Laser eye surgery FAQs

If you know your prescription, then try: Am I Suitable? for a quick check. The only way to know for sure and to find the best treatment for you is to come see us for a FREE eye surgery consultation.

Come and see us. Our optometrist will check and measure your eyes, then discuss different vision correction treatment options. You can discover the benefits, the prices, and the facts before you go forward. Read more about your FREE eye surgery consultation...

Read eye surgery treatment choices in detail or find out how it feels from the patient's angle.

Treatment is carried out by a specialist team: the qualified laser eye surgeon, the laser technician and a theatre nurse. Ultralase employs stringent recruitment criteria in selecting it’s staff. It is all a part of Ultracare™.

Most people say it's an unusual feeling, but not a painful one. Local anesthetic eye drops are used before the procedure so that the eye surgery is completely pain free. You can read the unedited views of our patients here on our forum.

You will be in the treatment room less than half an hour. After treatment you can rest in a special recovery room at the clinic.

We also have a range of non-laser vision correction treatments available.

We ask all patients for the details of their doctor so we can keep them informed of the details of your eye examination and any decisions concerning your vision correction treatment. We will contact your GP only if you are happy for us to do so.

No. You can go home after treatment. However, you will need to return to Ultralase the following day for your next-day check-up.

Yes. On the day of eye surgery, your vision will take a while to stabilise and you will not be able to drive yourself home. Please bring someone with you to both your consultation and your treatment appointments to accompany you or drive you home.

Patients return the following day for their post-operative check-up. All patients remain under the care of our specialists for 6-9 months. Each of our treatment types has its own specific aftercare programme. Further information is also available at your FREE eye surgery consultation or by calling 0808 144 2020.

The one part of LASIK laser eye surgery that has caused most concern has been the use of surgical blades to prepare the eye for treatment. For this reason, as well as for reasons of safety and accuracy, we have decided to dispense with blades altogether in favour of the technologically superior Intralase® method. Intralase® uses a laser to prepare the eye for treatment, which means that our entire range of LASIK laser eye procedures is totally blade-free. We are the ONLY national provider in the UK to use Intralase® as standard in LASIK laser eye surgery.

We use the safest, state-of-the-art technology available today. According to the FDA, our Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix laser used for the actual treatment has been shown to be the safest and the best for delivering real world vision* and patient satisfaction. All LASIK laser eye surgery preparation is now conducted solely with Intralase® lasers for reasons of safety and accuracy.

* 'Real world vision' is defined by optical specialists as the way we view the everyday world around us. In real life, we all face an environment where different contrasts, shades and lighting conditions are constantly at play - as opposed to the artificially high levels of contrast encountered when viewing a standard eye test chart.

There are three strong pieces of evidence that prove Intralase® is far superior to blade-assisted LASIK when it comes to safety, accuracy and results:

• Our own audited figures (remember, we are the only providers to conduct such an audit) show enhanced results.
• Clinical evidence from papers published worldwide show exactly the same levels of improvement.
• The world's most authoritative bodies, up to and including NASA, agree that Intralase® is the safer and more effective procedure.

Our price guide has a wide-range of easy-payment terms to help you make your laser eye surgery more affordable, and we're sure that you'll find one to suit your budget.

We are committed to making laser eye surgery affordable for all. Check our price guide to find out more details.

Our experience at Ultralase is that price is not necessarily the most important factor in patient choice. We don't want to be the cheapest in the marketplace. We want to be the best. Ultralase only employs the very best laser eye surgeons and clinical professionals. We only use the very best technology and provide each and every patient with our unique Ultracare™ aftercare package. Quite simply our price reflects this. The best is usually that little bit more expensive, but it is usually worth it. What you need to remember is that some providers' prices are linked to prescription so costs can escalate dramatically if yours is strong or even just average.

Come and meet our professional staff at a FREE eye surgery consultation - you will know you are in the right place.

Our finance options (subject to status) start at 12 months interest-free and go as far as 5 years. This means that treatment can cost from as little as £5.18 per week.

We believe it is vital that you know all the facts before you commit to any treatment. That's why at Ultralase our eye surgery consultations are always FREE.

Patients return the following day for their post-operative check-up. All patients remain under the care of our specialists for 6-9 months. Each of our treatment types has its own specific aftercare programme. Further information is also available at your FREE eye surgery consultation or by calling 0808 144 2020.

The aim of all Ultralase vision correction is to improve your eyesight. Everything we do is targeted to achieve that, from the equipment we install to the recruitment of highly-skilled specialists, from the procedures we follow to the assessments we make. In a minority of cases, there is need for retreatment. In these rare cases, retreatment is provided completely free as part of our unique Lifetime Care Guarantee. Read the safety and risks section for more detail.

Recent evidence suggests that stability of outcome is excellent for ten or more years post-treatment. In a medical context, the likelihood of such a long-term quality of outcome is excellent.

98.6% of all our patients reach driving standard or better.

After laser eye surgery, the eyes go through a natural recovery period. For 97% of patients, the results reach the target standard of vision - or better. A few people do not quite achieve the desired standard of vision - for these people, a re-treatment can be one option. Remember all your aftercare is backed up by our unique Lifetime Care Guarantee.

This is highly unlikely and we will do all we can so you achieve the agreed treatment discussed with your surgeon. Remember all your aftercare is backed up by our unique Lifetime Care Guarantee.

We will provide all necessary aftercare, free for life, to help you achieve your best possible outcome from your Ultralase laser eye surgery.

Do not rub your eyes at all for 2 weeks and try to minimise rubbing them during the first 4 weeks.

Ultralase introduced laser eye surgery to the UK. In the past nearly twenty years, we have developed the highest standards of clinical excellence backed by an unrivalled level of patient care. We call this Ultracare™. Remember, you only get Ultracare™ from Ultralase. See more reasons in the answer to the next question.

The only way you can find out if you trust what we say is to book a FREE eye surgery appointment with one of our laser eye clinics, fire all your questions at us, and weigh up the answers. We do aim to reassure you by giving you the full picture so that you are in control and so you make the decision that is best for you.

But, meanwhile, let the words of others convince you about us. We are:

• The only treatment provider brave and confident enough to have its results verified by an independent body
• The only one to exceed the efficacy provisions of NICE in respect of accuracy of procedure and quality of vision through independently verified data.
• The one successful enough for 98.8% of patients to recommend us to friends and family
• The only one endorsed by Dollond and Aitchison - The Opticians, as well as by 300 other independent opticians around the UK.
• The first one brave enough to host an independent, unedited laser eye forum where you can talk to people who have had laser eye surgery, as well as host a site full of eye surgery testimonials from people who have benefited from Ultralase vision correction treatment.

Ultralase is 100% committed to patient safety. The latest evidence of this is our move to offering only blade-free IntraLase® based LASIK eye surgery treatments - the only national provider in the UK to do so.

Our laser eye surgeons are hand picked and we believe our selection process is the most rigorous in the business. We are the only provider confident enough to have our results verified by independent consultants. Every member of our team is a fully qualified surgeon who specialises in ophthalmology and laser eye surgery.

You should avoid using make-up for 2 weeks after eye surgery. Some women choose to get their eyelashes tinted before treatment.

All our treatments are clinical procedures so the eyes need to be prepared and be free of anything prior to treatment.

Yes, you can. Please ensure this is done at least a week prior to your treatment.

You can do any or all of these straight away. The vital thing is to avoid anything getting into your eye and irritating it so that you want to rub it. Some people find that getting a partner to help is effective. You can also wash your hair over the edge of the bath, or, if you do shower-rinse your hair, try it with your back to the shower. The best shampoo to use is Johnson's Baby Shampoo.

The most important thing about showering and shampooing is to avoid getting anything in the eyes to cause you to rub them. The best shampoo we have found so far is Johnson's Baby Shampoo as, even if it gets in your eyes, you will not feel the urge to rub them. Your eyes should be fine to use your normal brand after 2 weeks.

It obviously depends on the intensity of the exercise but, for general gym or training demands, we recommend up to 2 weeks. Discuss this with your specialist at your FREE eye surgery consultation.

Sir Clive Woodward and Shaun Wane have both been treated by Ultralase. Tell the optometrist about your sports and hobbies at your FREE eye surgery consultation.

You should avoid swimming for 4 weeks after treatment because of the risk of infection.

Yes you can. We recommend waiting 2 months after your eye surgery before you make your next dive.

You can do any or all of these straight away. The vital thing is to avoid anything getting into your eye and irritating it so that you want to rub it. Some people find that getting a partner to help is effective. You can also wash your hair over the edge of the bath, or, if you do shower-rinse your hair, try it with your back to the shower. The best shampoo to use is Johnson's Baby Shampoo.

The most important thing about showering and shampooing is to avoid getting anything in the eyes that will cause you to rub them. The best shampoo we have found so far is Johnson's Baby Shampoo as, even if it gets in your eyes, you will not feel the urge to rub them. Your eyes should be fine to use your normal brand after 2 weeks.