Laser surgery lets Matt keep eye on the ball for Scotland

MATT SCOTT has been in impressive form for Scotland at the Rugby World Cup.

The 25-year-old centre’s bonus point try against the United States in the second match of Scotland’s campaign was indicative of the impact he’s had on the team.

While much has been made of the Dunfermline man’s comeback from shoulder surgery to take part in the tournament, he also credits another procedure he’s had in the past year for helping him to be fully prepared for the competition.

Matt, who plays for Edinburgh in the Pro12 league, decided to have laser eye surgery while he was recuperating from his shoulder injury last September.

The 6ft 1in player has been forced to wear contact lenses on and off the pitch since he was 16 and they had long given him bother in the heat of battle.

So, when he heard about the procedure from his team physio at Edinburgh, who described it as life-changing after he’d undergone the surgery, Matt decided to take the plunge himself.

The outcome couldn’t have been better and he too describes the result as life-changing, even going so far as to credit it for helping him play in the high-profile tournament.

“The procedure definitely helped me achieve my dream of playing for Scotland in the World Cup by giving me perfect vision,” he admitted.

“Training and playing with contact lenses was a real hassle.

“Being short-sighted, I struggled to make out the finer details in the backfield and found it difficult to judge the depth and speed of the ball at times, not to mention the faff when the lenses became dislodged mid-play.

“The 10 seconds you spend fiddling with the lenses in the mud, without a mirror, could cause you to miss a crucial stage of play and ultimately cost your team the game.

“Perfect vision is crucial for my job. Being able to see things in a split second in all weather conditions was a big factor in getting it done.”

Scotland completed their Pool B group games yesterday as they faced Samoa in Newcastle.

Matt is happy to be playing his part after a tough time through injury.

So after struggling with his shoulder, Matt was delighted the laser eye procedure was so straightforward.

“It was an absolute breeze quick and painless,” he continued.

“The results were amazing even just a few hours afterwards.

“The surgery was a doddle compared to my shoulder operation and now I’m trying to persuade my mum to get it done and I’ve been raving about it to my teammates.”

He underwent the iDesign iLasik procedure at Optical Express in Glasgow.

In a recent study by the company, more than 99% of the 336,381 patients they treat with the most common prescriptions achieved 20/20 vision or better following treatment.

Matt’s surgeon, David Teenan, said: “It’s great to hear that laser eye surgery has had such a positive impact on Matt’s career.”