Ask a patient: Tiegan’s Implantable Contact Lens story

From -9.5 to clear, natural vision

Tiegan was 21 when she came to Optimax to start her journey of living life without glasses, having struggled with contact lenses for years. Tiegan’s vision was affecting several parts of her life, from small annoyances like not being able to differentiate between shampoo and conditioner in the shower, to more significant areas, such as lowering her confidence. It became clear that vision correction treatment was the obvious next step for her and, with a strong prescription, her best option was Implantable Contact Lenses.

We sent Tiegan a few questions last month to find out more about how she is finding life with her ICLs, and how she found the Optimax experience from start to finish.

What made you want to get Implantable Contact Lenses?

I always wanted to get laser eye surgery and after turning 21 in February 2020, I decided to look into it properly. After visiting Optimax and various other companies, I was told that laser eye surgery would not be an option for me as my prescription was too strong. I was then told about ICLs and I knew that my auntie who lives in Australia was part of the trials for them years ago. She has always said how amazing the experience was and after 10 years still has perfect eyesight. After doing more research online and reading people’s stories, I knew it was the path I wanted to go down.

How strong was your prescription prior to surgery?

I was -9.5 in my left eye and -9.0 in my right eye.

What was the Optimax experience like in the Manchester/Liverpool clinics?

I had a great experience at both the Manchester and Liverpool clinics from start to finish. I had all of my consultations at the Manchester clinic where everyone was very welcoming and friendly offering refreshments and lots of helpful information. I then went on to have my surgery at the Liverpool clinic, which has a specialist lens operating theatre, where again staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The doctor who conducted the surgery and the nurses assisting made me feel extremely relaxed as I was quite nervous before having my first eye operated on. Staff at both locations made the whole process very easy and enjoyable.

How was your recovery process?

My recovery process was a lot quicker than I thought it would be. After feeling no pain at all during surgery I also had no pain at any point afterwards. It was a very simple process taking some tablets after surgery and then eye drops to be put in every so often. It was extremely simple and I didn’t at any point even feel like I had surgery. I was even back at work the next morning with perfect vision!

How has life changed after treatment?

Life has been amazing after surgery. It’s such a great feeling waking up in the morning being able to see right away, instead of feeling around for my glasses. I can now have a shower and clearly see without bringing a bottle right up to my face to check whether it’s shampoo or conditioner. Life is so much easier and I feel a lot more confident as I wore contact lenses before surgery and felt self-conscious wearing glasses. I now have more confidence and feel great.

What made you choose Optimax?

I visited Optimax and two other companies to discuss my vision correction. Optimax was the first place I went to after seeing good reviews online, and after finding out laser eye surgery was not an option for me we thought we would see what other companies’ opinions were. After being dis-satisfied with the responses from other companies and the general feel of the other places, I knew that Optimax was the best option for me. From first visiting it felt very relaxed and welcoming, unlike some of the other places.

If, like Tiegan, you have a strong prescription and you’re looking to have vision correction treatment, implantable contact lenses could be the obvious choice for you. Please do give us a call on 0800 093 1110 if you’d like to hear a bit more about ICLs at Optimax, or book a consultation to have your eyes assessed in person. We look forward to helping you achieve the vision you deserve!