Diane & David

Lens Replacement Surgery

Twins Diane Finney and David Hoyle from Hull have always been close. They not only live close to each other in Anlaby and work together at Sandridge Blinds, but they have also just had the same pioneering eye treatment.

Diane has had eye problems since being a baby and had an operation when she was aged only two. She had to wear glasses throughout childhood and while growing up, progressing to expensive varifocal glasses and bifocal contact lenses as she got older when she needed more help with reading. She soon found that any specs frames she liked were simply not large enough to accommodate the thick lenses that she would need for her vision.

It was this that was the catalyst for Diane, 55, to visit to Hull eye surgeon Milind Pande at Vision Surgery in Hull so he could assess her eyes using his new technique, PANFOCAL Vision. He was able to tell her what the probabilities were of lens implant treatment improving her sight and reducing her reliance on her much maligned specs.

Diane’s twin brother David also decided to take the plunge as, at 55, he started to need glasses for different tasks at work. David owns Sandridge Blinds in Hull, and often needs to inspect fabrics and various elements of production that need a keen eye. Unlike twin Diane, he hadn’t previously suffered with any medical eye issues and neither had he worn glasses in childhood.

However as he entered his 50s, his ageing sight meant that he soon started to need glasses for the different aspects of the business and going on holiday meant a suitcase full of different glasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses. David had his Lens Replacement Surgery at the end of last year and has never looked back. “The results of the surgery are completely astounding. Colours seem crisper and a lot more vibrant than before, it’ s miraculous to see the difference,” says David.

“It has made a huge impact at work too – my role is very varied so I used to constantly need to be one step ahead in terms of what glasses or contact lenses I would need for different jobs. One minute I could be looking at a computer, the next I can be at a showroom desk and other times I can be with staff in a meeting or in the factory looking at small components – so my requirements were varied to say the least.”

“Milind’s treatment has allowed me to do all of these things glasses-free as well as drive and enjoy my home life. I am also able to go off on my holidays glasses free at last and it is wonderful. As a keen golfer and a member of Hull Golf Club I was secretly hoping that my new sharp, focused vision would have a positive effect on my handicap. I am still waiting but it does mean at least I can see clearly where the ball has ended up.”

Milind Pande said: “Diane’s eyesight was terrible, it was very poor and she needed high index varifocal glasses, also her bifocal contact lenses were getting uncomfortable which was becoming a real headache for her. It was impeding her everyday life very much so I knew that implant treatment would have a huge impact and give her the ability to carry out every day tasks without so much as reaching into her bag for a pair of glasses.” Following Mr Pande’s PANFOCAL vision testing, he recommended bespoke, powerful lenses specifically tailored to Diane’ s vision needs.

He then removed Diane’s natural damaged lenses and replaced these with the selected lenses which he believed would restore her vision well so she wouldn’ t need to wear glasses again. Now, after having the treatment successfully, Diane is relishing reading to baby grandson Luke without the need to wear specs. As a keen cruiser, she is also looking forward to her next cruise in June to Alaska and only packing a pair of new designer sunglasses.

“The difference between having the vision treatment which Diane and David had and standard Lens Replacement Surgery is that the overall result is ‘ seamless vision’ without the gaps that can be common with using multi-focal lenses.”