Following in the footsteps of teammate Pete Reed, Olympic rower Tom Solesbury underwent laser eye surgery with Optical Express this September. Solesbury received LASIK treatment with Wavefront and Intralase technologies.
Solesbury was both impressed with his results as well as surprised by the ease of the entire process.
“My vision is perfect, and I couldn’t believe how quick and easy the procedure was – even for someone like me who hates anything going near their eyes!” he said. “The care and skill of the surgeon and other staff was fantastic, and really put me at ease.”
The surgery was performed by Mr. Rodney Blumenfield, the same ophthalmic surgeon who treated Reed. Mr. Blumenfield is an experienced surgeon and member of the South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons who has performed over 22,000 procedures. Before undergoing surgery, Solesbury expressed frustration with his glasses. “I was always damaging or losing my glasses and it was a real hassle,” he said. “I couldn’t wear contacts, and I really wanted freedom from specs, not just for rowing but for every part of my life.”
As a competitive rower, Solesbury was enthused at the speed with which he recovered from the procedure.
“The day after surgery, I had better than 20/20 vision,” he said. “The whole process, from the surgery to the aftercare, never got in the way of my training schedule!”
Solesbury raced in the men’s pair in the Beijing Olympics, placing 13th, and won two bronze in the men’s eights in the 2009 World Cup series, in Banyoles and Munich. He is currently studying at Oxford University, having completed his undergraduate education at Warwick University and his law degree in London. He has been a member of the Great Britain senior rowing squad since 2005.
Solesbury expressed hope that his new vision will help his career, and noted that he wished he had gone ahead with it sooner.
“It is brilliant being able to see perfectly,” he said. “I hope my new vision will help me and the GB rowing team win more medals! After seeing how quick and painless the whole procedure was, my only regret, why did I wait until now to have treatment?”
