Can I give surgery as a present to someone?
Enabling someone to experience some of the world’s greatest thrills freely, things like rock climbing, skiing, surfing, and scuba driving, without the limitations of glasses or contact lenses, is a truly invaluable gift.
Even the ability to go about your day without fiddling with or worrying about visual aids is enough to make a significant impact in someone’s life.
The pain of having to remember them wherever you go, the inconvenience of replacing broken or lost pairs, the embarrassment of crawling on your hands and knees to pick up a rogue contact lens — all a thing of the past. Thanks to their new limitless vision, they can say hello to more confidence in social situations, improved performance at work, and as mentioned, a new world of new and exciting activities and opportunities.
As you can see, there is nothing quite like the gift of Laser Eye Surgery. However, as a complex surgical procedure, Laser Eye Surgery is not your typical run-of-the-mill present. Therefore, it’s not just as simple as buying a spa experience or a massage and booking a date at the resort or clinic.
But the good news is, with just a little bit of snooping around and planning ahead, it can make the perfect present. So whether it’s for Christmas, a birthday, an anniversary, or simply as a spontaneous gesture, check out these three essential points to consider when thinking about gifting someone the freedom of Laser Eye Surgery.
Giving the gift of Laser Eye Surgery: Things to consider
Are they suitable?
One of the first things to think about is whether or not the recipient is a suitable candidate for surgery. This is a purpose of the initial consultation, but there are a few general guidelines you can consider before testing gets underway.
Many of these are temporary and exclude patients from surgery due to having an unstable prescription. For example, if you are under 18 or are pregnant, you will most likely be disqualified for surgery. For other conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and corneal diseases, the only way to really know is to have a consultation.
Check their schedule
As you may expect, having Laser Eye Surgery takes a bit of planning ahead — but not as much as you might think. The main thing is to ensure they have enough time to travel to the clinic and have the four appointments on separate days to undergo the procedure. The date of surgery will depend on the clinic’s availability, but it may be as soon as 24 hours after the surgeon consultation.
Other than that, there’s also the ride home after the surgery and accommodation (if needed) to organise. A clinic will be happy to discuss all of this with you and make recommendations over the phone.
Bust the myths
On a slightly less practical but just as important note, if you’re planning to surprise someone with the gift of Laser Eye Surgery, you’ll want to be well rehearsed in the facts. Thanks to the sheer amount of outdated information on the net, the regulations of the industry, and the rare and overblown horror stories that are pushed by big media websites, it’s natural for people to at first react hesitantly towards the idea of having the surgery. And let’s face it, a lot of people simply fear the unknown, or don’t like the unfortunate pairing of the words ‘laser’ and ‘eyes’ together.
Be ready for doubts and uncertainty by knowing your facts and assuring them with a great choice of clinic and surgeon.
It may sound a lot of work when compared to a spa voucher, but rather than leaving them a bit more relaxed for a day or two, the transformation they’ll experience from Laser Eye Surgery will stay with them forever.
If you’d like to book a consultation at London Vision Clinic or find out more about giving the gift of Laser Eye Surgery, leave us a comment or call us on 020 7224 1005.
