Optegra featured on BBC documentary

Specialist eye hospital Optegra is featured in a BBC documentary that explores the life-changing affect that eye surgery has had on a radiographer’s life.

Amreeta Aujla, who has worn glasses and contact lenses since the age of 10, had previously been told that her prescription was too strong for eye surgery.

The 27-year-old, who works at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, approached Optegra Eye Hospital in Birmingham to explore alternative options and had implantable contact lenses (ICL) at the facility. 

Also known as phakic intraocular lenses, ICL are tiny, soft lenses that are placed in the eye between the lens and the iris.

Reflecting on her decision to have surgery, which was driven by a desire to travel, Ms Aujla said: “Everything was difficult with such poor vision – from seeing things when I wake up in the morning to putting make-up on. All these little things build up to a huge frustration.”

Consultant surgeon at Optegra Eye Hospital Birmingham, Mark Wevill, who recommended ICLs, explained: “For some patients, like Amreeta, their very high prescription can make them unsuitable for laser eye surgery. This is a particularly good alternative for those under 40 because the natural lens of the eye, and therefore the capacity for close-up vision, is retained.”

The BBC One documentary, One day that changed my life, captures Ms Aujla’s journey from before surgery, to on the day and the results. The programme aired on 7 September and is available on iPlayer.