Laser Eye Surgery Patient Story – Nick Ashcroft

Being a personal trainer and fitness fanatic, Nick never enjoyed wearing his glasses and found them to be a burden on a daily basis with his work. Regardless of whether he kept his glasses on or took them off, challenges would arise either way. Nick’s glasses would often get in the way when working with clients, especially when demonstrating movements and different exercises. Keeping his glasses on meant that he risked them either steaming up or he spent half the time pushing them back up the bridge of his nose to stop them from constantly sliding off his face. However, without his glasses, Nick often struggled with facial recognition; “when people walked in the gym I wasn’t always sure who they were or if it was a new person”.

Nick has always enjoyed staying physically active and spending his weekends outdoors swimming, paddle boarding, surfing, as well as running and obstacle courses like Tough Mudder. However, Nick’s vision before laser eye surgery would often make it difficult for him to enjoy these activities and be out on the water without his glasses; “when I would go surfing or paddle boarding I wouldn’t wear my glasses and it would be hard to spot my mates out on the water or on the beach. I found it annoying having to swap between prescription sunglasses and normal throughout the day.”

What was the deciding factor that ultimately made you decide to book your laser eye surgery?

“I needed to get new glasses and sunglasses and thought I would see how much laser cost first. I always thought it was significantly more expensive. Finding out the actual price was the  biggest surprise for me and if I had known how cheap it was to permanently correct my vision and not have to deal with glasses anymore, I would have had my eyes fixed years ago!”

What was the procedure itself like?

“I could not believe how fast and simple it was. The process was well explained and painless. The recovery was also very quick. I could see fine by that afternoon and the irritation only lasted a week or so. The only thing I would do differently is have a pair of sunglasses ready for after the procedure – just to help with the sensitivity and I just felt like I needed something between my eyes and the outside world while they were feeling scratchy in the first few days.”

How has laser eye surgery changed your life?

“Just makes it easier – I can jump in the car and not worry about glasses. Now I don’t need to carry sunglasses and normal glasses, and I can update my sunglasses whenever I want! At work, when clients enter the gym, I can see who they are straightaway and welcome them by name.”

If you could go back in time, would you still decide to go through with getting laser eye surgery? Why or why not?

“Yes, I would definitely do it all over again – though in hindsight I would have done sooner! I felt very well cared for, right from the initial consultation through to the post-op check-up. Laser eye surgery was the ideal solution for me. It’s was a simple and quick procedure, with a fast recovery period that took away all the daily inconveniences that my glasses would create at work.  My vision now is great and I have had no issues”.

What would you tell someone who was considering laser eye surgery?

Do your struggles sound similar?

Glasses and sports often don’t mix. Similar to Nick, many people turn to laser eye surgery to remove the burden of glasses so that it’s easier for them to play sports and keep fit. If you can relate to Nick’s experiences with glasses and are tired of the hassles that come with them wearing them, why not book your free initial laser consultation with Auckland Eye?

To find out if laser eye surgery is right for you, call 0800 63 93 93 and our experienced team will happily talk you through the process and answer any of your questions you may have about laser eye surgery.

Like Nick, you too can find freedom from contact lenses and glasses with laser eye surgery!