Is surgery the answer?

Can corrective eye surgery really improve your golf game?

Poor eyesight is something that has plagued me throughout life. It’s not a problem that applies solely to sport or to work, but everything you do. As humans, we often take our sight for granted.

Sport especially is an environment where poor vision hinders performance and the methods of overcoming the problem temporarily, wearing glasses or contact lenses, are sadly not without their drawbacks.

As a keen golfer, I have learnt to play and improve in spite of my impairment. Glasses provide an easily removable fix, much like a training aid, that help you see clearly. But rainy conditions make glasses as good as useless on the golf course. They also make everything appear smaller because of the distance they rest from the eyes.

Then it was contact lenses, which are by far a better option. They are not affected by the rain and for some, me included, the physical appearance of wearing glasses is no longer as issue, which gets a huge thumbs up from me as I’m sure it would for almost every other young golfer out there.

So when Ultralase approached me with an opportunity to have corrective surgery, I instinctively jumped at the chance. Naturally I had my concerns, as I’m sure anyone considering having the surgery would. Most of the pros on Tour have had it done, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen to name a few (not all without complication it has to be said).

The thought of waking up one morning with 20/20 vision seemed hilarious, an impossibility. But during my consultation session, the man at Ultralase was quick to put my fears at ease.

It’s an immaculately knowledgeable and professional set-up they have there, which also helps to put your mind at rest. Ultralase also offer a lifetime guarantee which is yet another reassuring point and would certainly have been the deal-clincher for me had I had to make the choice between different providers.

So there I was the next week, lying on a surgeon’s chair with my right eye clamped open, numbed with anesthetic drops. You’re awake for the whole procedure and by and large, feel relatively little of what is happening. The surgeon narrates you through the process so there are no surprises.

You watch a flap of the front of your eye being cut and lifted and then you’re moved underneath the lazer. The lazer sounds like a bumble bee that’s close by but you don’t feel it working it’s magic, you only smell it. The sound of your cornea being frazzled is similar to that of singed hair and is a little off-putting. But the surgery flew by and within 10 minutes I was outside in the Optometrist’s office.

The aftermath is a surreal experience. The anesthetic has yet to wear off, so you feel no pain. Imagine seeing clearly on a misty day, that’s what you can see straight afterwards. I was given my eye drops and sent home, only to be in excruciating pain within an hour.

A sleepless night ensued but I finally awoke from a small nap pain free. About time! Upon seeing the optician the following morning, she assured that this amount of pain was extremely uncommon (only about 1 per cent of patients endure a more than uncomfortable pain), which failed to raise my spirits about my ordeal.

A month had gone by and my vision was different – I could see! The results were sensational, waking up every morning without having to flap my arms around feeling for my glasses. Your eyes feel gritty for that time and you need to keep taking the drops to stop infection and keep your eyes moist but it’s worth it to ensure the eyes heal quickly and healthily.

You’re able to hit the golf course within the first week and my first time on the course was a fantastic experience. It’s obviously similar to wearing lenses, but without the dryness, without the risk of problems when dust or flies get in your eye and, most importantly, without the hassle of putting them in or taking them out.

I would also say that my putting in particular has improved considerably since the surgery. I feel like my margin for error is much greater now my eyesight is perfect and I am more inclined to see subtle breaks on flat greens.

For any golfer willing to sacrifice that extra bit of cash on improving your quality of life as well as your golf game, getting corrective surgery with Ultralase is without doubt the best decision you’ll ever make.

For more information, visit www.ultralase.com