Philip Schofield Has Laser Eye Surgery At The London Vision Clinic

Philip Schofield: So, we’ve discussed this a couple of times on the programme already. A while ago I finally decided to pluck up courage to have Laser Eye Surgery. We had Professor Reinstein in here, he had a chat with me, and I thought, okay this could be the guy to do it actually. I trust him. And it takes a little bit of sort of plucking up courage and thinking, shall I do it, shall I not do it.

Holly Willoughby: I know.

Philip Schofield (PS): 50% of people say yes you should, 50% of people, whoo no, I don’t know, I’m not sure.

Holly Willoughby: Yes.

PS: But my eyes weren’t very bad, but I was beginning to look a bit stupid because I could see distance, but I also needed reading glasses.

Holly Willoughby: You had about 10 pairs of glasses on your head at one point, he did, they were everywhere! They were like Alice bands.

PS: I mean, I admit that is actually true, as you will see in the film in just a moment. So, it was getting to the stage where I was starting to do that, and starting to do that.

Holly Willoughby: I was holding his script in the morning.

PS: So, before you insult me anymore, here’s the film.

The Initial Consultation At The London Vision Clinic

PS: I’ve checked into London Vision Clinic for a consultation to check my suitability to have Laser Eye Surgery. I’m reading with two pairs of glasses and I thought this can’t be right. You know, if I’m gradually getting more and more and more pairs of glasses on my face that I’m going to have to do something about it and apart from the fact, you know, I look stupid! Time for some tests and en-route I pass the operating theatre. I can’t hear any screams!

Katy (Patient Care Coordinator): No we’ve kept them quiet.

PS: Enough joking around, it’s time to get serious! While the computer processes the results, I head to the waiting room and talk about small world! Now Sandra is here and the reason she is here, is because of the item we did on This Morning. So, you’ve taken a while to pluck up the courage to do it.

Sandra: Yeah I have.

PS: Are you nervous about it?

Sandra: Oh yeah, I think everyone would be. I’ve plucked up the courage and lets hope we’re successful and let’s hope that we can have it done.

PS: Go through it together?

Sandra: Yes, alright then, yes.

PS: And good luck to you Sandra. Next up for me – more tests!

Alexandra (Optometrist): Good, indeed.

PS: And some of them bring tears to my eyes literally!

Alexandra (Optometrist): Keep your head quite still.

PS: And after keeping my eyes to the grindstone Alexandra has some good news.

Alexandra (Optometrist): I’m pleased to be able to say to you, that you are suitable for Laser Eye Surgery, congratulations!

PS: Oh, wow, good. Finally, there’s a thorough explanation of any potential risks with the procedure but I’m quietly confident. So, the next time we do this will be on the day of the surgery? So, no going back now. The day of the surgery and I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. I have massaged my eyes, I’ve used the special stuff, I have not worn wool because that was what they said you mustn’t do. I haven’t put any aftershave on, I’ve done my part of the deal. On a scale of one to ten, actually I’m very calm.

On The Day Of The Laser Eye Surgery At The London Vision Clinic

Professor Reinstein: On a surgery day we re-check a number of things because like any safety system, you always want to double check some things. Once this has all been double checked, we then explain to a patient what they’re going to experience so that they’re not frightened of it. And the procedure itself doesn’t hurt at all!

PS: Then a surprise! You sort my eyes, I get chocolate and a head massage?

Professor Reinstein: That’s right. I think Phillip was a little surprised when I gave him the doctor’s orders to eat the chocolate.

PS: You have to eat this because this is my medication.

Professor Reinstein: Chocolate relaxes people and it raises the blood sugar levels and that’s very good for any kind of stress reaction.

PS: I don’t know how much I’m supposed to eat. I’ve got it all over my face.

Professor Reinstein: Actually, those are very deliberate, scientifically derived things that we do and we find it far more effective than using drugs like Valium for this kind of thing.

PS: I’m very relaxed so it’s time for final preparations and then the procedure. Wow!

Professor Reinstein: I think the first thing to realise is that this is not one of these lasers that will chop through metal, pretty, isn’t it?

PS: That’s a beautiful light, that’s for sure.

Professor Reinstein: It’s such a light touch laser that you can actually put your hand under it and nothing happens. I’m going to bring you closer, tilt the head back a little bit here. To correct Phillip’s vision, I’m going to need to change the thickness of his cornea by half the thickness of a human hair. Phillip, that’s one eye done and everything is perfect there. If we correct it 10% less or 10% more then he’ll still be a little blurry, so I have to have very steady hands. Phillip you’ve had perfect Lasik in both eyes.

PS: Well, you’re right, it doesn’t hurt at all.

Philip Schofield Expresses His Emotions Moments After The Laser Eye Surgery

Professor Reinstein: Open your eyes and just see what that looks like.

PS: Well, I can see the second hand going round on the clock. Cool!

Professor Reinstein: That’s the wow, that’s the wow factor.

Professor Reinstein: I think we had a lovely reaction from him, it was very nice, very touching.

PS: I can see that that’s really clear. Oh my God! What have you done?

Professor Reinstein: I think it surprised him a little bit.

PS: Oh, that’s amazing, I can’t wait to watch this back! Oh yeah?

Professor Reinstein: Really?

PS: I had to go back and get my glasses, I left them downstairs. Well, if I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting miracles on the first day, I thought it would take a little bit of time to come clear and I did actually put them on.

Professor Reinstein: Yeah, what does that look like with the glasses on?

PS: Well, that’s er, that’s extraordinary, because it’s all blurred. Yeah, but now I can see far away incredibly clearly. Z H C B R?

Professor Reinstein: Well that’s the 20/20 line.

PS: I can see close up. I was down here before.

Professor Reinstein: Yeah.

PS: And now we have reached the trees, beautiful trees that’s just amazing.

Professor Reinstein: These are the sort of letters that he would have been seeing before the surgery without glasses and as you saw within 35 minutes he was seeing all the way down to 20/16, which is better than 20/20. It is in fact the fighter jet pilot standard.

PS: Thank you very much, thank you very much!

Professor Reinstein: No, thank you, no, thank you.

Philip Schofield Gives Away His Glasses To Charity And Describes His Initial Recovery After Laser Eye Surgery

Philip Schofield: And they have a programme which takes glasses to Africa. Every month they send them out there, this is the big goldfish bowl everyone throws their specs in and proud to be a part of that. One small snag the prescribed eye shields fell out, so I improvised! Last night, they were very uncomfortable and they kept falling off, so just think of me as the Milk Tray Man, but if I take my ski mask off and it’s the first time ever I’ve woken up in the morning and I can see clearly. That’s my view, I look out at that every morning and always have to put my glasses on before I can see the tree. And now, it is crystal clear and that’s really quite fantastic. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to the slopes.

Holly Willoughby: Was it like that.

Philip Schofield Reflects On His Experiences At The London Vision Clinic

PS: It doesn’t actually give you the Jedward Look.

Holly Willoughby: I was going to say you’ve got a little Jedward hat.

PS: I had to do that myself.

Holly Willoughby: That is fascinating to watch that, was it horrible watching them do the …

PS: No, not at all, no, even having it done wasn’t horrible and watching it back … because I’m like that anyway, I’m fascinated by all that sort of stuff it was … I’ve got two pictures actually. I think we’ve got them, I’ll just make sure we’ve got them in the right order. Here’s, here’s, here’s one yeah er yes if you look at that you can see on the right hand side there’s a circle … just the circle very, very faint that’s the laser cut. Can you see that?

Holly Willoughby: Gosh, it’s absolutely perfect.

PS: Then, on the next day, it had gone.

Holly Willoughby: It’s gone.

PS: So, it had healed, that’s how quickly they heal.

Holly Willoughby: Your eye looks like a sun burst or something. It’s amazing, it’s really nice.

PS: Thanks Holly.

Holly Willoughby: It’s alright, I know we should be looking at the laser.

PS: It’s also, they’re x-ray vision as well.

Holly Willoughby: Oh, please behave yourself!

Holly Willoughby: Listen Mr Smarty Pants, we thought we’d test your vision with this.

PS: look at that.

Holly Willoughby: Can you read that?

PS: “After the break Mr Stink and Gunk Aliens, all the latest children’s books reviewed just in time for Christmas”, how about that?

Holly Willoughby: You know the worrying thing about that?

PS: You couldn’t see it?

Holly Willoughby: I can’t read it, oh no!

PS: Your turn next.

Holly Willoughby: Oh no!

PS: Er Dan, Professor Dan thank you very much indeed ,they’re absolutely fantastic.

Holly Willoughby: I’ll be seeing you soon.

Read more patient reviews from the London Vision Clinic.