Jim Newman

Private pilot Jim Newman is flying high after revolutionary eye surgery that has transformed his failing eyesight.

Jim has a whole new outlook on life — especially from thousands of feet up — after becoming one of the first people in Essex to undergo a pioneering eye operation. Surgeons using state-of-the-art technology have inserted “amazing” new lenses into his eyes making it possible for Jim to ditch his glasses after 25 years. The company director of Marine Parade, Leigh-on-Sea, enjoys an active lifestyle and is delighted with the results.

Jim (60), who flies a Piper Warrior 151 light aircraft, went to war on his deteriorating sight after his annual medical for his pilot’s licence revealed he had cataracts. He says: “I have to have a medical every year to keep my pilot’s licence and in December the medical showed that cataracts had started to develop in both eyes. I was referred to LaserSight where the surgeon talked me through the options.”

Consultant ophthalmologists at the Phoenix Hospital offer patients the opportunity to have a revolutionary new lens inserted into their eye that cures both cataracts and many other conditions that were previously unsuitable for techniques such as laser eye surgery. They use the pioneering AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens developed by world-leading eye company Alcon which has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of cataracts. Unlike other lenses the ReSTOR allows patients to see both distance and close-up and in most cases they no longer need their glasses.

Jim says: “After 25 years of having to wear glasses all the time it is marvellous not to need them anymore. That is what appealed to me about this lens. It makes things so much easier for flying. I had varifocals and constantly had to look through different parts of my glasses to see into the distance and then look down at the instrument panel. Now it is incredible. There is a lot of instrumentation to look at when you are flying a plane and I can just look down and immediately focus. It is marvellous technology.

“I had private health care which covered the cost of my cataract treatment but I paid extra to upgrade to these lenses. I would recommend them to anybody.” Jim, who has been flying for eight years, shares the Piper Warrior with a colleague. He regularly heads for the continent in the four-seater plane from Southend.

There are also other benefits from the revolutionary operation. Jim says: “I always loved diving but decided to give it up four or five years ago. As my sight deteriorated I couldn’t read the computer on my arm and although you can get a prescription lens put into your dive goggles they are quite crude and didn’t really work. I discussed it with my surgeon and asked him if he thought I would be able to go diving again and he said ‘no problem, you’ve got your sight back and if you go back this summer when your eyes are fully healed and try a few dives you’ll be fine’. I am looking forward to that.”

The lenses have also made Jim’s peripheral vision much better. He says: “I have always been a confident driver but when I was reversing while wearing my varifocal glasses I found there were blind spots and I had to turn my head to see. My vision is much better now. I am a lot more comfortable judging distances through a narrow gap.”

Jim had his first eye treated in December and the second in January and describes the operation as “a breeze”. He says: “The discomfort you go through really is quite minimal – especially when you see the results. Obviously when I had the first eye done I was apprehensive. I was still awake and could see what was going on but it was the best Christmas present I could ever have given myself. The second operation was easy. You know afterwards that you have been prodded about and your eyes feel a little bit gritty but the discomfort soon goes.”

Each operation took just 15 minutes and Jim was given drops to anaesthetise the eye. Jim’s.surgeon explains: “During the operation a micro-incision is made at the edge of the cornea. A tiny probe is inserted into the eye and the existing lens is gently broken down by ultrasound and removed.

The ReSTOR lens is then folded and inserted through the tiny incision. Once in place the lens unfolds into the correct position. As the incision is so small, stitches are rarely required. Patients can then return home the same day and look forward to a rapid and pain-free recovery.” And according to Jim: “My eyes are getting better and better all the time.”

Shirley Baxter

‘Eye-opening’ op gives Shirley new-found confidence

Keen golfer Shirley Baxter is setting her sights on new targets after a pioneering new procedure restored her vision.

The happy-go-lucky 50-year-old, who has suffered from poor eyesight for over three decades, is one of the first people in Suffolk to take advantage of a groundbreaking operation, which has brought her world back into bright, crisp and clear focus. Revolutionary new implantable lenses have freed Shirley from the shackles of spectacles and contact lenses and allowed her to focus on the finer details of life and improve her performance on the fairways.

“It’s like I’m living in a whole new world now,” says an ecstatic Shirley, who previously could barely function without the aid of her lenses or glasses.

“I’m now seeing things differently. Everything seems so much brighter, sharper and clearer. Before I would regularly lose sight of where my golf shots were landing but now I can stand on the first tee box and look down and actually see the flag!”

Shirley, who lives in Carlton Colville and runs her own residential home for the elderly, required glasses to see into the distance and read. Initially she tried having separate pairs to correct each problem but found the constant switching between pairs increasingly frustrating. So about eight years ago she decided to opt for varifocals but unfortunately never got on with them. She says: “My husband Gerald was always saying to me your glasses aren’t right as I could not see or read things properly. I found I was constantly moving them up and down the bridge of my nose to try and focus on things.

“When it used to come to putting on the golf course I found I would move my hand constantly up and down to get the right position with my glasses before I could even think about lining up the ball.” She also had problems at work. “When I was on the computer I found I only had one hand on the keyboard and the other was constantly moving my glasses to try and see what I was doing. Every time I had to use the computer I would get a headache and a pain in my neck from constantly tilting my head up and down. “If I picked up the telephone directory I would be unable to read the number as I never seemed to be able to find a pair of glasses that allowed me to see perfectly.”

And contact lenses didn’t offer a satisfactory solution either. She says: “I tried and I tried but I couldn’t get on with them. They were very unpredictable as sometimes they would become very dry and make my eyes quite sore. If I put them in to play golf, half way round I’d feel like I needed to take them out again because I couldn’t see the ball or play properly.” Out of desperation she started searching for an alternative solution. Shirley initially wondered whether laser eye surgery could provide the answer after witnessing the remarkable results of various friends’ treatments.

However, a consultation with a Consultant Ophthalmologist at LaserSight at the Phoenix Hospital revealed that laser surgery, which has proved popular among a number of professional golfers, would only correct her distance vision leaving her still reliant on glasses to read. Instead he recommended a pioneering new intraocular lens (IOL) — the AcrySof® ReSTOR® — to replace her existing natural lens. Manufactured by one of the world’s leading eye care companies Alcon, the unique patented design of the ReSTOR enables clear vision at all distances — significantly reducing or eliminating a patient’s dependence on glasses. “It was amazing, I noticed a difference straight away,” says Shirley who underwent treatment at the Phoenix Hospital in Southend-on-Sea. “Afterwards the clock on the waiting room wall started to come into focus and I was really excited. I would never have been able to see it before! Each day it just got better and better and within a week I was reading the smallest print.”

And Shirley never tires of her fresh outlook. She says: “I’m still looking around and being amazed by things. I find myself thinking things like ‘has the grass always been that colour?’ I suppose as my eyesight had deteriorated colours had started to fade.” The new procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and typically takes around 15 minutes per eye — depending on the complexity of the case. Shirley’s surgeon explains: “During the operation a micro-incision is made at the edge of the cornea. A tiny probe is inserted into the eye and the existing lens is gently broken down by ultra sound and removed.”

“The ReSTOR lens is then folded and inserted through the tiny incision. Once in place the lens unfolds into the correct position. As the incision is so small, stitches are rarely required. Patients can then return home the same day and look forward to a rapid and pain-free recovery.”

“It was quite staggering,” says Shirley. “It’s such a small operation but it makes such a difference to your life. It’s lovely being able to get straight up in the morning without having to fumble around for my glasses. Before I would even put my glasses on just to go downstairs and make a cup of coffee. It’s also nice to be free to go swimming or horse riding and not have to give my vision a second thought.” She is also convinced that the procedure has given her more confidence. “I feel so much better about myself. I like wearing make up more as I’m no longer hiding behind a pair of glasses.” She adds: “I would definitely recommend the treatment. The whole thing has been a wonderful experience. I have been completely amazed by it all. I keep telling my husband who wears glasses that he should really have it done.”

Our surgeons believe the ReSTOR is able to offer fresh hope to a whole new group of people suffering from poor eyesight. and It’s wonderful to be in a position to offer people like Shirley, who may not fully benefit from other procedures such as laser eye surgery, a genuine alternative. The ReSTOR really is quite an exciting breakthrough.