How many times have we been on the verge of doing something, but fear of the unknown has held us back? It can be something as uncomplicated as plucking up the courage to go on a thrilling ride at a theme park or more fundamentally life changing – applying for a challenging new job, perhaps, or taking the plunge to have laser eye surgery.

Making the decision to have corrective eye surgery can be the first move towards new found freedom for people who wear glasses or contact lenses. However, before allowing someone to operate on your eyes you need to have enormous trust in the surgeon and clinical team. Obviously, it helps if you know something about the surgeon and his professional reputation, if you can meet the team before the operation, if the procedure is clearly explained to you so that there are no little surprises in store on the Big Day. It also helps if you can bring along a friend for moral support. Yet, as we know, operating theatres need to be kept sterile which is why, in the UK, friends and family are not allowed inside. Infection aside, bringing in extra people could also affect the surgery as it would alter the temperature and humidity levels, which in turn could affect the performance of the lasers.

Now, however, AVC has created a UK first and an excellent moral boost to its patients with a transparent glass laser theatre. This revolutionary operating theatre allows friends and family to be close by and watch the laser eye treatment procedure live on a screen, as it happens. So now you can feel reassured by the close familiar presence of a companion during surgery. Operating in such transparent conditions also shows the utter confidence of the surgeon and team – there’s nowhere to hide in this theatre – and brings added peace of mind to the patient. Finally, let’s not forget the inquisitive soul in all this: this arrangement, originally designed for training purposes, brings an unprecedented opportunity to watch live laser eye surgery and share a life-changing moment with someone you care about.

Here’s how it works. The surgeon’s microscope is linked to the screen in the next room, so the companion sees everything that the surgeon sees and views each step of the procedure as it takes place. It’s basically a mini master class in laser eye surgery – and it’s quite unique in the UK.

For Advanced Vision Care, excellent patient care has always been a priority. Mr CT Pillai, AVC’s internationally acclaimed medical director, personally implements each laser surgical procedure – and with over 20,000 successful operations to his name to date, there’s no questioning his skill and expertise! He also conducts the initial consultations so that any irregularities or complications, if present, can be identified before the day of the operation.

“AVC is all about providing excellent, unsurpassed patient care,” said Mr Pillai. “That means pre, during and post surgery. We take every measure possible to make our patients feel as relaxed as possible and this is one more means of doing just that.”

Barbara Brooks had LASIK eye surgery in 2003 at AVC under Mr Pillai. Now 59, she still has excellent distance vision with no need to use reading glasses for close work. Despite marvelling at her perfect vision immediately after surgery, she did however have one tiny regret. “I remember saying to Mr Pillai that I wished I’d been standing where he was, able to watch up close what he was doing,” said Mrs Brooks.

Her wish came true this year when she returned to AVC to accompany her friend, Jessica Lam, for bilateral Wavefront LASEK eye surgery. For Mrs Brooks the experience was little short of miraculous. “I didn’t just look in through the glass partition, I actually saw the whole operation on the screen before me,” she said. “It’s funny, you don’t feel anything when it’s being done to you, the light touch across your eyes – and then it’s all over so quickly. But to watch it on screen, well, you’d have to witness it to understand just how amazing it is, the skill, the deftness of the laser. Mr Pillai makes it appear so easy. If more people were able to see the procedure, they wouldn’t have any qualms about having laser surgery.”

For Ms Lam, the nerves had built up in the anticipation of her surgery, to such an extent that she was physically shaking with apprehension. So having her friend, who had herself undergone a similar procedure, in the very next room brought her welcome comfort and reassurance. “I was petrified. It’s your eyes – I knew that Barbara and her niece had both had their eyes done successfully by Mr Pillai but I was still worried,” said Ms Lam. “It was nice to have someone with me – I honestly don’t think I could have done it on my own.” As with Mrs Brooks and her niece, Ms Lam’s surgery was a complete success.

Mr Pillai again: “With the clear glass theatre, our patients have a double reassurance, in effect. They know their companion is close by in the next room, and the AVC surgical and clinical team has demonstrated its complete confidence in its own performance, skills and results. What’s more, our patients get to share this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience with someone close to them. Our patients certainly appreciate this opportunity. And let’s not forget, for the person watching, this is a unique opportunity to watch live surgery – not something they could see anywhere else in the UK.”

With this revolutionary transparent glass theatre, AVC really has addressed any remaining patient worries by removing the fear of the unknown. It’s not just a lesson in eye laser surgery, it’s a lesson both in deep understanding and outstanding patient care.