At 50, I decided to take the plunge and have early triple-lens replacement surgery with ophthalmologist Dr. Marwan Ghabra at The Eye Centre, 22a Harley Street.
I’d become increasingly dependent on reading glasses for everything—menus, phone screens, books—and even my distance vision was suffering, particularly at night. With both my parents having cataracts, I knew the same was waiting for me in the future. Rather than let my vision continue to decline, I began researching preventative options, and that’s when I discovered lens replacement surgery.
From the very first consultation, I felt in safe hands. Dr. Ghabra is a highly experienced eye surgeon, and his calm, reassuring manner immediately put me at ease. After detailed scans and precise measurements were taken using state-of-the-art imaging equipment, he and his son (who works alongside him) walked me through the whole process. They explained that lens replacement surgery effectively gives you new permanent lenses inside your eyes—removing the need for glasses—by using premium trifocal intraocular lenses designed to provide sharp vision at near, mid, and long distances.
It still took me six months to commit, largely because of travel commitments that clashed with Dr. Ghabra’s schedule. Once I found the right window, I booked my surgery without hesitation.
On the day, I brought a close friend from Brighton to chaperone me (and hold my hand!). Because I opted for a general anaesthetic, I wasn’t aware of the procedure itself—but I’m told it was smooth and straightforward. Each eye took about 20 minutes. During surgery, my natural lenses were removed and replaced with custom-made trifocal lenses matched to my prescription. The thought of opening my eyes and seeing clearly again without glasses felt like a miracle in the making.
Happily dozing on the hospital bed, the first person I saw when I came round was my friend. I felt fine—perhaps a little woozy and very hungry (fasting before surgery will do that!). Having a chaperone was invaluable; she kept me calm in the Uber, guided me through the train station with my protective eye patches, and stayed over to administer the antibiotic drops on my first night home.
By day two, I was confident enough to remove the eye shield and start adjusting to my new lenses. To my amazement, I was reading with clarity, driving, and working on my laptop within days—without reaching for glasses once. It honestly felt like I’d turned the clock back 20 years. At my follow-up appointment a few days later, I was reassured everything had gone perfectly.
The only real adjustment was adapting to the new prescription balance, as one eye had been corrected slightly differently to the other. I was also warned that a degree of post-surgery cloudiness can appear (which is very common). Sure enough, a little haze developed behind the new lenses a few weeks in. Dr. Ghabra recommended a quick YAG laser procedure to clear it. I popped back to Harley Street, and in literally five minutes, the painless treatment restored the crystal-clear vision I’d enjoyed immediately after surgery.
Now, months on, my sight is better than it has ever been -no glasses, no squinting, no restrictions which is ideal for travelling and being able to read boards at airports from a distance!
If you’re around my age and either fed up with glasses or looking to get ahead of cataracts, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s not just eye surgery – it will honestly change the quality of your life – my vision now feels stable and genuinely liberating, and Dr. Ghabra’s calm, reassuring manner made me feel safe and supported at every stage.
For more information on the Harley Street Eye Centre at 22a, click here