I had a pterygium removed from one of my eyes by Dr Hirst. I have to say he is one of the finest doctors I have ever encountered. He is polite, caring and takes a lot of pride in his work. I travelled from overseas so it was a fairly pricey adventure but well worth it. Not all doctors are created equal; when is comes to specialist jobs there is a huge range in skill level and just because someone has got the certification does not mean they can actually do the job well. You really have to see the results of someone's work and in Dr Hirst's case the results are fantastic. I would recommend him to anyone and especially to anyone who has had a previous surgery to remove a pterygium and it has returned. I was getting attention from other people who thought I had bloodshot eyes so I always looked tired. I had intended to get both eyes done but he said there was a downtime between doing two eyes so it would have been impractical.The actual surgery is pretty quick but the feeling afterwards of having stitches in your eye is extremely uncomfortable for a good week. He did expect my vision to be good within a couple of weeks after the surgery but my vision was actually really bad for about two months but finally it came right. My vision is 1.0 in the right eye, which is what it was before the surgery but for a long time it was about 0.2 or so. This did stress me out but in the end it is an excellent result. I recommend following the eye drop regimen religiously and keep your eyes well lubricated because I think it helps speed up the healing process.I will definitely go back to him if the other eye gets bad enough and my short memory forgets how uncomfortable the week after surgery was. You should get perfect results from him.
Traveling to Australia to have Dr Hirst remove my pterygium was the best medical decision I ever made. I am a testament to how great of a surgeon Dr Hirst is. I had about 7-10 surgeries on my left eye. Thousands of dollars spent on doctors that advertised themselves as experts on pterygium removal. My pterygium would always return. I was filled with anxiety. My last two surgeries from the same doctor were the worst. My eye looked horrific. The scarring was so bad. Leap of faith and the power of the internet I came across Dr Hirst. He responded to my inquiries immediately. Not an office staff but Dr Hirst himself. Dr Hirst was very patient with me and my multitude of questions. He understood my fear of another surgery. He never promised me the world and set realistic expectations of the outcome due to my multitude of surgeries. My pterygium has not grown back. To say I am happy with the result is an understatement My heart is tickled. I feel whole again. From his office staff and to those at the surgery center all were understanding, kind, and hospitable. I also had the pleasure to see Dr Hirst here in Las Vegas. He attended a convention in the states and was in Las Vegas for a visit. He wanted to arrange a follow up on my surgery at my ophthalmologist's office. Very thankful that he took the time on his vacation to see my well-being. Am forever grateful to Dr Hirst. The only doctor to prevent pterygium recurrence.
Professor Lawrence Hirst is the consummate professional. I had a Pterygium removed by Dr Hirst in June 2017. I was so very pleased with not only the outcome of the surgery but the pre and post care and attention to detail by Dr HIrst's entire team, that I had a recurrence Pterygium removed in December 2017. If any person suffering from the irritation and annoyance of a Pterygium is looking for the VERY BEST, look no further than this very professional and highly skilled gentleman. From the moment you make the first phone call to his team you will not look back. Thankyou ,Dr Hirst and your entire team. Warm regards Samantha Small
I would definitely recommend Professor Hirst to anyone requiring a pterygium removal. He was extremely knowledgeable and I felt as though he genuinely cared about the outcome. The recovery and after care was much better than a previous surgery I'd had.
I have had the effects of pterygiums in both eyes from early twenties. With an increase in growth in the last 15 years. Having had another method used previously and the surgeon having retired my family doctor recommended using the Australian Pterygium Centre for review and treatment of my existing Right eye. The whole treatment has been great and the cost of flying of flying across Australia to Brisbane to have the surgery was worth it. I would recommend this method of treatment, Dr Hirst, the Queensland Eye Hospital and all personnel in the associated teams.
I had my pterygium removed by Dr Lawrence Hirst at the Brisbane Eye Hospital in January this year. The procedure was thoroughly explained to me and it all went exactly to plan. Everyone involved were marvellous. I have a perfect result. I would recommend Dr Horst and his team to anyone with a pterygium.
I grew up in the sun and at 35 years old I had already spent several years embarrassed and uncomfortable because of my Pterygium. What started as a bloodshot eye (people would often ask if I was tired, suffering from allergies, or if I had drunk too much), soon became a visible growth which I felt everyone was staring at all the time. I couldn’t wear my contact lenses, blinking irritated my eye, and I was using eye drops every hour in an attempt to clear the redness and relieve the itching. At a regular check-up, my optometrist recommended Dr. Lawrence Hirst as a number of her other clients had great results with P.E.R.F.E.C.T for PTERYGIUM. Having never had any form of surgery before I was extremely nervous but I knew I had to do something to help the discomfort and improve my self-esteem. 11 months since my initial consultation, I am so grateful that I made that appointment. All discomfort is gone, I’m no longer reliant on drops, and I feel so much more confident. I even receive compliments on my eyes. So why P.E.R.F.E.C.T for PTERYGIUM? I know the website will explain the improved recovery time and reduced recurrence rate, but my top 5 reasons are: - From the moment of my first consultation to final evaluation I felt Dr. Hirst and his team were highly professional, experienced and I knew I was in safe hands. They are a ‘well-oiled machine’ which ensures everything happens on time and as expected. - At no point did I feel I was out of my depth or unsure of what was going to happen with the procedure. Dr. Hirst took the time to clearly outline all steps of the procedure, what to expect regarding recovery, and made sure I was 100% comfortable. All questions were answered before booking the surgery. - I like to think I am brave, however having never had any surgery I was terrified about anaesthetic, and even more so about twilight surgery. The whole team at the Cataract Clinic in North Sydney (Dr. Hirst’s Sydney location) were amazing. The nurses, anaesthetist and Dr. Hirst made me really comfortable, again explaining everything so I knew what was going to happen and when. I really couldn’t believe how quick and painless it all was when the procedure was over. - My recovery was quick and easy. I made sure to follow the aftercare procedure properly and aside from some initial pain in the first few days (easily managed with the prescribed pain relief and sleep) and a red and lazy eye for about a fortnight, things were back to normal for me very quickly. The personal phone check-ups from Dr. Hirst following the surgery were great, and again he answered my questions and put me at ease right away. - I recently had my final check-up. I didn’t realise how nervous I was that my Pterygium might return until I heard that it was gone for good. After walking out of the clinic for the last time I couldn’t stop smiling and I had to call my family to tell them the good news. What an amazing feeling. A little under a year from my first consultation I am pterygium free, and my only regret is that I didn’t hear about Dr. Hirst and P.E.R.F.E.C.T for PTERYGIUM sooner. I absolutely recommend Dr. Hirst. If you are shopping around or considering a standard operation elsewhere, I say stop looking and make a booking for a consultation with Dr. Hirst today.
When 3 years ago my pterygium started growing I looked everywhere for a solution. I'm a female in my 30s, and my ugly pterygium crushed my life and soul. I visited many doctors in the US and Mexico, but the general consensus was always the same: "Pterygium surgery is risky because of the high recurrence rates." When I read about Dr. Hirst's procedure (and the 0.1% recurrence rates), I contacted him immediately. He replied at length, answering all my questions. After a couple of email interactions and a phone call, I knew that the trip from Los Angeles to Brisbane to see Dr. Hirst was my best option. Today, 9 months after my surgery, I'm very happy to say I was right. I felt very comfortable with Dr. Hirst at all times. He is very patient and answered all my questions during the initial consultation and my multiple I'm-freaking-out phone calls after the surgery and during the follow-ups. His staff is also very helpful. My eye looks totally normal again. I couldn't be happier with the results of the surgery. Dr. Hirst changed my life!
I am from Canada. About eight years ago, I was diagnosed with pterygium inmy left eye. My first Canadian opthalmologist (eye surgeon) right away performed the first pterygium surgery in my left eye. Unfortunately, after seven years, the pterygium in my left eye retuned. Due to my first opthalmologist retirement, a different Canadian eye surgeon performed my second pterygium surgery, which took place in June 2015. Sadly, six months after the second surgery, pterygium again returned to my left eye, and I had to go for another surgery (the third surgery), which took place in mid December 2015 and resulted in the return of pterygium to my left eye within two weeks after surgery & also caused eye infection. Prior to my third left eye pterygium surgery, I assumed pterygium was just a minor disease in the eyes that could be removed easily by minor surgery, usually takes about 30 minutes. However, after three unsuccessfully surgeries in Canada, and noticing that the pterygium in my left eye seemed to be more aggressive in term of returning faster and being more severe as more surgeries were performed, I began to consider pterygium was a serious disease & thereby wanted to look for an eye doctor somewhere in the world that would be the best in pterygium surgery. The reason I wanted to look for the best pterygium eye doctor in the world was that as advanced as Canada in term of medical services, my pterygium in the left eye could not be removed permanently. This disease must be therefore complicated & difficult to treat. From searching the internet & reading online patient reviews, I found a couple pterygium specialists that were considered the best in their field. I believed two were from the USA, one from India, and Professor Lawrence Hirst from Australia. I decided to go with Professor Lawrence Hirst because he was a full time Pterygium dedicated eye doctor. He did not treat any other eye disease. Second, which was critical for my decision, Professor L Hirst developed his own pterygium surgery technique called P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Basically, this technique was developed by Professor Hirst after many years of pterygium surgery that entails cutting the pterygium deeper & wider. Also, Professor Lawrence Hirst had been trained and worked for a while at the Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. This eye institute is considered one of the best eye hospitals in the world. I contacted Professor Lawrence Hirst in about March 2016 enquiring whether he would accept me as his patient. His office replied that he was on vacation in India and that he would reply to my email upon his return. To my suprise, Professor Lawrence Hirst replied to my email the next day while he was still on vacation. He replied that he would take me as his patient & asked that I emailed him a couple good pictures of my left eye, so that I would not have to travel to Australia for the pre-surgery examination. After viewing my left eye pictures & subsequent to a couple more email exchanges, I came to Brisbance, Australia on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, and before surgery, I saw Professor Hirst on Wednesday, July 21, 2016 in his office. Professor L Hirst was a very nice & professional. He was also mild in manner, polite, & caring. He saw me in his office & explained to me the conditions of my left eye pterygium, and the details surgery plan that he had for me. His staff was also very nice, helpful, and very professional. They were very pleasant & asked if they could help me in any way to make my stay in Australia easy. My fourth pterygium surgery, which was performed by Professor Lawrence Hirst, took place on Monday, July 25, 2016 in Queensland hospital, Brisbane, Australia. The hospital was very clean, very well equipped, & the staff was super professional & pleasant. Before surgery, a register nurse saw me, asked me a few questions, explaned to me what the surgery would entail, & enquired if I would be ok for the surgery. Then, an anesthetist also saw me, asked me a few questions, & explained to me what he was going to do for me interm of the surgery & took me to the surgical room. The surgery took about two hours rather than about one hour usually by Dr. Hirst because my left eye pterygium was in quite an advanced stage because of three previous unsuccessful surgeries; it was completed right before I woke up. The nurses then took me to a monitor area & kept me there for about 30 minutes to ensure that I would be ok before letting me go home. Professor Hirst saw me one day after my surgery. He also saw me every week for three weeks before I went back to Canada. He also provided me with his direct telephone number during my stay in Australia to call whenever I needed to talk to him after surgery. I returned to Canada about the third week of August 2016. During the first three months of my return, Proferssor Hirst followed up with my Canadian eye doctoc to help monitor and ensure that my eye would be healed & taken care properly. During this period, Professor Hirst also asked me to send my left eye pictures for his examination, and he followed up with phone calls to me to ensure that I would be ok. So far, about six months after my surgery, there is no sign of pterygium returning to my left eye. Amazingly the physical appearance of my left eye looks very good right now because a person would not be able to tell that I had pterygium surgery in my left eye if I do not tell him/her.
My both eyes had Pterygium. It had started at the corner of my eyes, over the cornea, covering one side of the iris and had just started to grow over the edge of the pupil and therefore was affecting my vision. I went to several doctors around the world and all recommended immediate surgery involving removing the Pterygium and grafting a piece of sclera from under my upper eyelid to the place where the Pterygium was removed from, I was told that this type of surgery severely limits the chances of Pterygium regrowth. I operated my “right eye” from an overseas doctor in South Asia and it was a nerve wracking experience and I am still having minor post-surgery complications. Keeping in view my ‘right eye’ experience I researched for the best doctor in the world and selected Dr Lawrie Hirst based in Australia for my ‘left eye’ surgery. I am based overseas, so I contacted Dr Hirst thru email, sent my details/eye photos and he accepted me for surgery. My first meeting with him was very cold and first impression was that he is a bit arrogant; however, I was so wrong. At the day of my surgery Dr Hirst told me that the procedure would be painless and that I will be awake. Indeed the operation was painless and was extremely well managed. Dr Hirst personally supervised it all, I must say it was a experience to remember. Outstanding surgery and pain management by the doctor. Personal assurance from the surgeon was par exellence. A difference of “Day and Night” when I compare it to my earlier (right eye) surgery performed in a different country. Dr Hirst personally managed post-operation follow up. My recovery was very fast and almost pain free. Prof. Hirst warned me that after the Pterygium removal, I will need a carer and support. I would have struggled had my Sister's family not been around to manage all post-surgery care i.e. applying eye drops, medication management and care for other personal needs. My Sister and her family made me very comfortable. The care and love shown by them was amazing and a real blessing. It is now fourth month after surgery. My “left eye” operated by Dr Hirst is in perfect shape and I am very satisfied at this point.
