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    Daily appointments available from the convenience of your own home.

    Or Request a call back

    Arrange a callback

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      Please note – by providing these details, you agree that we can contact you via these methods.

      or complete a live booking
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      Am I suitable for laser eye correction?

      If you’re considering a vision correction treatment, the first step is to determine whether you are the right candidate for surgery.

      • Refractive errors – You could be suitable for laser eye surgery if you suffer from a refractive error such as myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), or astigmatism (blurred vision).
      • Prescription limits – first, you need to consider the prescription limits for laser eye surgery. If your prescription is low – for example, if it is under 0.75 – and you do not have astigmatism, you may not be able to have laser eye surgery. Any patients that require very strong glasses may not be suitable, i.e. with prescriptions over +5.00 and -10.00. However, there are alternative treatments available for such circumstances.
      • Prescription stability – Patients are also required to have a stable prescription before opting for laser eye surgery. This explains why some patients are not eligible for this treatment before they turn 18. Our team of trained clinicians can help assess the stability of your prescription.
      • Age factor – As you grow older, your eligibility for laser eye surgery might change due to the natural ageing of your eye. Factors such as the cornea (outer surface of the eye) can evolve as people get older. Therefore, older patients might be better suited for lens replacement surgery.
      • Book a free consultation – Every individual is different, which is why it is essential to have an in-depth assessment beforehand. All Optegra patients can benefit from a free, no obligation consultation conducted by one of our experienced ophthalmic surgeons. They will determine your suitability and which laser eye treatment is best for you.

      Who is not suitable for laser eye surgery:

      The overwhelming majority of candidates will be suitable for vision correction treatment. However, if any of the following applies to you, laser eye surgery might not be appropriate to your situation:

      • 1 You are under the age of 18
      • 2 You have glaucoma
      • 3 Your prescription has changed significantly
      • 4 You have severe dry eyes
      • 5 You are pregnant or breastfeeding

      Eye conditions that could affect your suitability:

      If you suffer from any of the medical conditions listed below, this could affect your suitability for treatment:

      • A prism or a squint that is not corrected by contact lenses
      • Corneal dystrophy
      • Iritis
      • Herpes of the eye
      • Blindness in one eye
      • Partial sightedness
      • Optic nerve damage
      • Collagen disease or Crohn’s
      • Macular degeneration
      • Keratoconus
      • Lupus/SLE
      • Rheumatoid arthritis

      If you are suffering from any type of eye infection, you need to wait for this to be cleared before you can have laser eye treatment. Your eye pressure also needs to be under control. If you suffer from MS, epilepsy, or dry eyes, you may not be suitable, however, this does depend on the status of your condition, again highlighting why a consultation is so important.

      Book a free, no-obligation consultation for laser eye surgery

      When you’ve relied on glasses or contact lenses for years, it can be daunting to consider getting laser eye surgery, so that’s why we advise our patients to have an initial consultation to discuss their options.

      Our consultations are free, and there is no obligation to continue with our service if you are eligible for laser eye surgery.

      If you would like to discuss your suitability for laser eye surgery in further detail, please call our patient advisors on 0808 178 9181. You can also read our laser eye surgery reviews to find out about the amazing results our previous customers have enjoyed from their laser eye surgery.

      Download free information pack

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        Frequently Asked Questions

        Yes, long sightedness (also known as hyperopia) is a common eye condition that occurs when the focusing power of your eyes is too weak, causing close objects to appear blurred. Our range of state-of-the-art lasers have proven successful at treating long-sightedness in our patients, helping them enjoy a life without glasses.

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        Yes, myopia, (also known as short-sightedness) occurs when your eye has too much focusing power, causing far away objects to appear blurred when close objects are often seen clearly. If you do not wish to rely on glasses or contact lenses, you may wish to consider laser eye surgery which is a short and effective treatment for myopia.

        Read more

        Yes, astigmatism is a common eye condition that occurs when the cornea or lens develops into an irregular shape (like a rugby ball rather than a football), causing your vision to blur when looking at far away objects. We can treat patients with astigmatism though refractive laser eye surgery such as LASIK, LASEK or SMILE.

        Read more

        By Author: Amir Hamid

        Mr. Amir Hamid is our Medical Director for Vision Correction and an expert refractive surgeon, based in London.

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