The benefits of refractive surgery are primarily functional and not just cosmetic. Freedom from glasses and contact lenses simplifies the daily routines for people with busy and active lifestyles.  Patients are from all types of professions and lifestyles, including teachers, working parents, sports enthusiasts like skiers and recreational/pro tennis players, military personnel as well as nurses and surgeons from the medical profession.

To enjoy life without limits contact us to book your Laser Consultation today.

Advanced Bladeless LASIK. It is the most commonly performed laser eyesight

LASIK:
1. Femtosecond Laser Flap
2. Wavefront Excimer Laser reshaping of cornea optics

correction operation using a combination of state-of-the-art lasers in a quick and painless procedure. LASIK was first performed in the early nineties and has become the commonest type of laser eye surgery performed worldwide.

The greatest advantage of LASIK is its quick  visual recovery and minimal discomfort after surgery together with excellent visual results.

During  LASIK surgery we use two lasers, the first to create a thin flap of tissue on the front of the eye, which is then lifted to expose the cornea beneath (femtosecond laser). The second laser (excimer laser) is then applied to re-shape the cornea and eliminatethe refractive error.

LASEK: No Flap is made. The epithelium is removed with the laser and then the laser reshapes the underlying tissue to change the optics of the cornea.

TRANS-EPITHELIAL LASEK (No touch LASEK).The main advantage of No Touch LASEK laser eye surgery  is that less of the cornea is disturbed/removed during the surgery. As a result No Touch LASEK can be used in patients who have thin corneas, very high prescription, or certain corneal abnormalities, such as a mild form of keratoconus. Also patients who practice full contact sports, are in the police or army, might be better suited to No Touch LASEK  because of the absence of a flap that could otherwise be disturbed following a trauma to the face.

Both LASIK and LASEK procedures are safe, painless and highly effective, with over 99% of patients able to achieve driving standard of vision or better without glasses or contact lenses after one treatment. Most patients are able to return to work within 24-48 hours of treatment after LASIK; whilst with TRANS-EPITHELIAL LASEK it may take longer for the vision to stabilise. Whilst Visual recovery following No touch LASEK laser eye surgery is slower than after LASIK laser eye surgery, patients enjoy the same excellent level of vision once the eye has healed.

Final Results are identical for LASIK and TRANS-EPITHELIAL LASEK (No touch LASEK).

SmILE The latest generation of laser vision correction

ZEISS VisuMax is the latest femtosecond laser generation able to cut from the corneal surface can cut in the deeper stroma in three dimensions and with microns (10-6 m) accuracy. VisuMax corrects myopia and myopic astigmatism with the ReLEx (Refractive Lenticular Extraction) procedure on the cornea where RELEX SmILE is the most advanced and undertaken without the formation a “flap” (flap-less procedure). It is a big step forward in refractive laser surgery. Whilst LASIK has for more than twenty years been “state of the art” and leading visual error-corrective laser treatment, now RELEX smile is becoming the best laser refractive surgery procedure available.

Whilst LASIK and TransPRK use an excimer laser to reshape the cornea and therefore correct the eyes’ focusing power, SmILE uses a ZEISS femtosecond laser to cut a 3D lenticule inside the cornea. This lenticule is then extracted through a small 4.00 mm keyhole corneal superficial incision to correct the refractive error. The lenticule that is cut by the femtosecond laser is similar to the volume of tissue that is removed in excimer laser surgery (LASIK/LASEK) but it is removed intact through a keyhole entry (small incision), also created by the femtosecond laser.

SmILE combines some of the advantages of LASIK (relative rapid recovery) and PRK (safe early return to contact sports). SMILE is not currently compatible with wavefront-guided treatment, and cannot yet be used to correct long-sight. However, SmILE appears to have advantages over LASIK and TransPRK for patients with myopia and astigmatism in the higher range (-5 to -10D).

Please note that any refinement treatment after SmILE is performed with no Touch LASEK at present.

SmILE  Advantages:

• Flapless: Less disruption of corneal biomechanics (cornea stays stronger than after LASIK).
• Less Dry Eye: the corneal nerves are less damaged with SmILE compared with LASIK.
• Least Invasive compared with LASIK (no flap) and LASEK (no pain, no scarring).
• Fast, Convenient and predictable.
• Result is effective within 24 hours and stabilise in few weeks.

relex smile surgery

 LASIK patient 2013: DG Orthopaedic Surgeon Trainee.

We use the latest technological advances in laser eye surgery.  Read more about our lasers.

The legal minimum age limit for laser eye surgery is 18. To be considered for laser eye surgery, you must be over 18 years of age and have not had any significant change in your spectacle or contact lens prescription within the last 2 years. Stability of prescription will be one of the many factors determined at your initial assessment.

The only way to establish whether laser eye surgery is appropriate for you is at consultation, where we perform a series of comprehensive eye tests to assess suitability for treatment.  We check your eyes are healthy and advise you on the benefits and risks of the laser eye procedures and your options.  Laser eye surgery is safest and most accurate in treating a defined range of refractive errors (may vary form one to another):

• Short sight (myopia) (-1.00 to -10.00D)
• Long sight (hypermetropia) (+1.00 to +4.00D)
• Astigmatism (up to ±5.00D)

We may recommend LASIK or No Touch LASEK  laser eye surgery.  However, if your eyes are not suitable for laser eye surgery we will advise on the most suitable non-laser eye treatment.  Mr. Maurino is highly experienced and qualified to provide a comprehensive range of laser and implant solutions designed to minimise or eliminate dependence on spectacles.  Book a consultation to find the best procedure for your eye treatment.

1.  Bring a record of all your spectacle prescriptions over the last 2 years if possible. Laser eye surgery is normally postponed until the spectacle prescription is stable. Small variations in your prescription are normal, but if there were a significant change over the last 2 years, we would normally wait 12 months before proceeding with surgery to ensure that there is no progressive change.  Learn more about understanding your prescription.
2. If you wear contact lens, please remember to leave your contact lenses out prior to consultation for at least 2 weeks if you use gas permeable or hard lenses.  If you use soft lenses, remember to leave your contact lenses out at least 4 days prior to consultation.  Since continuous contact lens wear can lead to temporary changes in the shape of your cornea, it is important to leave contact lenses out prior to the consultation to ensure that the eye tests we perform are accurate. After the consultation there is no harm is using the contact lenses again until 1-2 days from surgery.
3. You should allow a full two hours for your consultation.
4. Be aware that your pupils will be dilated at first consultation and this will adversely affect your vision for few hours.

During the consultation we will perform several diagnostic tests including:

• Comprehensive eye test (known as refraction).
• Detailed scanning of the eye, using state-of-the-art equipment specifically designed to capture precise measurements that will be used to programme the laser with data that’s unique to you.
• Full ophthalmic assessment, including an eye pressure check and examination of the back of the eye (the retina)

Mr. Maurino’s team members will carry out the diagnostic tests, but you will always be seen by Mr. Maurino who will explain the results of the eye tests and discuss which range of treatments may be most appropriate to you. Mr. Maurino will performs all the surgical procedures.

Mr. Maurino has extensive expertise and experience in vision correction eye surgery (laser and non-laser) using state-of-the-art technologies and techniques.  Learn more about the lasers  he uses for laser vision correction procedures.  If you are not suitable for laser vision surgery Mr. Maurino will recommend the best eye treatments for your case.

Vincent Maurino has been a Consultant Eye Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital since 2002 and has a wealth of expertise and experience in laser vision correction. He is one of the few UK eye surgeons to be fellowship trained in Laser vision correction and holds the Royal College of Ophthalmology of England Certificate of Completion of Training in Laser Vision Correction. He has performed more than thirty thousand eye operations in his career and his results are second to none. Mr Maurino is a Consultant with specialist expertise in cornea, lens and laser eye surgery. His expertise goes beyond and encompasses laser eye surgery being also a well-known expert of Visian implantable contact lens surgery, presbyopia lens exchange with multifocal lenses, cataract surgery with the latest femtosecond laser surgery, keratoconus treatment and lamellar  laser corneal transplant.  Due to his experience and expertise  he is able to offer the widest choice of treatments to serve his patient best.

Read Mr Maurino’s profile and Top 10 Reasons to Choose Us.

Book a consultation today to find the best procedure for your eye treatment and lifestyle.

For prescriptions outside the defined range of refractive errors, the most appropriate procedures are based on implanting a new artificial lens, either as an add-on lens (ICL  – intraocular contact lens) in young patients, or in older patients (above the age of 45-50) an operation identical to modern cataract surgery but called refractive lens exchange (RLE), also known as presbyopic lens exchange,can be performed. If you fall in any of the above categories it will be explained to you why laser surgery is not recommended and what alternatives will serve you best.  You will be given oral and written explanations on the procedure for which you are most suitable.

Realistic expectations are important. Laser eye surgery is highly effective in reducing spectacle dependence. Over 99% of patients in the range treated by us are able to see to driving standard or better without glasses after one treatment. Results are similar for both LASIK and No touch LASEK patients. Results are similar if not better for higher prescriptions were implant surgery is  performed such as ICL and RLE according to age.

Common side effects, such as mild dryness or light scatter during night driving, normally resolve within 6-9 months of treatment.

While laser vision correction can eliminate or significantly reduce your dependence on spectacles or contact lenses, your risk for developing other eye problems will not however decrease. Natural variations in distance vision can occur at any age, even after age 21, but these are usually small.  Changes can be large enough to warrant further treatment in less than 2% of patients in their first 5 years after primary treatment.

Laser refractive surgery is not an effective treatment for presbyopia, which commonly starts to occur around age 40.  As humans age, the eyes naturally develop an increasing reliance on reading glasses for near vision.  This is normal for anyone with good uncorrected distance vision. However, using micro-monovision strategies (spreading mildly the depth of focus between the two eyes) helps minimising the need of glasses in the older patients.

Most complications occur within 1 month of LASIK or No Touch LASEK.

Laser Vision Correction (LASIK and No Touch LASEK) is a surgical procedure and like any type of surgery there is a small risk of complications. The overall complication rate for IntraLASIK and  No touch LASEK is very small. Most problems are minor, and almost all complications can be corrected safely without affecting the final visual result. Additional consultations and treatments may be required. There is no charge for any additional treatment required for the correction of complications. The risk of long-term loss of corneal shape stability (keratectasia) after LASIK has recently been estimated at less than 1 in 1000 in a systematic review of the medical literature commissioned by NICE ( the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). Current patient selection strategies further reduce this risk. The risk for keratectasia after No Touch LASEK is negligible. Keratectasia can be successfully corrected in most cases.

Some patients experience dryness of their eyes, reduced night vision, glare and grittiness after surgery. These symptoms are usually temporary.

The risk of losing your sight due to laser eye surgery is super small. The risk of having a reduction of best corrected vision after LASIK is less than 1/1000, which is a low risk for a surgical procedure and no more than the cumulative risk of wearing contact lenses for a few years.

Thorough pre-operative screening and examination of your eyes will reduce the risk of potential complications.  Choosing an experienced and specialist corneal trained consultant eye surgeon minimise the serious risks of vision correction surgery. At your consultation the risks of laser eye surgery must be discussed  with you and also the alternatives to laser eye surgery.

PLEASE let us know if you have any immunological condition and especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, or are pregnant.

The surgery itself is relatively brief (under 20 minutes required to treat both eyes, with the laser itself taking just a few seconds per eye), but some waiting time prior to surgery is usual, and further time is required for postoperative checks and to go through your aftercare instructions. Most patients spend just less than 1 and 1/2 hours in hospital.

The surgery itself is not painful. You will feel touching around the eye, cold fluid on the eye’s surface, and gentle pressure on the eye at various stages during the surgery, but anaesthetic drops administered prior to surgery are highly effective in minimising any discomfort.

Yes. If you are a contact lens wearer, leave your contact lenses out prior to your treatment day for 1-2 days (remember it is at the time of your first assessment that you need to remove them for longer – see before)

Remove all traces of eye make-up, perfume and aftershave. You will not be allowed to wear eye make-up for one week afterwards – you can, however, have your eyelashes tinted before surgery if you wish.

Office-based work is usually but not always no problem from 48 hours after LASIK. For outdoor occupations, professional drivers and patients having No Touch LASEK, work can normally be resumed after one week.

Treatment are performed on TUESDAY PM AND THURSDAY PM at the LASER SUITE of Moorfields Eye Hospital.

We will talk you through the procedure.  Most patients comment that it is surprisingly easy – much easier than a trip to the dentist’s, for example.

“The procedure itself was painless & took under 10 minutes. The next morning, I woke up able to see; at my first visit I already had 20/20 vision. Within 48 hours I was back at work on a night shift.” LASIK patient 2013: Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Blinking is not a problem.  Adhesive drapes are used to tape the eyelashes out of the way and a gentle eyelid retainer is used to keep the lids open.   At the appropriate times, you will be asked to look up at a green flashing fixation light – as if you are staring at a star on the horizon.  The eye we are not operating on will be covered. You simply need to look up at the fixation light with both eyes open.

You can help the surgery to proceed quickly and accurately by gazing directly up at the flashing fixation light throughout the procedure, but involuntary eye movement is not a problem. The wavefront optimised excimer laser systems we use incorporate sophisticated eye-tracking mechanisms that follow eye movements during treatment. Any movement outside the safe range will cause the laser to stop automatically. Mr Maurino will be looking at your eyes through an operating microscope throughout and can override the laser’s automatic cut-out to stop and start the treatment as often as necessary.

After the surgery, it is like looking through a watery fog and you experience soft focus. You are able to see enough to walk around without assistance, but the vision is not clear. Relatively clear vision normally returns within just a few hours of IntraLASIK treatment.  Patients typically see at driving standard after 24-48 hours following LASIK surgery and after one week or  two after no touch LASEK surgery.  Remember to follow the comprehensive instructions for aftercare given by Mr. Maurino.  These are normally provided to you when you scheduled your surgery.

Patients are normally reviewed at least twice after surgery:

• For LASIK, approximately 1 day and 3 months after surgery
• For No Touch LASEK, approximately 1 week and 4 months after surgery

Additional review appointments with Mr. Maurino are scheduled as required. Liaison with a referring ophthalmologist is usually possible for overseas patients or patients living far from London.  For patients coming for treatment from overseas, the minimum advisable time to stay in the UK is 1 week.

Please note that after surgery you will be given 4 telephone number for easy access to advice and emergency care. Please do get in touch even in case of a doubt.