What our Patients say

I went for consultations with a three different clinics including Accuvision at the end of last year, of the three I was in no doubt that the right choice for myself was Accuvision. As most of reviews on this site have stated previously the staff are very professional and knowledge as well as very nice people.

With the help of the consultants I decided the Wavefront Guided treatment was the right choice for me. I had read up on the benefits of wavefront treatment before attending the consultation as well as contacting previous patients of Accuvision to ask them of their experiences.

I made a booking for the beginning of January. My prescription pre-op was -8 in the right eye and -7.25 with astigmatism in the left. I am now nearly 7 weeks post op, and the vision in both eyes is better than 20/20 in fact in both eyes the vision is better than when I wore glasses and as a bonus my vision at night is much better.

Due to my high prescription one of the main reasons for choosing Accuvision (other than the wavefront treatment) was that Accuvision create a much thinner corneal flap. Most clinics create a flap around 160 microns but Accuvision customise the treatment for the individual and the flap they created for my treatment was 110 microns, corneal thickness post treatment is extremely important. The higher you prescription the more corne is removed to correct your vision. Most clinics will tell you that as long as you have around 250 microns left (not including the flap) you should be safe. However before deciding to undergo the treatment I did a lot of research into the issues that can occur after lasik treatment one of the main concerns is that 250 microns is the minimum that most people believe should be left post op. Accuvision belive the minimum amount should be 300 microns, and as they tend to create a smaller flap they are more likley to achieve this.

The consultants set a very clear expectation of what to expect during the op and the hours, days, weeks and months post op. My eyes felt very gritty for the first few days. I didn’t really experience dry eyes maybe just slightly for around 3-4 days.
For the first 2-3 weeks at night or early morning, lights were very bright and I experienced starbursts and halos. But after the first few weeks this has gone away. I would say that now I don’t have any problems seeing at night, driving at night is no problem at all.

For myself personally I have had a very good experience having entrusted Accuvision to carry out the lasik treatment. For anyone who is considering lasik I would highly recommend that you at the very least have a consultation with Accuvision.

Having been tempted by laser eye surgery for well over a decade I decided to take the plunge and see if my eyes were suitable. After reading the positive comments on this web site I decided to have a consultation with Accuvision and another clinic where a colleague had been treated. I was much more impressed with the team at Accuvision who spent longer with me, explained the procedure and possible consequences in detail and answered all my questions.

I then decided to find out more for myself about the different types of laser and their advantages. There is lots of information on the internet – some of the best sites are those for eye professionals such as Eurotimes, Ophthalmology Times and Review of Ophthalmology. Here you can find out about the clinical trials carried out by eye surgeons around the world who have been using the Allegretto flying spot laser which Accuvision use since 2001 and what they thought of this latest technology. In clinical trials more than 50% of patients actually gained one or two lines of best corrected vision ie. were able to see better post Lasik than they did when their vision was corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Surgeons were impressed by the accuracy and speed of the laser and one commented that his results were the best ever experienced with any laser.
I also found studies by surgeons comparing broad beam with flying spot or scanning lasers and they all concluded that superior and more accurate results were achieved with flying spot lasers and that they would eventually become the industry standard.

The key points that I discovered about Allegretto were these :-

The energy profile is Gaussian rather than the top hat or flat profile used in older broad beam lasers. This Gaussian profile creates a smoother corneal surface and takes away less corneal tissue per diopter of correction which means the visual recovery time is faster, there will be less aberrations (ie.night vision problems and loss of contrast sensitivity) and no risk of corneal ectasia.

The narrow beam at 0.95mm is an advantage because it gives the surgeon the ability to customise the ablation (tissue removal) profile both according to ablation zone diameter ie. to match your dilated pupil size and also to vary the ablation zone to address pre-existing irregular corneal shape.

Unlike other lasers, Allegretto is designed to produce a prolate (closer to the normal shaped cornea) rather than an oblate profile which lessens the possibility of any night vision problems or loss of crispness of vision.

The laser is extremely fast which means that the surface of the tissue does not get a chance to dry out which would cause problems with healing and possibly affect the end result of your surgery and is coupled with a closed loop tracking system with a very fast response time.

Obviously the team operating the laser are just as important and I felt confident that the staff at Accuvision were highly competent and had been achieving good results.

So now to the important bit – the end result. I wore glasses from the age of 8 to 18 – remember those snazzy NHS frames with the wire ends that curled around your ears – and then hard gas permeable contact lenses for the next 21 years. My prescription was -9.00 and -3.75 which made it very difficult to tolerate wearing glasses because of the difference in image size in each eye. You have to stop wearing contact lenses before having a consultation and treatment to allow the eyes to return to their natural shape. I had assessments at 3 and 6 weeks out of gas permeable contact lenses and was then advised that this was long enough out of lenses to proceed with treatment but the length of time will vary from person to person.
I had non wavefront guided Lasik treatment on 17 February at a cost of £3600. I believe that the cost of treatment at Accuvision varies from £3000 up to £5000. The procedure was very quick and completely painless and certainly nothing to worry about. I had slight soreness about 2 hours later which disappeared almost immediately. I had to wear bandage soft contact lenses for 48 hours to help keep my corneal flaps in position as they were hinged from the bottom of the eye rather than the top. This meant that I had very foggy vision for 24 hours and needed to be accompanied to the first check up. As soon as the contact lenses were removed my vision improved and continued to clear slowly. On the second day I spent a little time working on a computer which made my vision mistier and my eyes were quite tired so I would suggest if you work a lot with computers you might need to take several days off work.

My eyes have felt a little dry but no more than when wearing contact lenses if that is what you are used to.
My prescription was -9.00 and -3.75. At the first day check up my vision was tested and found to be 20/20 . The initial reading for my prescription was -1.00 and -0.25. This may well change as my vision stabilises over the next three months but even at this level I am absolutely delighted.
My vision is now BETTER than it was with both glasses and rigid contact lenses.

My two major worries about having Lasik surgery were loss of crispness of vision which definitely had NOT happened and night vision. I am experiencing some minor haze around street lamps at night but this may well clear up in the next few weeks and my night vision is clearer now than when wearing rigid contact lenses which always cause their wearers problems at night with glare and starbursts from artificial light sources.
I was also worried about the corneal thickness that would be left in my right eye and the risk of ectasia. The industry standard is not to go below 250 microns but Accuvision state they will not go below 300 microns and I was left with 323 microns which I am very happy with. Other lasers could also have achieved the same end result but would have taken away more tissue. The team actually confirm that the microkeratome has cut the correct flap thickness before proceeding with treatment as an extra safeguard.

So, for me it was definitely the right decision to go ahead and have Lasik surgery but I am NOT advocating that everyone rush out and have it done. Results are not predictable and there are many people out there who have ended up with worse vision than they started with and in some cases are no longer able to work. Some bad results are due to the patient eg. your cornea could form scar tissue through no fault of the surgeon but other problems are arising because of lack of expertise/knowledge and in some cases treating patients who are not suitable.

One of the reasons I chose to use Accuvision was because around 30% of their patients have been turned away from other clinics who refuse to treat them because they are viewed as being difficult cases with a lower chance of obtaining a satisfactory result eg. high prescriptions, thin corneas.

If you are interested in having Lasik performed I would say that you must research the subject thoroughly, spend a long time considering the pros and cons and find a clinic with the ideal combination of expert staff using the best possible technology. That is what I firmly believe I found at Accuvision and I have no hesitation in recommending them.

I month update:

Most of the fluctuation has died down now, except for some small near vision changes. It also takes a little while in the morning for full clarity to appear.

Overall I am very happy. My eyes are comfortable and my sight is pretty much sorted for most things.

I do find that for small letters in low light I cannot read things I used to be able to. For example, I now need a torch to read the central heating control panel in the boiler cupboard. But things are still improving and could do so for a few months.

While LASIK is obviously quicker to give results that PRK, it is important to realize that things will vary for at least a month, otherwise you might be disappointed/worried early on. I was very nervous when after a couple of days of excellent vision immediately after the op, things went quite blurry for a few days on days 4 and on.

Night flares are no problem, although noticeable if I look for them. I no longer need the eye drops more than once every few days.

All in all, a good thing.

Who are the practitioners? Are they registered with the General Medical Council?

Tomorrow, 29 November, is the day of reckoning when I go to Accuvision to have mono-vision Lasik treatment. Having reached the ripe old age of 41, I decided to go with their recommendation of mono-vision, especially after having trailed mono-vision contact lenses (arranged through Boots). Although I don’t need reading glasses, they hope to put off the need for them for several years to come. Accuvision were great when I went for my consultation in October and, after a rather variable reception at Boots, ranging from extremely friendly to extremely offhand, I chose Accuvision. Only they suggested that they try and improve my night vision, which wasn’t even mentioned at Boots. And the whole team were knowledgeable, helpful and patient. I’ll get back to you when I’ve had the op.

I had the LASIK operation at Accuvision on 20th November 2002 and am now 1 week post-op. The results are superb and still might improve slowly. My prescription was shortsight with astigmatism, Right SPH -8 CYL -1.5 AXIS 155, Left SPH -7.5 CYL -1.5 AXIS 15, very large pupils and average corneal thickness. Ultralase said they could do the op with a reasonably good chance of success, but failed to tell me I would be left with a dangerously thin cornea, and still didn’t tell me when I asked them directly (after going to Accuvision). My first appointment at Accuvision was double booked, but fortunately I forgave them and went along, thankfully as I found out all about corneal thickness and large pupils. The Wavefront technology they use (incidentally also used in Canada, New Zealand and Australia) goes a long way to solving those problems. I did quite a lot of research into the subject and am glad I chose Accuvision as I have been confident in their abilities since the first consultation. It is expensive, but with an odd prescription, it is worth every penny towards the chance of a good result. Thanks to all at Accuvision, especially, Darius, Vik and Mr. Ayliffe. To those considering the op, check with the clinics when you have the consultation how much of your cornea they will leave behind (the Residual Stroma Thickness is the important part). If the answer is less than 250 microns, start worrying. This is the ‘safe’ lower limit, but that might not even be ‘safe’. The more the better. Don’t be surprised if a clinic won’t tell you or just give you the total corneal thickness including flap – don’t trust them. Accuvision have left me with 270 microns, so I’m pleased with that. Please e-mail me if you would like to know anymore about my experience.

I had my consultation at Accuvision with Vik just over a week ago now i am booked in for Wednesday 27th November for AccuWave lasik surgery.

I was made to feel very comfortable at my consultation and i never thought or felt for one moment he was selling me anything.

I don’t have such bad eyes -4 in both but the fact that i have huge pupils made a difference and that’s why i am having the accuwave treatment. Yes its extremely expensive but i don’t think you can just take the chance on a good deal.

I did loads of research before going ahead with my consultation and it helped me a lot. This website is great so please keep posting your stories.

I will let you know how it all goes next week.

On the 22nd November 2002 I was given my new mono eyesight by Accuvision treatment. On the 23rd November 2002 I awoke to find I had achieved 20/20 vision. I am 57 years old and had a prescription of -6.00 with astigmatism and -5.00. I had attended two other clinics for assessment and because I had thin corneas was declined for surgery by both. I felt depressed and beyond help! By chance I was told about Wavefront Lasik treatment at Accuvision and after a successful consultation, given with great care and professionalism, was accepted for corrective surgery. DON’T WASTE TIME GOING ELSEWHERE – Accuvision are the BEST. They use the latest technology and have the best laser treatment, taking less corneal tissue. They are the only ones I would trust with my eyes. Five Stars is the maximum award but if I could I would give them SIX! To Darius and all the wonderful and caring Staff at Accuvision – Thankyou – Thankyou – Thankyou.

Having my eyes treated at this clinic was an amazing experience. They make you feel so comfortable and relaxed from the first consultation until your final check up. The attention you receive is amazing and the final result is perfect vision. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are brilliant.
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Review by Anthony Barrs – Posted on 7/11/2002 – Rating : 5/5
With a prescription of +7.00 / -2.00 * 180 in both eyes and one of my eyes being a lazy eye, I had resolved myself to being dependent on visual aids until I found Accuvision in London. I decided to trust my eyes to Accuvision and proceeded to AccuWave LASIK treatment 6 weeks ago.

What a result!! I cannot thank the team enough for their commitment and support throughout my treatment. From receptionist to surgeon, from consultation to completion, my treatment was second to none.

I was clearly informed of any risks and the procedure was explained to me in great detail, there was no pressure and no misleading information to influence me to proceed.

After being turned down by six ( yes six!!!!!!!! ) ‘leading’ laser eye clinics ( Ultralase, Optimax, Rosen Eye Clinic, Birchendale, The Eye Clinic and Boots ) I had given up all hope until someone like me with a very long-sighted prescription told me about Accuvision. From my first phone call to Accuvision I was given hope by the fact that they have the very best and very latest technological laser equipment at their disposal, not forgetting the formidable skill of the eye surgeons.

The result of my treatment has far exceeded my expectations; for the first time in forty-one years I am able to see and function without spectacles and I will be forever grateful. I would, and do, recommend their service and expertise to anyone who suffers from defective eyesight.

Anthony Barrs