What's it like to perfect your vision with us?

“I had been planning to trek across Europe back to my home in Liverpool UK for quite some time which will take me about 9 months. The only thing I was worried about was my glasses getting lost or broken so as a new year resolution I resolved to get my eyes fixed. I scoured the Internet for hours looking at all the different options and the prices in the UK were way too expensive and it would have made my trip near impossible if I went ahead and got it done in the UK. Then I started thinking that if was going to Europe to travel then maybe I could my eyes fixed there somewhere so I searched for it and Oftum was one of the first results so I checked it out and I was shocked by the prices, almost 3x cheaper than in the UK and no hidden costs! I emailed about it and within a couple of hours I had a response from Warrick giving me all the information I had requested. I opted for the surgery to take place in Kosice, Slovakia in March because it was very close to where I had planned to start my hike in Hungary.

Over the course of the next couple of months Warrick kept in touch to reassure me of the surgery process, the aftercare, and the details of the planned dates. I was very impressed with the service I received from the first email right up until the surgery date. I had mistaken the pre-op date and didn't show up for it but later that evening Warrick called to see what had happened and he rearranged the pre-op for the following morning, and it didn't affect the date of the surgery, which was on the same day.

When I arrived at the clinic (which I found easily thanks to the map and instructions on how to get there given to me by Warrick) I was welcomed by the staff and introduced to Dr Tomáš Juhás Snr who proceeded to do the pre-op tests, half way through his son, Dr Tomáš Juhás Jnr, arrived and took over. I think this was because he spoke very good English. Both of the doctors were fantastic and very professional but also very friendly and approachable. Beforehand I was feeling a little nervous about the surgery because I was in a foreign country and a lot of people back home were saying it could be dodgy, but as soon as I met them my mind was put at ease and I wasn't worried about it at all, especially when I saw how clean the clinic was and how up to date the equipment looked! Everything about it was professional.

After the pre-op was finished I made the payment online, which was so easy to do I was able to do it on my phone, and a couple hours later I was getting prepared for the surgery. The staff there began by putting eye drops in every 5-10 minutes before the surgery, and when I went into the operating room there was a pleasant atmosphere which made me feel even more relaxed. The surgery was an experience I'll never forget, but for the right reasons! First of all it was completely painless, but the reason I'll never forget it is because as the laser is doing its thing it feels like you looking at the inside of a cloud, but as soon as one eye had been done (which literally took seconds) I could see the difference instantly! My vision was a lot clearer and as soon as the other eye was done I looked down at my glasses for the first time and saw them clearly without having to look in a mirror! It was a weird sensation looking around with clear vision for the first time in my life and I was assured that my vision would get better and better over the course of a week or two, which it did! Don't get me wrong it wasn't continuously improving, one eye would sometimes be better than the other but then a couple days later the other eye would improve even better. I was given 3 sets of eye drops which were to be put in every day, and the instructions given to me about how often to put each type of eye drop in were clear and precise.

The night I had the surgery done one of my contacted lenses had fallen out and this worried me because they were supposed to be left in overnight until I went back for my post-op. I phoned Warrick and even though it was quite late he answered and told me he would phone Dr Juhás and get back to me. It was no longer than 10 minutes before he called back to tell me that it would be completely fine and that I should not put the lens back in, which is what I first thought would be the right thing to do! As it was late I went to sleep and woke up feeling good, both eyes felt a bit dry but were completely fine after I put the eye drops in. I went back to the clinic at 10am and they removed the other protective contact lens and the healing process had already begun. It was one of the happiest days of my life, not having to worry about my glasses ever again, the first thing I did when I got outside was snap them in half and throw them in the bin. It was a huge relief!

It's been about 5-6 weeks since the surgery and I've hiked a lot since then, in rain and sun, and haven't had a single problem! I'm really impressed with everything that Oftum has done for me. They also give you a pair of sunglasses to wear for he first week, but after a few days hiking I lost them, the same day I bought a pair of 100% UV protective sunglasses and they have been just as effective ever since. The only issues I have now is that my eyes are a little more sensitive to sunlight than they were before, then again, I couldn't see the sun as clearly as I do now ;) but in all honestly it hasn't been a real issue, especially when you compare it to having perfect vision for life without the need for glasses or contacts!

As a side note, I've had some wonderful views whilst hiking and each time I see a beautiful sunset going down behind the mountains I realise that I'm viewing it without glasses and I am so very grateful for that!
I owe a huge thanks to Warrick and Dr Tomáš Juhás Snr and Jnr!”