Altar-ed vision - Local groom-to-be says ‘I do’ to upgraded vision with implantable contact lens procedure
With a glasses prescription so high he was not suitable for laser eye surgery, James Taylor from Hedge End in Hampshire has been completely reliant on glasses and contact lenses for his entire life. But now, thanks to innovative surgery at a local specialist, Optegra Eye Hospital Hampshire, he can see unaided for the first time in living memory – just in time for his wedding next year.
James, 27, recalls: “I was about three or four years old when my mum handed me my first pair of glasses. After putting them on, she said I looked around as if I had never seen the world before! My eyesight must have been very poor before that.
“Since then, I quite simply couldn’t see a thing without my glasses, they would be the first thing I reached for in the morning otherwise the world was a blur.
“I started wearing contact lenses at the age of 16, thinking they would be a temporary solution to not wearing glasses, but I ended up wearing them continually as they were better for sports such as running and football which I regularly play. However, my eyes would feel irritated and tired at the end of the day and taking them in and out was such a pain.
“On holiday, I couldn’t lie on a sun lounger and close my eyes as it would involve taking out my lenses and putting them back in afterwards. It wasn’t worth the hassle, so I never experienced full relaxation.”
Having given up hope that he would ever find a solution to his vision problems, as he wasn’t eligible for laser eye surgery, James contacted his local Optegra Eye Hospital Hampshire to see if they could help. “I wasn’t feeling confident but thought it was worth a try. When they told me that I was suitable for ICL treatment, a procedure I had not heard of before, I literally punched the air! I could not have been happier.”
James’ surgery was carried out by Optegra’s Medical Director Alastair Stuart. He said: “James presented with a very strong prescription of +8.5 - most ‘ready reader’ glasses offer up to +3 prescriptions - and we had to complete a number of tests before we could confirm he was suitable for an Implantable Contact Lens (ICL).
“This is a small, flexible lens that, unlike traditional contact lenses that sit on the surface of your eye, is inserted between the iris (the coloured part of your eye) and your natural lens. So you get all the benefits of a contact lens but without the hassle of putting them in and out.
“It can correct near-sightedness (myopia) and is an option for people like James who want a long-term alternative to glasses or ordinary contact lenses. The lens is invisible and surgery takes approximately eight minutes per eye.
“I know how much it meant to James having this solution to his vision problems and I’m so delighted that Optegra has been able to help him and have such a positive impact on his life.”
James recalls: “Although I was nervous on the day, I remember feeling so excited that this was going to be life-changing for me. Everything was explained so well, I was made to feel incredibly comfortable and could ask as many questions as I needed to. It was over unbelievably quickly. I remember standing up and being able to see people’s faces and read the posters on the wall. It was surreal and I couldn’t quite take it all in.”
James has continued to enjoy the benefits of his upgraded vision and is looking forward to his wedding next year. “Getting engaged and planning our wedding was one of the main triggers for having the surgery now rather than waiting any longer. I also sadly lost my Dad earlier this year and was able to use some of the inheritance money for the surgery – it’s such a positive outcome from a sad situation and the perfect legacy for my dad who knew how much I struggled with my sight.
“That life-changing feeling I had before surgery? It absolutely came true. You know the saying ‘there’s light at the end of the tunnel’, well I feel that I am definitely through the tunnel now and out the other side, and from where I’m standing the future looks incredibly bright – especially now that I can see it so clearly!”
Optegra Eye Health Care is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, with its first hospital opening in 2008, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 78 eye hospitals across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Holland.
As well as providing private vision correction treatments – from lens replacement and laser eye surgery to implantable contact lenses – Optegra treats cataract surgery both privately and through its partnership with the NHS. Optegra also treats medical conditions AMD and glaucoma; and has launched the first ever treatment for people with the Dry form of AMD.
Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment. It performs more than 140,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.
www.optegra.com
Tel: 0800 054 1971