professor Gartry and his team have been wonderful. I had Lasek surgery, so I was prepared for a longer recovery time, and at the 3 month check up I am better than 20/20. Lasek has been life changing, and the world has become more beautiful.
Matt Cook
Great service and treatment throughout.
Salina Cole
I had my surgery done in September 2016 and it is the best decision I have made. David was brilliant and I would recommend and have done to my friends. I really liked the way he explained everything and answered all my concerning questions. He has a great understanding and he himself has had it done. I was not made to feel pressured into having it anything done and all the staff that work for David were really friendly and helpful. On the day everything was explained about the procedure and aftercare and surgery staff all made me feel relaxed. I really liked the way David talked me through what he was doing and what to expect, as this made me feel relaxed. The surgery itself was painless and I couldn’t believe that afterwards I could see. I had a strong prescription of -7.0 in both eyes and an astigmatism. On my check up after two days I had 20/20 vision and was driving after three days. I highly recommend David and his team. Thank you.
Annette fahey
Worked perfectly for me
Frances Street
I came to Moorfields as they specialise in the treatment of eye care in general and are highly respected worldwide for their expertise. I researched Professor Gartry online and saw that he was very specialised within his field and do not believe I could have gone to anyone else in the UK who is as highly experienced to carry out my LASIK eye surgery as he is, this therefore made me feel much more confident to have my procedure carried out by him under the care of Moorfields than at a high street facility which can be more commercially driven. Any questions I asked to any of the staff at Moorfields whether a general enquiry or a specific question relating to me and my treatment was answered without hesitation. Follow up care was excellent and reassuring.
Gavin Conway
Overall I am very happy with the result which has taken my vision from -6.25 to near 20/15 vision. Clinically I highly rate the experience with the Moorfields team who were very attentive and were always on the end of the phone and available for me to come in. I would have rated 5, but for the recommendation that Moorfields be more open with future patients about the repair time for Lasek which in my case was 3 weeks . Whilst some documentation does say final prescription settles in 3-4 months, its at odds with other documentation which suggests taking 1 week off. For patients who need to go back into work after 1 week there needs to be more discussion around what ‘functional vision’ is, and its impact. Sharing repair times on an average basis is not comforting to those who fall out of this, and referring back to the governments ‘driving standard’ as gospel is irresponsible. All the best Gavin p.s Special Thanks to Jenny who was wonderful throughout.
