Q. Could you give us a little bit of background about yourself and how you came to be the first in the UK to carry out this implant surgery.

After Medical School at the University of St. Andrew's and the University of London, I completed my specialist training at the world famous Moorfields Eye Hospital followed by corneal and refractive surgery Fellowships.

Figure 1

I was appointed as an NHS Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with a special interest in Anterior Segment Surgery with the Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust and also Medical Director of the private London Eye Hospital on Harley Street as a Cataract, Refractive and Corneal Surgery Specialist.

With over a decade of experience pioneering multifocal and other premium implants and having worked closely with Veni Vidi the UK distributor with the IOL-VIP for macular degeneration, Calhoun vision considered that I had the appropriate knowledge and experience to perform the first Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) implant in the UK.

Q. What makes the light adjustable lenses different?

Figure 2

The Light Adjustable Lens is probably the greatest leap forward in lens implant technology since the first implant was used 60 years ago. With every other lens, many patients are left with a residual refractive error due to biometric calculation inaccuracy or surgically induced astigmatism etc. With the LAL, the implant can be adjusted after surgery to correct for this residual refractive error by the safe and non-invasive application of ultraviolet light controlled by a sophisticated computer system giving patients the best vision possible. The lens adjustment is so precise that studies have shown it is possible to correct Higher Order Aberrations potentially giving patients even better vision.

Q. What concerns did you have at the outset?

I was one of the first surgeons to carry out Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty in the UK in 2003 and knew immediately it would change corneal surgery forever. Likewise after a very thorough review of the literature and technology I felt it was a milestone in lens implant development with huge potential.