The Beginning Of Philip Schofield’s Patient Story
Featured on ITV’s This Morning television show, Laser Eye Surgery patient Frances and Professor Dan Reinstein were interviewed by Philip Schofield and Fern Cotton. This Morning has documented Frances’s patient story at the London Vision Clinic and Dr Dan has treated Frances and answers Lasik eye surgery related questions before and after the procedure, and more.
At The End Of The Show Philip Schofield Is Questioning Prof Dan Reinstein About Laser Eye Surgery To Treat His Short-Sightedness
Philip Schofield: I am short sighted I wear contact lenses, I wear glasses and then I now find out, that I’m wearing two pairs of glasses because when I’m looking down if I’m reading in low light … I mean, I’ve got glasses everywhere! Sunglasses with prescription lenses, sunglasses without they’re everywhere!
Professor Reinstein: Right, right.
Philip Schofield: But, I’ve still put it off because I’m worried that it’s not going to last.
Professor Reinstein: No, no, the surgery is permanent. What we do is a permanent change to the eye. What may happen over time and we’re talking decades is that there could be slight shifts in the prescription but the thing is it’s super easy to do an adjustment. Just like you might have a pair of glasses from ten years ago where you don’t see quite so well through, but you can still see through them.
Philip Schofield: So you would eventually, the chances are you would have to go back and have your eyes operated on again?
Professor Reinstein: No, like I was saying … say for example someone like me I have never worn glasses okay. And my vision is not exactly the same as it was 20 years, but I’m still not wearing glasses.
Philip Schofield: Yes.
Professor Reinstein: So, what I’m saying is, the effect that we produce with the laser is permanent.
Fern Cotton: Hmm, okay.
Professor Reinstein: What might shift is your eyes slightly, but again, it’s so easy to go and adjust it that … and the risk is very, very minimal so it’s not …
Fern Cotton: What about the scar tissue? Because any operation is going to produce a bit of scar tissue isn’t it? So if you went back even if it’s 20 years, 30 years later …
Professor Reinstein: Yeah, yeah.
Fern Cotton: … you are creating a bit more scar tissue?
Professor Reinstein: Yeah, no, this is the wonderful thing about the cornea. You know the transparent window at the front of the eye. It doesn’t scar with this laser and that is the most … that was the big step that was made, you know, almost 30 years ago. Literally, it was discovered that this laser which was used for etching computer chi by IBM actually could be used on corneal tissue. It removes tissue so you can sculpt the cornea, but the tissue didn’t scar and that’s the magical moment …
Fern Cotton: Wow!
Professor Reinstein: … which then was tagged onto a procedure called Keratomileusis, which was started in the 50’s where they were re-shaping the eye but kind of on a lathe basically manually. And, they put the laser together with the Keratomileusis procedure and they produced this procedure called Lasik, with a ‘k’.
Philip Schofield: Hmm.
Contact a Patient Care Coordinator at 0207 224 1005 to discuss what results you can expect to achieve.
Over 30 Million Laser Eye Surgery’s Have Been Performed Around The World
Professor Reinstein: Which is basically the Laser Eye Surgery of which there have been now 30 million done around the world.
Fern Cotton: Hmm mm.
Philip Schofield: And this is, this is blended now, so that’s short sighted and long sighted. This is the new development which has won you the Optometrist Oscar the er …
Professor Reinstein: Oh Ophthalmologist!
Philip Schofield: … the peers in your field have voted you number one, is there a downside? Are there risks, does it work for everyone?
Expertise At The London Vision Clinic
Professor Reinstein: Well, look, you know it’s like with any surgery, it is surgery. So, there are potential downsides, but the point is that these are minimised by, the proper training, accreditation and equipment, and the proper follow up after surgery and obviously excluding the right people before.
Philip Schofield: Yes, so you’ve got to, if you’re going to have it done, you have got to make sure that you go to someone who is … I mean obviously no one is allowed to do this and not be trained in the equipment in that they’re using I would assume.
Professor Reinstein: Well that’s the thing. There’s a range of amount of training that someone might do and then get started with this and that varies quite a lot. So, you know for people watching that is one of the things that you want to do, you want to do your research carefully when you’re choosing a surgeon to have Laser Eye Surgery. But you mentioned that the difference between what has come … you know the 30 million that have been done, which is basically to correct distance vision.
Philip Schofield: Yeah.
Professor Reinstein: The difference now is that we developed a way, and this is you know ten years in the making and say … we finished five years ago. In working out a way of correcting both distance and near simultaneously.
Fern Cotton: Hmm.
Professor Reinstein: And that is a massive breakthrough because it is a big problem, it affects a 100% of humans. I mean there isn’t, there isn’t a person who escapes it. If you never wore glasses before, you’ll start needing reading glasses to see how much salt you’re putting on your food. And if you do wear glasses, you’ll start to need to either take them off or put bifocals on or varifocals, or contact lenses with … as you said one pair of glasses in every room of your house.
Philip Schofield: Yeah.
Fern Cotton: Yeah, yeah.
Philip Schofield: We’ll put all of the details on our website. I mean it sounds extraordinary.
Fern Cotton: We just have to legally say and you will understand.
Professor Reinstein: Yes.
Fern Cotton: That a patients’ eyes can feel very dry and uncomfortable for the first couple of days. For some patients the dryness can last for months. In very rare cases if the patients’ eye condition is incorrectly diagnosed, which is where you are saying, do your research! The patient might develop permanent debilitating visual symptoms such as glare, halos or double vision after the operation. And the affects of this surgery could wear off over time so patients will, could possibly have to have surgery again or require the use of glasses or contacts five to ten years down the line. Now, we have to say that because that is the legal requirement.
Professor Reinstein: And there is nothing wrong with that.
Fern Cotton: No, well Doctor Dan, that is very interesting and if you want to find out any more information on Laser Eye Surgery this particular type, you can go and have a look at our website at ITV.com/ThisMorning, thank you all very much indeed.
Professor Reinstein: Thank you.
Contact a Patient Care Coordinator at 0207 224 1005 to discuss what results you can expect to achieve.
Prof Reinstein Challenges Philip Schofield To Have Laser Eye Surgery During An ITV This Morning Show
Philip Schofield: He’s nearly got me, maybe one step closer.
Professor Reinstein: Can we do it on this show?
Fern Cotton: Can we go …
Philip Schofield: Yeah, do it on the show.
Professor Reinstein: There’s a challenge.
Chris Steele: Phillip, I’ll be after you as well.
Philip Schofield: Really.
Chris Steele: Stand in line.
Philip Schofield: We’ll see. Sounds like Steele rigged this.
