Diver can focus on living life to the full thanks to new lenses
For the last 15 years David Diston has had to virtually give up his hobby of scuba diving because of his eyesight.
David has been wearing glasses for the last 30 years and his eyesight was so bad without them he couldn't even recognise his family from 10 feet away.
"If we were on holiday and I wanted to go swimming I had to choose big landmarks close to where they were on the beach so that I could find them again," says the 50-year-old carpenter from Baildon.
His eyesight also caused problems at work. Being in the building trade his glasses were always getting dusty, and when he wore safety glasses, his own specs would steam up. If it was raining and he went inside they would also steam up.
As an active member of the Bradford Sub Aqua Club, he really struggled as he was unable to dive with his glasses on and without them he couldn't see anything. He had prescription goggles made but they weren't ideal.
"I tried contact lenses but they gave me headaches," he said. So David decided to try laser treatment. "But when I went to the hospital they laughed and said my eyes were too bad."
David is long-sighted but also suffers an astigmatism.
Astigmatism is a very common eye condition, characterised by an irregular curvature of the cornea and studies show that about one in three people suffer from it.
Yorkshire Eye Hospital consultant ophthalmologist, Oliver Backhouse suggested he try a new AcriLISA Toric lens which is multifocal and corrects astigmatism.
"Up until very recently we would have been able to fit lenses which would have corrected his distance and near vision, but not the astigmatism, so he would still have needed to wear glasses," explained Mr Backhouse.
"With these new lenses for the first time we can correct all of his conditions, which is great news for a lot of people."
Lenses which were specially made for David's eyes were implanted in exactly the correct alignment to treat his astigmatism, similar to
an internal contact lens.
The lens stays there permanently and gives focused sight. The lens that
is implanted provides the additional focusing power previously provided by spectacles or contact lens.
The lens is introduced into the eye through a tiny incision under local anaesthetic so that it lies between the natural lens and the back of the iris.
The treatment cost David 6,000, but he says it was well worth the money.
"I had the treatment on Wednesday and was back at work on Monday. It just felt a little uncomfortable."
Although he will never have 20:20 vision, David says he can now see well into the distance and can read unaided. His wife, Andrea, who is a lecturer at Bradford University is now having to get used to him without his trademark specs.
He said: "I have gone from not even being able to see the large numbers on my bedside clock to being able to see everything bright and clear, without glasses."
For more information visit www.yorkshireeyehospital.co.uk
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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