Refractive Error Condition at Rivers Hospital

What are Refractive Error Conditions?

Refractive error conditions are common and happen when the shape of your eye does not bend and refract light correctly, causing images to look hazy and unclear.

The four most common refractive errors are:

• Myopia (near-sightedness) - difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.
• Hyperopia (farsightedness) - difficulty seeing close objects clearly.
• Presbyopia (loss of near vision with age) – difficulty reading or seeing at arm's length.
• Astigmatism - distorted vision resulting from an irregularly shaped cornea or lens.

An eye care professional can diagnose refractive errors during a comprehensive eye test.

The benefits of refractive surgery may include: improved vision and, a reduction in dependence on or no longer needing glasses or contact lenses.

Wearing glasses or contact lenses can be inconvenient especially if you regularly enjoy sports, water sports, and an active outdoor lifestyle.

LASIK refractive surgery corrects vision almost immediately and recovery is quick.

Refractive surgery, also known as vision correction, improves your eyesight.

There are various refractive surgeries for correcting or adjusting your eye's focusing ability. Refractive surgery is normally an outpatient procedure that is carried out under local anaesthetic. It may involve reshaping your cornea or implanting a lens inside your eye.

Phakic intraocular lens (PIOL) implantation - PIOL artificial lenses are placed in your eyes through a small cut in the surface of your eye. No stitches are needed. Your own natural lenses remain in place too. They are like having contact lenses inside your eyes and make some activities easier such as swimming or water sports.
Refractive lens exchange (RLE) - your natural lens is removed and replaced with a new, artificial one. It is the same as cataract surgery. Your artificial lens can be: mono-focal to improve your distance sight (glasses are still required for near work) or multi-focal to provide clear distance, middle and near vision.

Refractive errors that cause blurry vision, including myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism, may require refractive surgery.

Cataracts may also lead to refractive lens exchange whereby the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with a new artificial one.

If you decide to pay for your treatment, Ramsay offer an all-inclusive Total Care package, where a single one-off payment at a pre-agreed price, delivering direct access to all the treatment you need for complete reassurance. You can also spread the cost of your treatment with finance options available.

A refractive surgery may be covered by your medical insurance policy. We advise you to check directly with your insurance provider and get written confirmation before commencing treatment.

Recovery from refractive surgery is quicker than you might think.

After laser eye surgery, your vision will be corrected almost immediately and any blurriness will start to clear within 24 hours.

Most people return to work within a few days to a week. Your eye surgeon will advise you when you can drive again.

You can expect your vision to become stable within approximately a month.

Lens surgery has similar recovery times to laser eye surgery.

At Ramsay Health Care we offer a range of refractive surgeries for our patients. Highly skilled ophthalmologist surgeons offer convenient appointments for you to discuss your refractive error surgery options in full and answer any questions you may have.

We regularly perform refractive surgery so you can rest assured you’re in safe hands and our packages offer comprehensive aftercare.

Rivers Hospital Specialists

Mr Petros Andreou

Mr Petros Andreou is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Essex and Hertfordshire specialising in cataracts and glaucoma
Read more
Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik

Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Hertfordshire, specialising in blepharitis, conjunctivitis, chalazia, dry eye, watering eyes, periocular tumours and cosmetic eyelid surgery.
Read more
Professor Mahmut Dogramaci

Professor Mahmut Dogramaci is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire who special interests in medical and surgical retina
Read more
Mrs Shazia Hussain

Mrs Shazia Hussain is Specialist Orthoptic practitioner, Rivers Hospital, Hertfordshire
Read more
Mr Praveen Patel

Mr Praveen Patel is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in retinal and macular disease.
Read more
Mrs Priya Prakash

Mrs Priya Prakash is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Hertfordshire and Essex with a special interest in Medical Retina and Cataract surgery.
Read more
Mr Jasvir Singh Grewal

Mr Jasvir Singh Grewal is a Consultant Eye Surgeon specialising in cataract surgery, eyelid surgery, watery eyes, dry eyes, laser surgery, general ophthalmology, medical retina, red eyes, glaucoma and neuro ophthalmology.
Read more
Mr V M R Vempali

Mr V M R Vempali is an Consultant Ophthalmologist in Hertfordshire
Read more

Latest from Rivers Hospital

Rivers Hospital See and Treat Clinic

This specialised clinic is designed to provide patients with a convenient and professional service for the removal or biopsy of small lesions, moles, skin tags, and other minor skin irregularities at one appointment.

Find out more

Rivers Hospital starts again with their Look Good Feel Better Workshops for 2024

Six years ago Rivers Hospital launched their first Look Good Feel Better workshop. Ladies currently undergoing and also recently finished their cancer treatment join together for a morning of make-up tips, laughter and building new friendships.

Find out more

Rivers Hospital starts again with their Look Good Feel Better Workshops for 2022

Four years ago Rivers Hospital launched their first Look Good Feel Better workshop. Ladies currently undergoing and also recently finished their cancer treatment join together for a morning of make-up tips, laughter and building new friendships.

Find out more

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material, contained on this website is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

No warranty or guarantee is made that the information contained on this website is complete or accurate in every respect. The testimonials, statements, and opinions presented on our website are applicable to the individuals depicted. Results will vary and may not be representative of the experience of others. Prior patient results are only provided as examples of what may be achievable. Individual results will vary and no guarantee is stated or implied by any photo use or any statement on this website.

Ramsay Health Care UK is not currently recruiting for any roles based outside of England. If you are interested in applying for a role with Ramsay Health Care UK, please note that all available positions are advertised exclusively on our official website: https://www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/careers. Be cautious of individuals or organisations that approach you directly for remotely-based roles. Always verify the authenticity of the job offer and be careful with whom you share your personal information. For more information and advice on employment fraud, please visit: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/recruitment-scams

Specialties

Treatments

Tests & Scans

Your Care

Clinical Information

Funding Treatment

Refractive Error Condition