I had already considered having laser eye surgery, as my eyesight began to decline at 20 - not long after I began working full-time at a computer

So, 'journalism' could be considered my reason for agreeing to the treatment, in more ways than one! Optical Express wanted to promote the new consultation service at its Shrewsbury store, which also includes a dental clinic and has been open for two years.

Consultations for laser vision correction are offered free of charge to establish whether people are suitable candidates. And what a relief to be told I was.

On arrival I was welcomed by store manager Claire Bishop and asked to fill in a questionnaire. After a short wait I was taken through for a chat with my counsellor, Amy Handley, who asked a series of questions about why I wanted treatment.

Besides the obvious reason of being able to see without glasses or contact lenses, I could not really think of another.

It would simply make an enormous difference to my life to be able to see the alarm clock first thing in the morning, recognise a friend in the street or walk in the rain without having to stop and de-mist every five minutes.

With Amy satisfied of my need, I was given a glaucoma test which many people will be familiar with and involves a few puffs of air being shot towards the eye.

Measurements were also taken which would enable laser-trained optometrist Laura Davies to carry out a more detailed examination. The second part of my consultation was very similar to a routine eye test, with some additional tests which included drops being applied to prevent my eyes from focusing. These were painless with only slight stinging for around 15 seconds.

It took a while to get used to the sensation of not being able to see close up, as my problem had always been with distance, but I managed to walk back through town and catch my train home without catastrophe. It is advised that you do not drive until your vision has returned to normal, and by the evening I felt quite normal again.

However, my eyes were still a little sensitive to light the following day, which I was warned to expect. It was decided that I would receive the top level of treatment - Advanced CustomVue with Wavefront and Intralase - with the only drawback being that I would have to travel to Manchester.

Two trips were required, the first for a pre-surgery Wavescan appointment which would enable the surgeon to customise the conventional procedure by taking the equivalent of a ‘fingerprint’ of my eyes. In addition to the standard treatment, the latest technology measures and corrects unique imperfections in the eye.

Originally developed for use in high powered telescopes to reduce distortions when viewing objects in space, eye surgeons now use it to achieve 25 times greater precision. Twenty four unique reference points are identified, transferred to the laser and matched to the eye and any alterations in pupil size or eye position are managed by the laser.

The ActiveTrak 3-D eye tracker follows the tiniest movements of the eye in all three dimensions which keeps the laser centered to within 50 microns (or the width of a human hair) during treatment. Apparently, this would put me in the ranks of servicemen in the USA Navy - and Dick Best, former British Lions Coach.

My Wavescan appointment took around 10 minutes and involved the use of two machines, with absolutely no side effects. I was then free to enjoy the rest of my day in the city. The Manchester clinic is within two minutes walk from Piccadilly station and has parking close by for drivers.

Six days later- on Friday 13th - it was the big day.

I had worn my glasses rather than contact lenses for the previous seven days and read through the paperwork so closely I could probably carry out the surgery myself. There are two types of procedure for laser vision correction - LASIK and LASEK. I was deemed most suitable for LASIK and was happy to be told that this carries an even lower risk. The main difference between the two is that LASIK involves making a flap on the outer layer of the eye and reshaping the inner corneal layers using cool pulses of laser light before replacing the flap, which heals naturally.

In LASEK, the outer layer of the eye is removed and the laser works on the surface of the cornea. The outer layer is then replaced and a soft bandage contact lens is applied for comfort. The statistics are that 85 per cent of all treatments carried in the USA and Europe are LASIK due to the more convenient, faster recovery time but a certain number of patients who have thin corneas or are involved in contact sports may be more suited to LASEK. The results are said to be similar with either treatment.

On the day of my surgery, I arrived at the clinic at around 9:30am and first they checked that there had been no change in my eyes. Then I met opthalmic surgeon Mr Waseem Aziz MB ChB FRCS, who has performed in excess of 29,700 laser procedures.

He is registered with the General Medical Council and is a fully trained ophthalmologist who has undergone additional specialist training in refractive surgery. He asked if I had any questions about my surgery, and answered them honestly in a friendly, reassuring manner. I wanted to know if the result would be permanent, and was told around ten per cent of people may experience a change in their prescription, resulting in the need for further surgery or glasses in the future. But as my prescription had not altered over the previous two years, there was more chance that I would not be in that ten per cent. However, laser surgery does not prevent presbyopia, which naturally develops and means most people will require reading glasses.

My only previous experience of any kind of medical procedure was having my wisdom teeth extracted and the caesarean birth of my little boy. Such events are probably the only times when I would rather not know all the details, and on this occasion it was enough for me to know that I would not feel any major pain or suffer any serious side effects.

But the pros and cons are clearly set out in black and white for those who prefer a more informed approach. Likewise, I can only speak from my own personal experience and outcome, as everyone’s eyes are different. What I can say, with all honesty, is that I could not find fault in any part of it.

The surgery itself was over remarkably quickly and I spent less than two hours at the clinic in total. First I put on a hairnet and then lay back on the chair, which was similar to the dentist’s. Anaesthetic drops were applied to my eyes, which were then held open by a clip no scarier than an eyelash curler.

The surgeon used the first machine to make a flap on each eye, after which my vision became very blurred. A certain amount of pressure/suction is applied but at most this is uncomfortable, and less so if you remain relaxed. The next machine was used to perform the laser vision correction and this took 16 seconds for one eye and 15 for the other.

I was required to concentrate my site on a flashing light and there was a series of clicking or firing sounds accompanied by a slight burning smell.

The surgeon then repositioned the flaps, using what looked like a miniature wallpaper brush to smooth over them. My first application of antibiotic and anti inflammatory eye drops was made and then I got up and walked out of the treatment room. My eyes were immediately very watery and light sensitive and I was advised to sit with them closed for 15 minutes or so before the surgeon performed his first check.

I was then allowed to leave the clinic, armed with my rigorous aftercare routine. Other people receiving the treatment the same day appeared to be alone, and went home by taxi, but I would recommend having someone there to support you, even if it is just to open the door and help you across the road.

I spent the car journey home with a blanket over my head to block out the light, even though I was wearing sunglasses. I followed the advice of going to sleep for the next few hours and although my eyelids felt extremely heavy, I did not experience any pain. The anesthetic caused me similar symptoms to a bad head cold, but this problem was solved by a couple of paracetamol, and by 4.30 that afternoon I was up and about - and able to see.

Bricks on the neighbors house, car number plates and rain drops on the window were now back within my visual range. It was actually quite tiring the first few days, being able to see everything all the time and realising what I had been missing.

For the first week I had to keep applying eye drops and wear protective goggles at night. I had post operative checkups at the Shrewsbury clinic after 24 hours and a week and will remain under their care for a year. After a week I felt absolutely fine, although my eyes were still a little dry and some minor bruising remained. But it was a small price to pay for having 20:10 vision, which is even better than I expected and I would recommend laser vision correction to anyone who is able to have it.

Shrewsbury Chronicle - 2nd August 2007

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