Opticians and Ophthalmology
All opticians are private and there is no free eye care. Prices for glasses and lenses will tend to be more expensive than those in the UK as there are no very large chains offering second pairs of glasses free. Most opticians in the more cosmopolitan areas of the island speak sufficient English to get you through an eye test, even if your Spanish is minimal. However, the glasses and contact lenses sold by opticians increasingly seem like the technology of yesteryear as the medical science of ophthalmology comes of age. Nowadays, costs of surgical intervention are so low, with many operations performed in a matter of minutes, that there is hardly any reason not to consider a more permanent solution to bad eyesight.
The most common form of corrective surgery is called Lasik. During LASIK surgery, a small incision is made in the cornea to create a flap. Then, a laser beam works within the cornea to reshape it for vision correction. After the reshaping, the flap is put back into place and serves as a sort of natural bandage. Although this sort of surgery is widely available, the technology behind the laser has advanced in leaps and bounds. Different laser systems with different capabilities are available, affecting the accuracy with which your cornea is reshaped, and the results you can expect. The advanced LADARVision machines provide the most accurate surgery possible, based on technology originally designed for NASA. There is only one of these machines in Tenerife, installed at the Oftalmológico Muiños y Asociados.
A rapidly increasing number of medical tourists now come to Tenerife for eye surgery, lured by a newly opened specialist clinic in Santa Cruz. Led by one of Spain’s renowned specialists, the Centro Oftalmológico Muiños y Asociados is a practice specialising in all aspects of ophthalmology and is the only centre outside of the hospitals authorised to carry out major surgery. But it is not just tourists that have discovered this new centre of excellence on our doorstep, but a growing number of expats as well. Christine Latham and her husband moved to Costa de Silencio some nine years ago, from Wigan, and according to Christine, “we never regretted a day of it!” However, having no regrets did not mean that there were no problems. Christine’s eyesight was deteriorating due to the onset of cataracts.
“I hated wearing glasses,” said Christine Latham, with feeling, “especially in this hot weather.” But it was the increasingly unclear vision cause by cataracts that prompted Christine to visit Dr Muiños. “I was recommended by friends,” said Christine. Dr Muiños as treated many expats of all nationalities. Having spent time in the UK, the Doctor speaks excellent English, but surprisingly also speaks five other languages as well. Despite being in such capable hands, Christine admitted, “I was absolutely terrified!”
The Oftalmológico Muiños y Asociados is the by far best equipped practice in the Canaries, with a state of the art solution to Christine’s problems, and they are used to patients who are anxious. In an operation that took only 15 minutes for each eye, Christine had multifocal lenses implanted, correcting her vision and permanently solving her cataract problem in one stroke.
“It changed my life,” said the delighted Christine. “Really, I can only sing their praises. I don’t need glasses to read… my eyesight is perfect!”
If your vision is not perfect, then it is well worth a consultation and diagnosis at the Centro Oftalmológico Muiños y Asociados (Grupo Innova Ocular). Complying to ISO 9001:2000 quality standards and with 6 surgeons covering the complete range of ophthalmological specialisms, there is a wealth of experience on your doorstep. Costs are not high, and certainly compare very favourably with countries like the UK and Ireland.
 Centro Oftalmológico Muiños, TenerifeTelephone: 922 205 474Address: You can either visit the main clinic in Santa Cruz at C/ Emilio Serra Fernández de Moratín, 6-A, or arrange a consultation in the south, where they run a part time clinic within the USP Costa Adeje Hospital. Visit Website or Send an Email |
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