Private refractive service in Glasgow

At Eye Care Scotland we offer patients a comprehensive refractive surgery service. This type of surgery is designed to correct refractive errors including astigmatism, shortsightedness, longsightedness and presbyopia. Some of these refractive surgeries implant a lens in your eye, whilst others reshape the cornea. Regardless of the approach, the goal of refractive surgery at Eye Care Scotland is to help you see more clearly.

Patients coming for a refractive consultation at Eye Care Scotland, Glasgow, are eligible for a free initial consultation. This consultation takes place with both a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Optometrist. To book your free refractive surgery consultation, call 0141 303 1421.

There are a number of reasons why you may require refractive surgery at Eye Care Scotland. These include wishing to reduce your dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses, and treating an existing refractive error. You must be free of eye disease to be eligible for refractive surgery, and understand whilst the goal is to eliminate the need for glasses and/or contact lenses, this is not always achievable – this will be discussed with your Consultant Ophthalmologist. 

There are three common refractive surgery treatment options available to patients at Eye Care Scotland. These are refractive lens exchange surgery, laser eye surgery, and implantable contact lens surgery.

Refractive Lens Exchange

Refractive lens exchange (RLE), also known as lens replacement surgery or clear lens extraction, is a suitable treatment option for patients with presbyopia and high hyperopia (longsightedness). The process of RLE involves replacing the eye’s clear natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to correct any refractive errors and achieve sharper focus, in turn reducing the need for glasses.

If you are over 40 and have a glasses prescription higher than the normal range for laser eye surgery, you are likely to be suitable for refractive lens exchange.

We provide a range of lenses for patients undergoing refractive lens exchange surgery that aim to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses, as well as correcting any pre-existing astigmatism:

• Monofocal lenses - for patients who have issues with one vision; most commonly used to correct distance sight.
• Multifocal - aims to correct the vision on all sight distances.
• Toric - deals specifically with the correction of astigmatism (distorted or blurred vision at all distances). The toric option is also available in both monofocal and multifocal ranges.

Refractive lens exchange is suitable to treat the following conditions:

• Myopia (commonly referred to as shortsightedness)
• Hyperopia (commonly referred to as longsightedness)
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia (the need for reading glasses in patients who are 40+)
• A combination of the above

The procedure takes around 20 minutes per eye. Your Consultant Ophthalmologist will provide you with the necessary protections, medications and instructions for your aftercare before you are discharged. You may start to feel a dull ache or a sharp pain in and around your eye after the anaesthetic wears off. Your eye may also be red and watery and you may encounter blurred vision. You may want to use pain relieving tablets when you get home. Do not take Aspirin as this can cause bleeding.

Whilst most patients’ eyes settle over two to four weeks, it may take slightly longer, and you may have a slight feeling of grittiness for several weeks, occasionally even months. Most patients can see well the day after surgery – however, everyone’s recovery is different and individual. 

The majority of patients will see well the day after surgery; however, everyone recovers at a different rate. It can take several days before you feel your vision is clear and it can take up to several weeks before optimal vision is achieved.

We will monitor your vision over several months and will see you 1 day post-op, 1 week post-op, 1 month post-op and at 3 months post-op for your final discharge appointment.

You should avoid rubbing your eye, wearing eye makeup for two weeks, and undertaking strenuous activities like sports and heavy housework for two weeks.

Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery aims to correct poor vision and either reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses.

There are two types of laser eye surgery – LASIK and LASEK.

• LASIK (laser assisted in situ keratomileusis) is performed using two lasers. One laser (femtosecond laser) prepares a thin protective layer (the LASIK flap), which is lifted up before a second laser  (excimer laser) removes a lens shaped piece of tissue to reshape the cornea beneath. The protective layer is then smoothed back and sticks in place without stitches.
• LASEK (laser assisted epithelial keratomileusis) uses the same excimer lasers to perform an identical removal of a lens shaped piece of tissue immediately beneath the clear skin layer of the cornea. The clear skin layer regrows over a period of about a week, then smooths off optically to complete the visual recovery.

Your Consultant Ophthalmologist will provide you with the necessary protections, medications and instructions for your aftercare before you are discharged. We advise you to bring protective eyewear or prescription sunglasses for the way home as your eyes may be sensitive to light. You will have a 1 day post-op follow-up appointment scheduled which is mandatory to attend, as well as an aftercare schedule for the following months where your vision will be monitored.

When the anaesthetic begins to wear off, your eyes will feel and gritty and sting, whilst they may also be red and watery and your vision may be blurred. You may want to use pain relieving tablets when you get home. Do not take Aspirin as this can cause bleeding.

The majority of patients will see well the day after surgery; however, everyone recovers at a different rate. It can take several days before you feel your vision is clear and it can take up to several weeks before optimal vision is achieved.

You should avoid rubbing your eye, wearing eye makeup for two weeks, and undertaking strenuous activities like sports and heavy housework for two weeks.

Implantable Contact Lens

An implantable contact lens (ICL) is a soft, flexible implant which is implanted in between the natural lens and iris to help improve vision. It will improve vision like a traditional contact lens but doesn’t need removed daily or cleaned, meaning less hassle than traditional contact lenses.

Implantable contact lens surgery can be used to treat a wide range of prescriptions and can be used in cases where people are not suitable for laser eye surgery.

You cannot see or feel them after surgery, and it is reversable should you need the implant removed at a later stage. The treatment is most appropriate for young patients to maintain and support the flexibility of the natural lens. It is commonly used for high prescriptions and those with an astigmatism.

Your Consultant Ophthalmologist will provide you with the necessary protections, medications and instructions for your aftercare before you are discharged. We advise you to bring protective eyewear or prescription sunglasses for the way home as your eyes may be sensitive to light. You will have a 1 day post-op follow-up appointment scheduled which is mandatory to attend, as well as an aftercare schedule for the following weeks and months where your vision will be monitored.

When the anaesthetic begins to wear off, your eyes will feel and gritty and sting, whilst they may also be red and watery and your vision may be blurred. You may want to use pain relieving tablets when you get home. Do not take Aspirin as this can cause bleeding.

The majority of patients will see well the day after surgery; however, everyone recovers at a different rate. It can take several days before you feel your vision is clear and it can take up to several weeks before optimal vision is achieved.

You should avoid rubbing your eye, wearing eye makeup for two weeks, and undertaking strenuous activities like sports and heavy housework for two weeks.

At your initial consultation with us at Eye Care Scotland, Glasgow, your Consultant Ophthalmologist will discuss with you a range of diagnostic tests and scans that we may need to carry out. These include:

• Biometry scan
• OCT scan
• Pentacam scan
• Intraocular pressure check
• Optometrist assessment including visual acuity test

After these tests and scans are complete, your Consultant Ophthalmologist will then outline a personalised patient pathway plan for you, discussing your options regarding refractive treatment - medications, management, glaucoma surgery. Each option will be presented and explained in depth in coming to the most appropriate refractive treatment plan for you.

Prices for refractive surgery start from:

• Refractive lens exchange - £3,000 - £3,900
• Laser eye surgery - £695 - £1,995 (dependent on prescription)
• Implantable contact lens surgery - £3,600

We also offer flexible finance through our dedicated finance provider, Chrysalis Finance. Patients have the ability to spread the cost of their treatment over up to 5 years. If patients choose to spread the cost over 10 months, then these payments will be interest free. Should patients choose to pay over a period of 12 - 60 months, 14.9% APR will apply. To find out more about our flexible finance, please visit here.

*All prices are per eye and based on treatment under local anaesthetic, unless stated otherwise. These are just guide prices and will differ from person to person because our treatment packages are all personalised. For more information, give us a call.

Patients at Eye Care Scotland, Glasgow, are eligible for free initial consultations. These consultations take place with both a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Optometrist and include a range of tests and scans. To book your free refractive surgery consultation, call 0141 303 1421.

Our consultants are supported by a full clinical team of optometrists, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses and ophthalmic practitioners - all of whom play a vital part in ensuring patients are well informed and cared for throughout their journey.

Our entire patient pathway takes place within a clinical environment, and we work to the highest standard of governance whilst following stringent processes to ensure quality outcomes for patients.

With enhanced patient pathways and streamlined consultation-to-treatment journeys at the heart of Eye Care Scotland, you can be confident in receiving the highest levels of care throughout your whole journey with us - from diagnoses to treatment and right through to your recovery.