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What are the benefits of laser eye surgery and lens surgery in sports?

09 March 2023

Author: Kate Green

Rowans LASIK Ultralase

Do your glasses and contact lenses hold you back?

 

You just have to take one look at any televised sports competition to know that glasses and sports don’t mix well. How often do you see a runner, footballer or tennis player relying on glasses while they competing or even just training? If you wear glasses yourself, chances are you take them off before you kick a ball around the park with your friends, or go for a jog around the block. This could be for a number of reasons such as:

  • Worried about your glasses falling off
  • Concerned about breaking your glasses
  • Your glasses steam up during exercise
  • Your field of vision is partially blocked by the frame

 

As much as glasses might not impact your life too much during day to day tasks or reading, it’s a different story when it comes to getting active. In fact, most of our patients have some kind of sport or activity as one of their main motivations for seeking vision correction treatment. Just imagine stepping out of the house and running down the road, checking your watch or phone to see your time and distance clearly. Or, think about jumping straight in the swimming pool without remembering to take out your contact lenses first, and not having to bother with expensive prescription goggles. This is the reality for thousands of people who visit Ultralase for laser eye surgery or lens surgery – a life free from glasses and contact lenses.

 

Are you suitable for laser eye surgery?

 

To find out which vision correction surgery is the best option for you, visit our suitability checker. This tool, based on your age and prescription, provides a first indication as to whether you are more likely to be suitable for laser or lens treatment. Your overall suitability depends on a number of other factors such as your eye health, including corneal thickness, eye dryness and pupil size. At your free consultation with us, we will assess these areas with a range of scans and examinations. This allows us to confirm your suitability and check that eye surgery is the best option for you.

 

As a general guideline, laser eye surgery tends to be suitable for people who fall into the follow categories:

  • Aged 18-45
  • Prescription between -1 to -10 for short-sight, and +1 to +6 for long-sight
  • Don’t yet require reading glasses

 

Lens replacement surgery tends to be best suited to patients:

  • Aged 45+
  • Rely on reading glasses
  • Have cataracts, or are likely to develop them soon

 

An alternative treatment, Implantable Contact Lens Surgery, is a great option for patients who:

  • Have strong prescriptions which fall outside of our laser treatment parameters
  • Have thin corneas
  • Suffer with dry eyes, making laser eye surgery impossible

 

The results of your consultation will determine which treatment is your best choice. All three of these treatment pathways with Ultralase can allow you to live life without glasses or contact lenses, and embrace an active lifestyle without being held back by poor vision.

 

Rowan Cheshire’s LASIK surgery at Ultralase

 

Rowan is a Winter Olympic athlete who came to us after her contact lenses just weren’t cutting it under her ski goggles. When her blurry vision started to affect her freestyle skiing competitions and gym activities, Rowan sought vision correction surgery. She settled on LASIK, which has a fast recovery period and gave her the freedom to get on with her sport effectively.

 

Rowan told us “my poor vision used to affect my performance” due to headaches caused by poor distance vision, and issues with contact lenses falling out mid-ski. She said, “LASIK was actually a lot less scary than I thought. I wasn’t expecting the recovery time to be so quick! My vision was perfect almost straight away, and I felt very well taken care of by the Ultralase team.”

 

You can watch Rowan’s full testimonial video on our website here to learn more about her LASIK experience, and what her life is like now after treatment.

 

Live life without your glasses

 

Don’t let your poor vision hold you back anymore. Get started with your Ultralase treatment in 4 simple ways:

 

It’s time to See. Enjoy. Experience, with Ultralase.

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