Reply: TOO YOUNG

I was 19 years old when I had my laser eye surgery and I have discovered I was too young to have this operation! Optical Express did not check if I had a stable prescription either!

The real side effects were not explained to me. I am now suffering from dry eyes, bad night vision, halos and my eyes are really sensitive.

My surgery was carried out by a surgeon who has now left Optical Express!

Also, I was promised free lifetime aftercare however when I recently contacted Optical Express to get my vision checked as it is blurred when I try to read things at a distance and not 20/20, I was advised it would cost £50!

With the help of Sasha, I am hoping to take them to a small claims court!

I had only just turned 18 when I attended my first consultation at the Optical Express in Bradford. The salesman promised me lifetime care, lifetime appointments and eye drops. The optometrist did not ask me if my eyesight was stable for three months and did not consider my very young age. I only discovered the need of a stable prescription via a friend’s parent when I started University, but by then it was too late.

Even on the day the surgeon did not comment or acknowledge my age. I was set up to fail.

I had my first laser eye procedure on the 15th July 2013 at the Trafford centre by Dr Faqir A Qazi. My eyesight deteriorated to -2 within a few months of the first procedure and I required an "enhancement” procedure a year later in the Manchester store. My eyes have also been intensely dry and itchy since the first procedure. The eye drops they provided further stung my eyes.

After my second procedure the optometrists at Optical Express kept reassuring me that my vision was 20/20. They were convincing but I knew that my eyesight could not be as good as they claimed it was.

My last appointment at Optical Express was in May, I was told that my eyesight was at -0.5 in both eyes but I was safe to drive. However I was having difficulty driving so I did not take the risk. At that same appointment I was informed of the 36 month aftercare limit and that no further care would be provided after June, including eye drops. I visited an independent optician a few months later and was told my eyes were incredibly dry and my prescription was -1.0. This proved that I was not safe to drive!

Optical Express have consistently lied and neglected me at every stage. They have also endangered my life with false claims that I was legal to drive.

They have taken a huge amount of my parents hard earned money and have not kept the promises they made before doing so. I am now stuck with constant dry and itchy eyes. I also require glasses as the surgery failed. I cannot drive at night as the glare is intensified by the glasses and nearly blinds me.

I would appreciate any help I can get.
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admin: Pls send your phone number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Sasha, I just wanted to thank you for your help finding legal representation as I was beginning to lose hope after speaking with so many other solicitors. I have now received a response from the expert who, after looking at my file evidence, is supporting my claim which is brilliant news! I advise anyone else with problems not to just give up but to fight!

Hi, I had surgery on both eyes when i was 21, I needed it again 2 years later then again 3 years later. After spending nearly 6 thousand on this i cannot afford anymore and think I was also to young.
The third time I got only my right eye done as I thought my left was ok, my right is now so sharp I feel so dizzy and am so mad I was not warned about this pre surgery.
I cannot afford to go through this again and do not want to wear glasses after having spent so much on the treatment

Last year (September 30th 2014) I had laser eye surgery. Aged 19 I had worn glasses for many years prior to this as my eyesight was pretty bad. I had been considering laser eye surgery for a while but always thought I would be turned down due to how bad my sight was. However, after gaining the confidence I booked a consultation. Some tests were performed and the optician gave me the brilliant news that I was an “ideal candidate” for the surgery, he mentioned that my eyes were an odd shape and thin so I was unable to have the Lasik surgery but I had just qualified for the Lasek surgery… I believed that this information was correct and I was actually ok to have the surgery. I was given an information booklet and a price for the surgery I was offered and I went home to think about this life changing decision.

After thinking about this, I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery and get rid of my glasses for good! I called Optical Express up and paid for the surgery in full over the phone – here I was given my surgery date and time and I was over the moon.

September 30th September – I had the surgery with Dr Mohammed Kazmi, everything went ok and I was given eye drops to administrate at set times of the day, and I followed all instructions carefully.

Day 1 after the surgery – I felt like the surgery was working and I could start noticing the benefits of the surgery. I had my first check up and I was told that everything was brilliant and everything was healing fine.

Day 4 after the surgery – I went back to the clinic to have the bandage removed from both eyes, this was a little un-comfy but it had to be done! The optician asked if I was recovering ok, I let him know that I was finding the pain a lot worse than I expected but I knew it would be worth it once it was all over, I also mentioned that I had been sick for the past 2 days and was wondering if it was anything to do with the surgery – he advised that one of the anti-inflammatory drops I was having 4 times a day was the cause for this – he gave me a different type of drop that seemed to suit me better. This was all ok but I was concerned that I was not advised when receiving the drops that this was a big side effect caused by the drops?

I went to my monthly check up and was told that the surgery had worked and I had the eye sight I wanted!!!

I was never asked to come back to the clinic after this appointment for any further check-ups, I presumed that everything was ok and there was no need to go back. (it says on the letter I received pre-op that I would be invited back 3 monthly 6 monthly and 12 monthly) but as I was never invited back I just presumed all was ok.

I have noticed my eyesight is not as sharp as it once was after the surgery – but I put this down to me over thinking things.

11 months later September 2015 – I have started having serious migraines/headaches, my vision started to go blurry and I started to feel that something was wrong. I had an appointment at OE on 6th October 2015 and was given bad news that the surgery has not worked and I would need to have surgery again!!! I asked why has this happened 1 year later?? Mohammed Kazmi's response was "it just happens sometimes". No explanation why the surgery didn’t work just that “it didn’t”. This has made me question was I really an ideal candidate in the first place at only 19?

The whole point of having this surgery was to get rid of my glasses for good but now being told I will have to go back to them if surgery is not redone.

I do not want to have surgery again as I only feel that I will be in this situation again next year. The surgery I had was much worse than expected and I do not want to put myself through that again just for a few months of good eyesight.

I am also now really worried that my eyesight is only going to continue to get even worse than before the surgery!

I really feel that Optical Express have not provided a duty of care and really disappointed with the service I have received.

I have tried on two occasions to get my medical details from them so I can review the appointment notes/details and have access to my consent form that I signed as I was never given a copy after my surgery, to which there answer is, you can have the file but there will be a £50 charge and it will take up to 21 days. I feel Optical Express are trying there hardest to hold this information back and make it a struggle to obtain MY medical details.

In conclusion, I paid a lot of money to have this surgery done and to be told 1 year later that it has not worked I have been put through lot of discomfort for a result of nothing!

This is not fair! I paid for a service and this service has been provided!!

A claim for the refund of the cost of my daughter's surgery has now been submitted via the Small Claims system naming Optical Express Bluewater and Jonathan Carr as the defendants and citing the Sale of Goods act.

Watch this space.