Keith noticed that his eyesight had started to deteriorate rapidly in recent years, leaving him reliant on glasses and contact lenses to be able to perform his everyday tasks and activities. First suspecting that it might be related to his diabetes, he actually learned that it was a result of cataracts forming in both eyes, which severely impacted his vision. With contact lenses causing his eyes to become irritated, Keith was forced to rely on glasses but struggled to get used to them.

“Multifocal lenses didn’t trick my brain at all. So, I had to go back to my normal glasses and it just got on my nerves,” he explains. “You’ve got to take two pairs of glasses everywhere you go, or you go to read, you’re looking at prices of things, labels in shops, menus. You know, you’re stuck, you’re a prisoner to the glasses,” he continues. Fed up with the inconvenience, he decided to opt for lens replacement surgery to give him the visual freedom he desired: “I said to my partner Sandra ‘Right, that’s it, I’m going for it’.”

Keith was treated by Dr Alex George, one of the UK’s leading ophthalmic surgeons, and was delighted with the support and guidance he received throughout the entire process. “He’s a very, very competent specialist, you know. He’s straight down the middle which is what I like,” he comments. Finding that the procedure ran like clockwork and describing it as ‘marvellous’ and ‘pain free’, Keith couldn’t find fault with the overall experience: “I didn’t feel a thing, and everybody’s been so good. I can’t find fault with it.”

Over the moon with his restored vision, Keith was particularly surprised by the brightness and vividness of colours. “We went into the hotel for dinner, and there was a yellow flower on the table, and I said ‘I’ve never noticed that before, look how bright that flower is. That is glowing’. It was the difference, you know, it struck me right away,” he explains.

When asked if he would recommend Optical Express to friends and family, Keith didn’t hesitate: “Yes, I definitely recommend Optical Express. Very professional, the staff were brilliant, and I was well looked after. I feel great now, it’s lovely to be able to sit here like this and actually see you.”