Mike Bennett Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery

It was a scary moment that changed his life for the better. “My optician told me I had cataracts in both of my eyes,” says Cottingham resident Mike Bennett. “They were only small, but I was referred to Hull Royal Infirmary, where the diagnosis was confirmed. I couldn’t see well at all – I could just about see my hand with my left eye. I knew I needed to do something about it.”

What Mike did proved to be one of the best decisions of his life – he contacted the Vision Surgery & Research Centre. “My partner, Val, had been to see Mr Milind Pande in the past,” says the retired 71-year old. “She was delighted with the results of her surgery and I thought I would give it a go.” An appointment with Mr Pande was soon arranged and Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery was advised.

This is a surgical technique that provides the best possible quality of vision without glasses or contact lenses. For Mike, who had worn glasses since he was 24 years old, it was a godsend.

“Mr Pande has a very good reputation and it was easy to see why,” says Mike, who worked in the IT department at the University of Hull for more than 16 years until his retirement. “He was absolutely marvellous, a thorough professional. He explained everything in detail and made me feel completely at ease.”

Mike had surgery on his first eye at the Spire Hospital, Anlaby, in August 2011. Delighted with the results after a series of follow-up appointments with Mr Pande, surgery to his second eye was carried out four weeks later. “I noticed a massive improvement straight away,” says a delighted Mike. “The recovery is fairly quick – certainly within a couple of days. “It was a strange feeling at first when I had surgery on just the one eye. I could see clearly out of one and terribly out of the other – it took at bit of getting used to.

“My wife now has 20/20 vision and I’m not far off. It’s fantastic and one of the best decisions I ever made. I can now drive without glasses, read and watch TV comfortably,” he says. “My life has improved so much and become a lot easier. I would highly recommend Mr Pande and his team. With Val having benefited from surgery previously, it was she who recommended him to me.”

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