The UK’s leading eyecare provider Optical Express has opened a new state of the art clinic in Southampton that will make lens replacement surgery more affordable and accessible to patients in the Hampshire area.
Lens replacement surgery is now one of the most commonly performed elective surgery procedures for correcting vision and is especially suited to those aged 40 or over.
Optical Express has invested £1 million in new technology in the Southampton clinic to help make lens replacement surgery more accessible. Prices start at £1495 per eye, significantly reducing costs compared with existing local clinics.
The opening of the clinic will also save Hampshire residents from travelling to benefit from Optical Express’ affordable prices. Previously, patients would have travelled a round trip of over 140 miles to either London or Bristol in order to access the procedure with Optical Express.
The clinic, located on The Avenue, is one of 12 such Optical Express lens replacement surgery centres across the UK and complements the company’s existing laser eye surgery clinic in Southampton’s West Quay. Optical Express performs more refractive treatments every week than any other provider in the UK and the business identified Southampton as a location with a strong requirement for a lens replacement surgery clinic because of its growing population of retirees.
The clinical team is led by Dimitri Kazakos, one of the UK’s most experienced ophthalmic surgeons in the field who has performed over 30,000 refractive procedures.
Lens replacement surgery is suitable for those whose prescription is too high to be treated by laser eye surgery, including those aged over 40 whose eyesight is starting to deteriorate due to age-related decline. It is also used to treat cataracts – by the age of 60, 60% of people will have some degree of cataract, but the condition can occur in younger people.
The treatment involves the insertion of a small lens into the eye. It functions in a similar manner to a contact lens except that it is left in the eye permanently and cannot be seen or felt by the patient.
Tom Thorne, Regional Manager for Optical Express, said:
“We’re confident that we’re going to shake up the eye care market in Hampshire. Previously, Southampton residents would have been forced to travel to Bristol or London – a round trip of 140 miles – to benefit from our competitive prices for lens replacement surgery.
“Now they can be treated on their doorstep, and with costs starting at £1495 per eye, save thousands of pounds compared with rival clinics.
“Lens replacement has a huge impact on the lives of patients, allowing them to live a glasses free life.
“I’m proud that Optical Express is making such a life-changing procedure accessible and affordable. I look forward to welcoming our new patients – including those who thought lens replacement surgery was financially out of their reach.”
By 2015 it is estimated there will have been at least 2 million refractive procedures performed in the UK. The surge in demand is being driven by both an ageing population and heightened awareness of new techniques and procedures. According to research, 94% of over-65s wear prescription glasses, while 3% use contact lenses.
