laser eye surgery in the uk

A year after having laser eye surgery in London, I could read, use my computer and see into the distance without glasses. By the time I recorded my September 2024 update, wearing glasses already felt like something from a much longer time ago. I was happy with the result, but the first week had been harder than I’d expected.

I’d worn glasses full time, taking them off to sleep or shower. If I put them down and forgot where they were, finding them again was a struggle. Surgery was a big, scary decision, and an expensive one. I wanted to wait a full year before giving a longer review, rather than deciding how I felt while I was still recovering.

Choosing a clinic, then facing the scary part

I had consultations at Optical Express and London Vision Clinic before choosing London Vision Clinic. I felt less pressure there, and liked being able to spend time asking questions. I’d met my surgeon multiple times before the operation. I didn’t feel rushed into deciding, which mattered to me when I was already anxious about the whole thing.

I paid £5,500 in total at the time, including a £500 consultation and £5,000 for the surgery, aftercare and tests. I paid for it myself. The clinic hadn’t paid me to make the update. My surgeon and I discussed LASIK and SMILE, and I chose SMILE after being told I was suitable for both. That was my choice following those consultations, rather than a comparison I could make for anyone else’s eyes.

The build-up was worse than the actual surgery. It was one of the scariest things I’d done, but I was in the operating room for less than ten minutes. They gave me a weighted blanket and things to hold, and my surgeon talked throughout, explaining what was happening and directing me towards the light. I felt that I was in good hands.

I was awake, and there was pressure, but I didn’t feel pain. The laser part was about a minute on each eye. Afterwards, I went into a private, dark room with my partner, had drops put in and listened to music while the adrenaline settled. We’d booked a hotel in London because I had a check the following day. That went well, and then we went home to Kent.

Day four was the low point

The first week was the worst part. My vision was misty and foggy, and for four or five days I couldn’t properly read my phone or use my computer. On day four, I panicked. I worried that something had gone wrong, that I’d made the wrong decision and that this was what my vision would be like. I’d been told recovery would take time, but I had still hoped I’d be quicker.

Then day five was a huge change. I could use my laptop and phone, and most of the mist had gone. That sudden improvement was such a relief after the previous day. Knowing beforehand that recovery might be slow hadn’t stopped me getting frightened while I was actually in it.

The protective plastic mask I wore at night was uncomfortable. It pressed into my nose, and I wasn’t used to sleeping on my back. I also had a schedule of medicated and hydrating drops from the clinic, and had to be careful about getting water near my eyes. My eyelashes got crusty and I wanted a proper shower. I wouldn’t describe that week as painful, but it was uncomfortable and inconvenient.

After the first week I finished the medicated drops and carried on with the hydrating ones. At the thirty-day check, the clinic was happy with how things were going. I kept notes through the early months because I knew the details would be easy to forget once normal life had taken over again.

Forgetting about glasses

Around the two-month point, I was already forgetting that I’d worn glasses. It felt normal to get up and see. By roughly month three, I’d finished a bottle of hydrating drops and forgotten to put another beside my bed. Two weeks later, I realised I hadn’t needed them during that gap. That’s what happened to me, rather than a reason for someone else to change their own aftercare.

At the one-year point, I was using drops maybe once a month or less. I occasionally noticed a sticky feeling, particularly after long days at a screen or around fans, but it was very minimal. I couldn’t say why I’d had so little dryness. I could see at different distances and wasn’t using glasses for reading either.

I filmed most of the update before the one-year appointment, then added the result afterwards. The doctor was happy with my eye health and tests, and I was told my vision without correction was better than it had been with glasses. That was a lovely result to be able to add after waiting for the final check.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I had no regrets a year later. I hope the result lasts for a long time, but I don’t know what my eyes will do in future. What I could say in 2024 was that I’d got through a frightening decision and an uncomfortable first week, and I was very happy to be living without glasses.

Watch Laser eye surgery in London, one year without glasses on YouTube.