Top Laser Eye Surgeons In The UK
Based on patient reviews submitted to independent laser eye surgery review website Lasik-Eyes.co.uk.
Alex George
Where: Optical Express
Address: 5 Deerdykes Road, Westfield, Cumbernauld, G68 9HF
A distinguished ophthalmic surgeon, Mr Alex George is an expert in laser vision correction, refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery.
He is fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Irish Medical Council (IMC) and has also received a Certificate of Refractive Surgery (CERTLRS) from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. In addition to this, he has specialist training in corrective eye surgery which he received in the US.
Mr George began his career and training at Aligarh University where he graduated with a medical degree, and, after obtaining a Masters and Diploma, specialised in Ophthalmology at Bombay University. He has since gone on to obtain FRCS(Ed) and FRCOphth qualifications, as well as extra qualifications from the New Dehli National Board of Examinations in Ophthalmology.
Back to topAli Mearza
Where: Ophthalmic Consultants of London
Address: 55 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 9TF
Mr Ali Mearza FRCOphth is the Clinical Director of ophthalmology and lead consultant ophthalmic surgeon at London's Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the UK's first Academic Health Sciences Centre. His specialist interests are cornea, cataract and laser refractive surgery. As well as treating eye disease, he has particular expertise in reducing dependency on glasses and contact lenses through laser eye surgery or lens-based surgical techniques.
Having qualified from Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School in 1996, Mr Mearza has performed over 10,000 procedures including laser eye surgery, refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery. Every year people travel from over 25 countries specifically to see him for his opinion and surgical expertise.
He also has a keen interest in charitable ophthalmic work, something particularly close to his heart, and has been on numerous trips abroad helping some of the world's neediest people see again.
Back to topAllon Barsam
Where: Ophthalmic Consultants of London
Address: 55 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 9TF
Mr Barsam has full specialist registration with the General Medical Council and is one of only a handful of Consultant surgeons in the UK who is fellowship trained in Cornea, Cataract and Laser Vision Correction.
He has undergone extensive rigorous training at the world’s most prestigious institutions, Cambridge University and University College London Medical Schools, where he graduated with Honours and a Distinction in Surgery. He completed his residency training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and went on to complete a one-year fellowship in New York where he worked closely with Drs Donnenfeld and Perry, two of the US founding fathers of modern Cornea and Refractive Surgery. He followed this with an additional Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at the Western Eye Hospital in London.
In addition to this, Mr Barsam has been carrying out research towards a Doctorate in Medicine at the University of Cambridge on corneal ectasia. He has published over 30 peer review publications, 6 book chapters and is the co-author of a comprehensive textbook of Ophthalmology, which is used by Ophthalmologists around the world. He is also a member of the editorial board for Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today Europe.
Back to topBruce Allan
Where: Moorfields Eye Hospital
Address: 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD
Bruce Allan is Service Director for Refractive Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and one of the most experienced refractive surgeons in the UK. Recent television appearances include BBC News, BBC 1 Inside out, and Channel 4 Embarrassing Bodies. He regularly chairs and presents at international meetings, provides expert advice for NICE and MHRA, and has published widely on laser eye surgery, ICL implants, and multifocal intraocular lens implantation.
He balances time in private practice with a strong and continuing commitment to NHS care, specialist surgical training and research. He has served at Moorfields for over 20 years, is a national merit award holder, and has a strong reputation for surgical innovation, teaching, and the highest standards in patient care.
Notable achievements include spearheading the introduction to the UK of safe techniques for key-hole corneal transplantation, new applications of mathematical modelling to enhance accuracy in laser vision correction, and a key role in establishing ICL implantation as a safe treatment alternative for younger patients with high spectacle prescriptions.
Experience, state-of-the-art equipment and an ability to put patients from all walks of life at ease are the hallmarks of his practice.
Back to topCT Pillai
Where: Advanced Vision Care
Address: 77 Harley Street, London W1G 8QN
As medical director of Advanced Vision Care he has performed many successful procedures using Laser Insitu Keratomileusis (LASIK) and has a friendly, hands-on approach. The central London surgery deploys advanced technology whilst putting patients at ease.
Back to topDan Reinstein
Where: London Vision Clinic
Address: 138 Harley Street, London W1G 7LA
Professor Dan Reinstein is the Medical Director of London Vision Clinic and an internationally renowned laser eye surgeon. For more than a decade, he has dedicated himself solely to laser eye surgery - one of the few ophthalmic surgeons in the UK to do so.
After qualifying as a LASIK surgeon, Professor Reinstein discovered that ultrasound could be used to scan the surface of the cornea to within one micron – 1/1000 of a millimetre. This led him to build a prototype of what would become the Artemis™ scanner - now the world’s most accurate corneal scanner.
Later, he joined the specialist team at Meditec (later Carl Zeiss Meditec) that developed the revolutionary MEL 80 laser. This immediately became the benchmark laser for the industry. The London Vision Clinic has now worked closely with Carl Zeiss Meditec, one of the world’s leading optics manufacturers, for several years, and Prof Reinstein holds several patents relating to laser eye surgery.
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David Allamby
Where: FOCUS Laser Vision
Address: 20-22 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8GQ
Mr David Allamby is the founder and medical director of Focus, a refractive eye clinic based in central London. This is a well renowned, prestigious clinic which has been named as a European Centre of Excellence, an accolade achieved in 2012.
Unlike a lot of surgeons who perform laser eye surgery in addition to other procedures, Mr Allamby works full time and exclusively on this form of surgery. As well as performing all the main procedures (LASIK, LASEK and PRK) he has the distinction of being the first UK surgeon to have performed the following:
- 1. Blended Vision - This is a treatment for presbyopia (the age-related need for reading glasses). This surgical alternative was performed by Mr Allamby in January 2003.
- 2. Z-LASIK - LASIK surgery using advanced small bubble technology (aka SBT) which is used to treat both reading and distance vision.
- 3. KAMRA implantation - Yet another first was Mr Allamby's implantation of the KAMRA corneal inlay which like the Blended Vision treatment is used for those suffering from presbyopia.
Mr Allamby has also published a scientific work about ocular scar formation which was funded by a Wellcome Trust grant and undertaken at the University of Manchester. In addition, leading eye institutions such as Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital have had the benefit of Mr Allamby's expertise.
With such a list of accolades, it is hardly surprising that Mr Allamby has provided surgical training to visiting doctors worldwide and is the surgeon of choice for numerous celebrities.
Back to topDavid Gartry
Where: The Wimpole Street Eye Clinic
Address: 46 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8SD
Professor David Gartry was the first surgeon to perform laser eye surgery in the UK in 1989. Since then, he has performed over 25,000 laser eye surgeries and an additional 15,000 cataract and refractive lens exchange procedures. He is now one of the most successful laser eye surgeons in the UK with over 30 years experience in treating complex ophthalmic conditions.
Having graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1978 with a first class honours degree in Optometry, Professor Gartry is now a senior consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Due to his popularity, he also opened his own eye clinic on Wimpole Street in London in 2015 where he operates from in conjunction with his position at Moorfields.
Professor Gartry is a member of a number of prestigious societies, including the Royal College of Surgeons, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and The Royal Institution. He has also published over 50 scientific papers relating to laser eye surgery, cataract surgery and corneal surgery, as well as being the co-author of several ophthalmic books.
Back to topDavid Teenan
Where: Optical Express
Address: 5 Deerdykes Road, Westfield, Cumbernauld, G68 9HF
IMAB Member and UK Medical Director
A renowned ophthalmologist who is considered an expert in his field, Dr Teenan has had a range of specialist training in refractive surgery. He trained at the University of Dundee and graduated in 1992, going on to take up his first ophthalmology position at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Continuing his career in Glasgow, Dr Teenan undertook a Corneal and External Diseases Fellowship at Gartnavel General Hospital. Dr Teenan is also a consultant ophthalmologist and examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons.
Back to topDimitris Kazakos
Where: Optical Express
Address: Cabot Circus, Brigstow Street, Bristol, BS1 3BH
MD, MRCOphth
As a distinguished ophthalmic surgeon, Mr Dimitris Kazakos has extensive experience of performing corrective eye surgery. After completing his initial training at the Marmara University of Istanbul, he went on to take up an ophthalmology post at the Oxford Eye Hospital. After this he went on to practise at the Essex County Hospital, Bristol Eye Hospital, Queen’s Medical Centre, Ipswich General Hospital and the Southampton Eye Unit, where he completed a Fellowship in Corneal and External Eye Diseases. In addition to this, he has completed further surgical training and a Refractive Fellowship at the University of Crete, where he worked with Professor Pallikaris, who helped to pioneer the use of LASIK.
Back to topGlenn Carp
Where: London Vision Clinic
Address:138 Harley Street, London W1G 7LA
Currently working at the prestigious London Vision Clinic, Glenn Carp qualified as a doctor in Johannesburg in 1996 before moving to the UK and undergoing one of the most rigorous training programs undertaken by any eye surgeon.
Having had laser eye surgery himself, performed by Professor Reinstein in 2006, Mr Carp has first-hand knowledge as both doctor and patient. After his surgery, Mr Carp said:
"I will not lie and say I wasn’t nervous. But I watched over 500 surgeries and was confident having seen the results. The surgery was over and done with before I knew it and the recovery was very quick. I was back at work the next day and operating just three days after surgery. I can now see 20/12."
While still in South Africa Mr Carp won the Tetski Patterson Award for clinical research and received the Elli Dahan registrar of the year award in recognition of his outstanding.
Back to topGoran Helgeson
Where: Advanced Vision Care
Address: 77 Harley Street, London, W1G 8QN
Currently employed at Advanced Vision Care on Harley Street in London, Dr Helgeson graduated from Gothenburg University in 1984, going on to become a consultant ophthalmologist in 1991. His speciality is anterior segment eye surgery and he has written several papers on the topic which, reviewed by his peers, he has presented at conferences worldwide. Dr Helgeson is also a medical director of Capio Medocular, one of Sweden’s major eye clinics.
STAAR Surgical, a leading manufacturer of ICL lenses, heralds Dr Helgeson both as a medical and international course advisor. In fact, he is in a unique position to advise his patients on Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL) as in 2004 he underwent the procedure himself, ironically on the recommendation of his own patients!
Indeed, Dr Helgeson's patients can be sure they are in good hands as he has affiliations with several internationally recognised bodies including the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and the Swedish Ophthalmic Society.
Back to topJulian Stevens
Where: Moorfields Eye Hospital
Address: 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD
If one is after experience and longevity, look no further than Mr Julian Stevens who has been at the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital since 1988 and specialises in laser refractive surgery.
Mr Stevens has the distinction of being an examiner for the UK's Royal College in Laser Refractive Surgery. He is an advisor to the British Society for Refractive Surgery and is also on the board for the International Society of Refractive Surgery. In addition, he is well decorated, having won prizes from both European and American bodies dealing in refractive surgery.
Mr Stevens has set up various Wavefront training courses at Moorfields and his opinion is sought after both in the UK and internationally. His peer reviewed papers are always well received and he is in great demand to deliver keynote lectures at ophthalmologist meetings.
Unsurprisingly, his pedigree was established from before the start of his career when he won a scholarship to study medicine at Merton College, University of Oxford and graduated top of his class in 1980.
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Romesh Angunawela
Where: Ophthalmic Consultants of London
Address: 55 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 9TF
Having worked for many years at Moorfields - one of the top eye hospitals on the planet - it's hardly surprising that its Arthur Steele Unit employs some of the best laser eye surgery consultants in the UK, including Mr. Angunawela. He is a Fellow of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and has experience and knowledge of a wide variety of eye conditions. Mr. Angunawela specialises in laser eye surgery, corneal surgery and cataract surgery and completed two and a half years of specialist fellowship training in cornea and laser eye surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital and at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Romesh's practice is now based at the Ophthalmic Consultants of London, where he is supported by a staff of highly trained consultant anaesthetists, nursing and technical staff.
Back to topSaj Khan
Where: London Eye Hospital
Address: 4 Harley Street, London, W1G 9PB
Based at the London Eye Hospital, Mr Saj Khan has come to specialise in laser refractive eye surgery and the application of the Intralase femtosecond laser in corneal surgery. He completed his fellowship training in paediatric ophthalmology at the world famous Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and has the added advantage of having undergone laser vision correction himself. This may well put him in a stronger position than others when it comes to advising his clients as his words are likely to carry more gravitas.
Mr Khan's particular interests are dry eyes and visual problems related to driving and he is actively involved in the training of other ophthalmologists and their support staff both in the UK and abroad.
Back to topSheraz Daya
Where: Centre for Sight
Address: Hazelden Place, Turners Hill Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4RH
In addition to being the Medical Director and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon of the Corneo Plastic Unit and Eye Bank at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, in 1996, Mr Sheraz Daya also established East Grinstead's Centre for Sight. This centre has the distinction of being the first in the UK to offer INTRALASE refractive eye surgery which produces better outcomes and is generally considered a safer technique. Additionally, Mr Daya is internationally known for his work on refractive cataract surgery and both corneal and stem cell transplantation.
Graduating in Ireland in 1984 with honours, Mr Daya served his internship at the Royal Belfast Hospital in Northern Ireland prior to doing his residency and fellowship in the USA. He then returned to the UK to do the first ever LASIK procedure carried out on these shores. Not satisfied with this, he has since striven to make the Centre for Sight a centre of excellence and is a leading authority on any matter concerning the cornea and the front of the eye.
Mr Sheraz has pioneered a number of procedures in the area of Stem Cell Transplantation and is a member of prestigious committees on both sides of the Atlantic.
Back to topValerie Saw
Where: Advanced Vision Care
Address: 77 Harley St, London W1G 8QN
Recognised by her peers for her expertise and experience, she is an Examiner and Committee Member for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ Certification in Laser Refractive Surgery.
She conducted her medical training at the University of Sydney, where she received the University Medal for coming first place on the Honours list. She has been trained at the highest level in complex corneal and cataract surgery, having spent 4 years in advanced specialisation at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Due to her experience, she is able to offer a choice of treatments and customise these to the patient’s individual situation.
Amongst her accolades Ms Saw is a council member and conference co-organiser for the British Society of Refractive Surgeons (BSRS). She is also a member of the American, European and UK and Ireland Societies of Refractive Surgery (ASCRS, ESCRS, UKISCRS) and the European Corneal Society (EuCornea). She is a member of International Sjogren’s Syndrome Registry Review Panel (SICCA) and medical advisor for the Dry Eyes Medical website. She is a regular invited speaker at conferences and teaching courses both in the UK and abroad.
Ms Saw has been performing eye surgery for over 10 years and specialises in:
* Wavefront laser surgery for long and short-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia (Femtosecond LASIK, LASEK, PRK)
* Cataract surgery using standard, Toric and Multifocal lenses and Laser Cataract surgery
* Lens implant surgery including Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)
* Corneal grafts including DSAEK, Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) for keratoconus, Femtosecond laser corneal transplantation
* Keratoconus Surgery including Collagen Cross-linking and Kerarings/Intacs
* Contact Lens-related Eye Conditions
Ms Saw no longer treats patients at Moorfields Private. Her private practice has moved to the Harley Street area (Advanced Vision Care).
Back to topVincenzo Maurino
Where: Moorfields Eye Hospital
Address: 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD
Vincenzo Maurino holds the post of Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Laser Refractive Surgery, Corneal Surgery and Cataract Surgery at the world-renewed Moorfields Eye Hospital, the largest and one of the best specialist eye hospitals in the world. He is also Director of the Cataract Service at Moorfields and Visiting Professor of Corneal Surgery at the prestigious University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Mr Maurino completed two years specialist fellowship training in cornea and laser eye surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital and was then appointed substantive Consultant by Moorfields in 2003. Vincenzo is a highly awarded consultant ophthalmic surgeon and as a well-known expert in the fields of corneal, laser eye surgery and laser cataract surgery and lectures at international medical conferences. He has personally performed well over 20000 eye surgical procedures and is a respected and internationally renewed trainer for corneal, laser and cataract surgery. He is one of the few surgeons in the UK to have been fellowship trained in Refractive Laser Vision Correction Surgery and also holds the Royal College of Ophthalmology of England Certificate of Competency in Laser Refractive Surgery.
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