Success for 'first' eye patient

Mr Thompsett had to have stitches removed and ongoing eye tests

A man said to have been the UK's first person to have pioneering laser eye surgery has gone from being almost blind in one eye to not needing lenses.

Leigh Thompsett, from Heathfield in East Sussex, underwent a full corneal transplant by laser at the Queen Victoria Hospital, in East Grinstead.

Just a year after having virtually no vision in his left eye, he can now read and drive without corrective lenses.

"My eyesight has been great since my operation," Mr Thompsett said.

Consultant Sheraz Daya said he was the first of five patients to have successfully undergone the treatment so far.

'Faster' method

Mr Thompsett needed a transplant because he was diagnosed with keratoconus, where the cornea becomes stretched and begins to bulge at the centre, causing short-sightedness and distorted vision.

The laser surgery involves cutting the donor cornea with zig-zags around the edge, and then locking it into the patient's eye using the exact reverse pattern.

Mr Daya said it was more precise than traditional cutting techniques.

"The chances of good vision correction are much higher than traditional methods," he said.

"The healing's a lot faster and even the procedure itself is faster."