Medal-winning Phil urges others not to avoid eye surgery if needed

Sharpshooter Phil Rowley has praised a sight-saving Worcester clinic after he won a silver medal at the World Championships.

Phil was representing Great Britain in the clay target shooting discipline of Universal Trench in France when he won his prestigious medal.

The event came just a few weeks after he’d had his second cataract removed at the Newmedica Worcester eye health clinic and surgical centre.

Cataracts form when the lens of a person’s eye develops cloudy patches. Over time these patches can become bigger, causing blurred vision and eventually blindness if untreated.

Phil’s sight was deteriorating to such an extent that without surgery he wouldn’t have been able to continue long-term in the sport he excels at.

Having won a bronze medal at the European Championships team event earlier this year, he knew that if he wanted to better that performance he would have to have the cataracts removed.

Phil, 73, travelled from Northamptonshire to Worcester for the surgery, said: “I had laser corrective surgery 24 years ago. That corrected a lot of the distance vision, but with age the cataracts ended up being a lot worse.

“I wasn’t particularly nervous before the surgery. I knew my sight was going to be better, so I dismissed any concerns I had.

“Before the surgery everything looked like a sepia photograph. Now the world is so bright. It’s incredible. My sight without glasses is perfect – better than it’s ever been.

“Everyone at Newmedica was superb. The whole experience went so well and I’m very grateful to them.”

Phil is sharing his story during National Eye Health Week (23-29 September), which aims to encourage the public to take responsibility for their eye health with regular eye tests to help pick up any issues early. 

Next year the European Championships are in Portugal. A few months later the World Championships are in Rome. Phil is hoping to be in the Great Britain team for both events, going one better in his recent medal tally.

He added: “The cataract surgery really has transformed my sight. It’s now excellent. The one issue I had was getting used to seeing everything so clearly, so quickly. I’m getting more used to it all the time and I’m hoping I’ll be even better in competition next year.

“The surgery really has been life-changing for me, so I’d definitely urge anyone nervous about having the operation to just go for it. The benefits hugely outweigh any fears you might have.”

The Newmedica Worcester clinic operates from the Berkeley Business Park and provides services for NHS and private patients. It is assisting the NHS with reducing its waiting lists.

Josh Raden, Operational Director at Newmedica Worcester, said: ‘I’d like to congratulate Mr Rowley on his fantastic achievement at the World Championships. I’m sure he’ll go on to win that gold medal at next year’s events.

“He’s also absolutely right about people having no need to be nervous about the surgery. With cataracts, the procedure is very quick and really can enhance people’s lives significantly.”

Alongside Josh Raden, Newmedica Worcester is led by consultant ophthalmologists, Malcolm Woodcock, Tarun Sharma, Ranjit Nair, Salman Mirza, Tom Jackson, Matthew Edmunds.

In addition to cataract-related procedures, it undertakes oculoplastic procedures, which is a type of surgery done around the eyes, often to correct a medical problem or for cosmetic reasons. There is also treatment for glaucoma and eye floaters, as well as YAG laser treatment if required after surgery and Oculoplastic treatment.

To find out more, visit www.newmedica.co.uk/clinics/worcester or call 01905 671637.

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