A Patient’s Laser Eye Surgery Video Diary – From Initial Screening to Clear Vision

We see people from all walks of life enter through the doors of our Harley Street clinic every day. Some may be attending a follow-up appointment after a successful treatment, while others are just starting out on their Laser Eye Surgery journey. And sometimes, these new and returning patients will take the time to record their experiences, often through independent reviews and testimonials. Sometimes, however, they will go a step further.

Take Kelly B., for example. A procurement manager working for a business process outsourcing company in London, Kelly decided not only to go ahead with her long-held dream of having Laser Eye Surgery, but also documenting the process on camera. The result? An eight-part video diary of Kelly’s Laser Eye Surgery treatment at London Vision Clinic, from initial screening to her final outcomes.

Part 1 – The Initial Screening Appointment

In the first instalment of Kelly’s video diary, we meet Kelly outside our Harley Street clinic after her initial screening appointment.

This appointment is an essential step in every patient’s Laser Eye Surgery journey. Not only does it allow them to get a feel for their prospective clinic and its staff, but it also gives us some vital information about your suitability for treatment. As Kelly explains in her first vlog entry below, this initial screening is extremely comprehensive, usually lasting around 2-3 hours:

“I’ve just had my first consultation with London Vision Clinic and the consultation lasted about two and a half hours… It was a really nice and efficient, and professional consultation… I met with the patient coordinator, Mandy… and she explained the entire process as well as what to expect today, and just explained it very, sort of, logically and clearly.

After a range of comprehensive tests and examinations with a technician and optometrist, some of which Kelly found quite interesting (“He also did a couple of interesting tests, including measuring the quantity and quality of my tears… But he didn’t make me cry, so that was good!“), Kelly was able to ask the million-dollar question: “Does it hurt?“.

“He assured that it doesn’t and that there might be a little bit of uncomfortableness the next day, but the recovery is quite quick.

“So, having been through this process quite a few times with different providers, I now feel quite well rehearsed in understanding the process, and I really felt like the people at London Vision Clinic have a very professional outfit and it’s very organised and streamlined, and yeah, I really liked that.”

Part 2 – The Ophthalmic Examination

In the second instalment of Kelly’s video diary, we meet her after her second visit to our clinic. This second appointment involved a few more tests and a discussion with her optometrist about the risks associated with Laser Eye Surgery. As Kelly explains in part 2 of her video diary, she was relieved for the opportunity to discuss this, as she was understandably feeling quite anxious about the potential risks of the treatment.

“Going into the consultation, yeah, I was feeling quite anxious. But my optometrist did a really good job of putting them in perspective and explaining, or you know, looking at my prescription – in my case, with my low prescription – and my low risk in terms of health and those sorts of things…

“I fly in aeroplanes and I’m sure there are probably more risks in flying in aeroplanes than there are in having Laser Eye Surgery… But after having had the consultation and discussing them with my optometrist, I’m feeling much better about it, and so, I have decided to go ahead and have the surgery!”

And the ball got rolling very quickly after that! Kelly was scheduled to meet her surgeon five days later and was booked in for her treatment in a week’s time!

Part 3 – The Consent Appointment

In part 3 of Kelly’s video diary, we meet her just after her third visit to our Harley Street clinic, where she met her surgeon for a surgical consultation and consent appointment. As Kelly mentions in the video below (and as countless other London Vision Clinic patients have, too!), our expert surgeon, Professor Dan Reinstein, is known for his calming bedside manner.

“He double-checked my prescription, and then we discussed the risks that I had to sign off on. So, I have 48 hours to go until my surgery.

But despite feeling confident in her surgeon, Kelly was still experiencing some nerves about the risks involved with her treatment.

“I’m feeling quite anxious about the risks, having to look at them in black and white, but you know, my surgeon did explain that there’s only a very, very small risk numbers-wise…”

“… Having to think about that sort of stuff does make me feel quite anxious, but he flat-out asked me, Do those small risks seem worth what you could gain, which is being able to live without glasses… So, I said yes… I really do want to just be able to get rid of my glasses.”

Thankfully, there were only 48 hours to go until surgery day!

Part 4 – The Day of the Surgery

Kelly was booked in for an early morning appointment, arriving at the clinic at 20 to 8 where she was greeted by one of our patient care coordinators. In the video below, we meet Kelly a couple of hours after her treatment.

She tells us of her relief that the treatment is over and how she felt taken care of by the clinic staff:

“I’m just so relieved that it’s done. It was completely easy, and the whole process was really simple, and I felt really taken care of. 

“…The staff explained all of the medication and the drops that I need to take for the next 7 days. So when they explained the medication, I was offered a complementary massage, which was really nice to try and put me at ease before I went into theatre.”

Perhaps most importantly, Kelly was relieved to find that the procedure didn’t hurt at all – something she had been worried about at her initial consultation.

The whole process was really quick. I was really scared, but the whole process went really smoothly; it did not hurt at all, which was so good. When it was done, I just couldn’t believe how quick it was and that it just didn’t hurt at all. 

Now I’m just feeling so pleased and so glad that it’s all over… I’m so glad that it’s all done and I’m not in any pain at all. 

In the next video, we meet Kelly again as she leaves her first follow-up appointment.

Part 5 – 24 Hours After Surgery

In the video below, we meet Kelly again, a couple of hours after her first post-operative appointment – a meeting between patient and surgeon in which we check the progress of your recovery and find out if you can get back to work and some of your normal activities.

“I have been given the go ahead that I can now actually resume all my normal activities, including salsa dancing and all my sporting activities, which was a surprise as I thought I was going to have to wait seven days before I could do anything, but my surgeon checked and he said everything has healed fine and I’m fine to get back to normal life!”

Of course, the surgeon also checked on the progress of Kelly’s healing, and she was thrilled to learn that her vision was even better than expected:

“He also checked my vision, so I can actually read the line that is 20/12 vision, so even – far better than 20/20 vision, which is really exciting and amazing. 

“I don’t think I’ve actually really processed that my vision is fixed now… I don’t think I’ve really had a chance to sink in that, that’s it – I don’t need glasses anymore!

“This week is just going to be about getting used to it. I’m going to go out and buy myself a really nice pair of sunglasses to celebrate.

“I just remember thinking yesterday: Thank God that I’m going to the best people in the world; I just wouldn’t want anyone else touching my eyes. So, I’m just thrilled with the process and how easy it actually was, so now it’s time to go out and enjoy my new eyes!”

Parts 6, 7 & 8 – 1 Week to 3 Months Post-Surgery

In the last three instalments of Kelly’s Laser Eye Surgery video diary, we meet her after her 1-week, 3-week, and 3-month check-up appointments to learn about the progress of her recovery from treatment.

One Week After Laser Eye Surgery

In Part 6, we meet Kelly at her one-week milestone since her procedure, and while she’s thrilled with the results, it still hasn’t sunk in that she won’t need to wear glasses anymore:

“Since the surgery, for the first few days, my eyes were a little bit sore, and I had to use the drops quite intensively. But after just a couple of days, they really started to settle down.”

Kelly did experience dry eyes in the days after her surgery – a common side effect of Laser Eye Surgery that occurs as a result of disruption to the tear film. In Kelly’s case, this was exacerbated by her work, including long periods of screen use and air conditioning in the office.

Thankfully, this issue had started to straighten out by the end of the initial 7-day recovery period.

Three Weeks After Laser Eye Surgery

In Part 7 of Kelly’s Laser Eye Surgery diary, we meet her three weeks after her surgery day. In this instalment, she tells us more about her recovery and life without glasses or contact lenses.

In terms of recovery, I feel like I am about 90% recovered: My eyes are still a little bit dry in the mornings when I wake up, but I don’t need drops during the day anymore. Also, at night, I’m still noticing that I can see some haloes around the lights and things, but it doesn’t impact on my ability to see… I’m hoping that in a few weeks’ time or a few months’ time that that will calm down.

She also tells us about the things she has noticed now that she doesn’t need glasses anymore, including not having to take her contact lenses out after a night out, and the irritation of getting wet glasses in the rain!

Despite still experiencing some side effects (which is completely normal as your eyes recover), Kelly is looking forward to living her life to the fullest in the months to come.

Three Months After Laser Eye Surgery

In her final video diary, we learn more about Kelly’s recovery up to three months after Laser Eye Surgery. In the video, it is two weeks after her 3-month follow-up appointment with us at the clinic.

“My optometrist picked up that I have a little bit of light sensitivity, which he explained can sometimes just be a delayed response and a bit of inflammation. So, he treated that with some drops that I have been taking for a couple of weeks, and that seems to have eliminated it. 

“When I go out, I don’t really think twice about needing glasses or contact lenses. It’s funny how a habit of a decade can just disappear in a couple of months, really.

“Sometimes when it rains, I’m so glad – when I see other people with their glasses fogged up on the tube or on the buses, it is so nice to think that I don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore. 

“I just take it for granted now, really, which is nice and the way that I like it!”

We’re extremely grateful to Kelly for taking the time to document her Laser Eye Surgery journey, which will hopefully help others learn about what to expect from the process. If you’d like to learn more about our treatments, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today!