With cosmetic surgery dominating the headlines for both the right and wrong reasons, more and more people are opting to go under the knife.
Having worn glasses for most of his life, Shields Gazette reporter Chris Robinson finally plucked up the courage to enter the world of laser eye surgery.

After spending most of my life wearing glasses, the prospect of being able to see again seemed impossible to believe.

Laser eye surgery is a type of cosmetic treatment for people with short-sightedness.

The laser is directed on the cornea, the outer, clear-round structure that covers the coloured part of the eye (iris) and the pupil, which is reduced in thickness.

Although the industry is ever changing, with quicker and more technical advances being opted for, I was to undergo LASIK surgery, the most popular type.

Under this procedure a thin layer of my eye’s cornea would be sliced off to create a flap, enabling the laser to target the tissue underneath. The flap would then be simply replaced and left to grow back naturally, with vision restored almost immediately.

There are of course dangers in any operation and laser eye surgery hasn’t been without its controversy.

Patients can experience dry eyes or night vision problems, affecting the ability to drive, but it’s generally a safe routine.

After having my pre-test treatment three days earlier where my eyes were scanned, tested and measured, I waited nervously in the waiting room, flicking through my last page of celebrity gossip wearing my glasses.

“Okay Chris, do you want to come with me? If you just take your glasses off and leave them on the table,” said the receptionist, as I was guided to the surgeon’s chair.

Admittedly, nerves did cross my mind, but at the same time I was excited. I can never physically remember being able to see without glasses and this short simple procedure was about to change my life forever.

For those of you with a nervous disposition and intending on embarking on this life journey, the following is a true account of the operation. After anaesthetic drops were put in my eyes I couldn’t feel a thing.

My right eye was the first to undergo treatment, being clipped back so the full eye was exposed.

A suction ring was then placed to my eye which made everything dark for a few seconds enabling the flap to be made.

The thought of someone touching your eyes is cringe worthy in itself, and as I squirmed in the chair a thought did cross my mind whether this was the right thing to do.

And then came the laser, frying my eye for barely seven seconds (and then for less than 15 seconds on my left) accompanied by the smell of bacon!

Twenty minutes later – I could see.

It’s recommended that you have a bit of a sleep when you get home. My eyes did hurt about an hour later, they started to sting and a fountain of tears began welling from my eyes, which at this stage were too painful to open.

An hour or two later, as my eyes were forced apart from deep sleep and I removed the plastic protection shields, the only words I was able to utter were simply: “This is amazing!”

I could see for the first time in 16 years, hour after hour my vision becoming clearer.

A week later and I’ve decided that this is the best thing that I have ever done.

I may have to wear glasses again in my 40s when it’s recommended you have a pair for reading, and I do occasionally wake up scrabbling about for my glasses, before realising they are now outside in the bin.