Jeremy Sykes

Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery

Picture the scene…Lake Como, Italy, a clear day, beautiful scenery, scores of vintage and classic cars, with great company in a an even greater setting.

For Jeremy Sykes, younger brother of Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere Hall, Driffield, that was the last time he enjoyed clear sight. Just three months later, he could barely see. Quick onset cataracts had left the 68 year old with such poor vision, he was unable to read even the main motorway signs, leaving him unable to drive!

Jeremy said; “It was very scary just how quickly my sight deteriorated. At the rate I was going I’d have been blind by Christmas! Having enjoyed clear vision at the end of May, by the time I saw an ophthalmologist in the August I had been left with very limited sight and severely incapacitated by the clouding of my entire vision in both eyes.”

Jeremy turned to Mr Milind Pande, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Vision Surgery & Research Centre in East Yorkshire for Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery. He measured Jeremy’s eyesight over a range of activities and distances and recommended a revolutionary new ‘zoom’ lens called the Symfony lens in both eyes.

Milind Pande, hails the new, technologically advanced lens as ‘ground-breaking’ and describes it as something that the field of ophthalmic vision correction has been waiting for. He said: “The Symfony lens which I implanted in Jeremy’s eyes, allows me to achieve an unprecedented level of high quality vision across all distances and removes the need for spectacles or contact lenses.” Dr Pande replaced the lens in Mr Sykes worse left eye first and followed it up four weeks later with the second eye.

“I wasn’t worried in the slightest about the operation, and in terms of the procedure after a few drops I was sedated and a local anaesthetic applied. It was completely painless and the whole process took 45 minutes. I used my eyes straight after the operation, and the recovery was unproblematic and quick”.

And now? “Well,” added Jeremy “There’s a song performed by Barbara Streisand called ‘On A Clear Day You Can See Forever’ and that’s exactly how it feels every day! I thought cataracts were something elderly people in their late seventies and eighties got. I certainly wouldn’t have put myself in the category and had no idea just how rapid the deterioration could be. Today, I am utterly delighted with the outcome. I have no need for glasses of any kind, and enjoy complete clarity of vision across all distances!”

Mr Milind Pande, finished: “Mr Sykes’ vision is completely restored to that of a 21 year old and the danger of cataracts ever appearing again is completely eliminated!”