Lens exchange casualty, Leigh Stace, outside Optimax yesterday
We had a very busy day, more people than we normally see attending the clinic, a mix of pre and post op...
We spoke with one very unhappy and worried laser patient in his late twenties, two weeks post op, his previous appointment with an optom cancelled, no-one returning his calls, which he told us had left him even more stressed. And, still not seen by his operating surgeon, he came out later clutching two boxes of eye drops after being told to give it time!
Another person, who’d had laser surgery at Optimax aged 18, had returned considering more surgery, because now aged 28 (unsurprisingly to me
*) her vision has deteriorated and she needs glasses.
But when she heard how lucky she had been, with no serious side effects or complications, she thanked us, and said she wouldn’t be taking the risk.
Another young man who stopped to speak with us, determined to have surgery, told us that his brother had no problems after laser and that's why he wanted the same. We explained that just because one person is lucky doesn't guarantee that everyone will be.
I told him that I have a number of MBEFoundation clients who had surgery on the same day as their partner (laser and lens), and whilst one was successful the other has problems. In some cases both have suffered problems - and a phrase I keep repeating, it’s a matter of luck, like playing Russian roulette, but with more than one bullet in the chamber.
He came out later clutching a bottle of eye drops because he’d been told he had dry eyes, but said they were willing to operate anyway!
As usual we were approached by a number of people passing by, including one person who had a consultation booked at London Vision Clinic in two weeks time.
They were extremely appreciative of the information we provided, and like so many others, had no idea that the #refractivesurgery industry is unregulated, or of the very possible downsides to these operations, and when the person told me that they already have dry eyes, I explained how laser surgery damages the nerves in the eye, about MGD, and Corneal Neuralgia - the list is endless!
LVC owner Dr Blindstein charges £500 for a consultation to find out if you’re suitable for surgery, so he and his pals have the patient on a hook before they even walk through the door.
Because, as I know from my own tragic experience, whilst Optical Express and Optimax|Ultralase UK initially offer free consultations (that often turn out not to be when people are left fighting for their ‘refundable’ deposits), once you've paid a chunky deposit, you don’t want to lose it for no good reason, and feel pressured to stay on the well oiled conveyor belt that so insidiously slides you through to surgery!
*Too young, because your prescription can fluctuate until your 20s, and no ethical refractive surgeon (oxymoron?) would operate on someone who had not had a stable prescription for at least 2 years.