Dr Peter Ring, Leading New Zealand Eye Surgeon, iLASIK, Eye Institute

Dr Peter Ring is a highly experienced surgeon who makes patients safety a priority and believes vision correction surgery is all about choice.

The freedom from spectacle dependence that vision correction surgery provides can open new vistas for people, and life opportunities that they could never have previously imagined. However many prospective laser patients worry that they will not be able to meet the specific criteria for the surgery. They may feel that they are too old or that their eyes are no longer suitable for laser surgery.

Patients who book an appointment with Dr Ring may be surprised to discover then, that there are numerous options available to them. Dr Ring’s expertise in vision correction is both deep and wide. This means that Dr Ring is able to provide vision correction services to patients from all different walks of life, with different needs, different eyes and of different ages. Both the young and the young-at-heart, who wish to restore their vision to levels they had once enjoyed, are catered for. A solution is tailor-made for each patient depending on his or her age, stage and choice.

Dr Ring offers both the experience that comes with his 23 years as a vision correction specialist, and the passion for using the most up-to-date technology. He was one of the first surgeons to introduce laser refractive surgery to New Zealand and since then has been at the forefront of laser vision correction treatments. As laser surgery in New Zealand has changed over the years, his practice has grown and developed with it. Dr Ring’s interest in research also has allowed him to continue to offer the latest international advancements in laser surgery.

Are you in your early forties or below? The joys of iLASIK.

Dr Ring is able to free you from spectacles with the totally blade free procedure known as iLASIK Laser Vision Correction. (click in this box to read more or hide)

After Dr Ring and his highly trained staff have completed the procedure, an iLASIK patient can expect 20/20 vision or more. The potential for iLASIK to improve lifestyle is vast. The procedure is the safest, most trusted treatment available for vision correction.

One of the key components in quality vision care is technology. Dr Ring believes that much of a surgeon’s responsibility to his patients involves using the latest, most technologically advanced equipment available when undergoing iLASIK laser vision correction. To stay on top the latest advances, he also constantly evaluates emerging technologies that can offer the best treatment options for his patients.

The iLASIK technology

iFS The new IntraLase iFS (femtosecond) laser technology Dr Ring employs provides high precision, safer computer controlled technology for creating the corneal flap.

Today it is possible to capture measure and treat both lower and higher-order visual errors with the new and advanced WaveFront Mapping technology. WaveFront Guided Customized iLASIK combines the precision and safety of the blade-free iLASIK procedure with the improved visual results of the WaveFront Guided treatment.

VISX STAR™ S4 and CustomVue
The VISX STAR S4 Excimer Laser System reshapes the cornea and is approved by National aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for pilots and astronauts.
Benefits of iLASIK:

The safest, simplest procedure for vision correction
Blade-free
Visual freedom for an active lifestyle

Click for more information on iLASIK.

Read Aran's first hand iLASIK experience with Dr Ring

To book an appointment with Dr Ring to discuss ReSTOR please call
0800 BEST VISION (0800 237 884) or email , or fill out our quick and easy online enquiry form here.

As an active person, Aran Blackmore never noticed any problems with his eyesight in his youth. Vision only became a problem for Aran in his twenties. “When I started being unable to see things my friends and family could see easily, I knew I had a problem. That’s when it struck me hard that I needed to take drastic action about my eyesight,” he says. When Aran went to an optometrist to get his deteriorating eyesight checked out, he discovered that he was short-sighted and had astigmatism in both eyes.

Aran had initially thought that laser eye surgery was not suitable for him, but later took a chance to see for himself after hearing about iLASIK. “I thought I may as well give them a call – and discovered that I was eligible to have iLASIK, as it treats near and farsightedness, including astigmatism, so I jumped at the chance to book an appointment that very day.”

For Aran, the timing of the surgery was crucial. “I was getting married in a few weeks and then going on a dream honeymoon we were both looking forward to. It was important that the surgery wasn’t going to affect that,” he says. “We were off to the Cook Islands, so naturally I wanted to be able to swim, snorkel and enjoy the sunshine.” Happily for Aran, everything fitted in because of the fast turnaround times for iLASIK surgery.

The procedure lasted only twenty minutes for Aran. When he returned the next day, he says he “was left with what was basically 20/20 vision”. “I was absolutely blown away. I could drive home myself right then!” he adds. “Only two checkups post-honeymoon and the entire iLASIK procedure was complete.”

“Dr Ring and Jasha were true professionals and made the whole experience painless and absolutely fuss-free and they were very accommodating,” says Aran. “From a financial point of view, getting iLASIK done at a younger age was a smart move. Think of it as a capital outlay initially. But after that initial investment, I don’t have to worry about buying contacts for the next 30, 40, or 50 years.”

Are you in your late forties or above? The Benefits of ReSTOR^©.

Regardless of how strong your vision was when your eyes were young, eyes that have been hard at work for many years will naturally take some strain. After regular laser surgery, many of those in this age bracket still require reading glasses as the lens in the eye becomes less pliable. (click in this box to read more or hide)

ReSTOR Multifocal Intraocular lens surgery is an alternative revolutionary way to restore eyesight with no need for reading glasses afterwards or having to worry about cataract surgery later in life. This procedure is also suited to those with cataracts. Unique to this procedure is its ability to maintain ‘binocular single vision’ in the long-sighted person. Unlike other procedures, this option means you don’t lose your depth of vision.

In January 2009, Dr Ring put in his 500th ReSTOR lens. Click to read more about Dr Ring’s 500th ReSTOR (pdf news article).

ReSTOR is a particularly specialised field, and Dr Ring is one of the few surgeons in New Zealand to offer it. In comparison to other procedures, which work by having one eye short sighted and the other longsighted, ReSTOR gives the patient both distance and near vision in both eyes. After ReSTOR, you can read a book, work on the computer, drive a car or play tennis or golf without worrying about which glasses to wear or not wear for which activities. Patients who have undergone ReSTOR with Dr Ring often comment on their newfound visual independence. If you are in your late forties or above, have difficulty reading and seeing distance (long sighted), or have cataracts, this surgery could be suitable for you.

As a patient your eyes are assessed to meet all of the required safety measures and protocols. All the options for vision correction are discussed with you and the best treatment options selected. Before patients come into Eye Institute they are sent a comprehensive information pack including a DVD.

Benefits of ReSTOR:

No need for reading glasses afterwards
Pre-empt cataracts – never have to have cataract surgery
Distance and near vision in both eyes – the closest possible to natural vision
New lease on life for late forties and above

Download our pdf of facts and information on ReSTOR here.

Read Jennifer's first hand ReSTOR experience with Dr Ring

To book an appointment with Dr Ring to discuss ReSTOR please call
0800 BEST VISION (0800 237 884), email , or fill out our quick and easy online enquiry form here.

Severely longsighted, Jennifer Aston wore glasses from the age of two. “My parents used to tie them to me because I was always pulling them off,” she says. “I was known as ‘four eyes’ at school.” At 16 she was determined to have contact lenses even though her optometrist at the time informed her that because her eyesight was so poor, the contacts would have to be thick and could cause damage to her eyes.

She was given hard contact lenses, which were the best lenses for her at the time. In the years she wore them from age 16 to 61, she scratched her cornea on many occasions and could not wear contacts for some time while reverting to glasses. To add insult to injury, she had to recuperate from every corneal scratch in a dark room for the first 24 hours. Because she and her husband are avid travellers, it also used to be a mission to take contacts everywhere she went, packing all the equipment in lots of little plastic bags.

On her first visit to Dr Ring, he recommended ReSTOR intraocular lenses, where Jennifer’s natural lens would be taken out and an artificial one put in, removing her lifelong dependence on contacts. Her new ReSTOR lenses have made the crucial difference in many aspects of her life. Jennifer cannot help but extol the life-changing nature of her surgery. “Even now, I wake up in the morning and I think, wow, I can see!”

“It was lovely to deal with Dr Ring and Jasha’s team,” says Jennifer. “You feel as though you are not going to be rushed into anything. It’s not simply about performing the surgery: they will only do it if it is right for the particular patient. They were very professional.

“I had absolutely terrible eyesight – if they can fix my eyes, they can fix almost anyone’s.”

A commitment to giving the right patient the right prescription is the cornerstone of Dr Ring’s practice. Today, people seeking spectacle independence are presented with a myriad of sometimes confusing choices. Dr Ring believes in carefully informing his patients of all the options best suited to their specific needs, and allowing them to make their own informed decisions. The choice a patient makes must be the right one for them in the long term.

That commitment has made Dr Ring one of New Zealand’s most sought after vision correction surgeons. He has performed laser surgery on fellow ophthalmologists and other respected professionals in the medical industry, as well as on a variety of well-known New Zealanders. Altogether he has performed over ten thousand laser procedures, each of them unique.

Other practices often have larger teams, which may mean seeing various team members from consultation to consultation. Patients under the care of Dr Ring and his Vision Correction Educator and Senior Ophthalmic Technician, Jasha, only see them and so are guaranteed personalised and consistent care.

Jasha Morarji
Vision correction educator for iLASIK and ReSTOR^©
Ophthalmic Technician

Jasha has worked with Dr Ring for 30 years and her skill and knowledge have been acknowledged by becoming a foundation member of the Eye Institute team.

Having had a ReSTOR intra-ocular lens implant herself, Jasha can readily appreciate the needs and anxieties of patients surrounding the decision to undertake surgery and this has led to many referrals being passed on from former patients. Click to read about Jasha undergoing a ReSTOR Implant.

"Jasha’s technical knowledge, teaching and communication skills and personal attributes make her an integral part of my practice,” says Dr Ring. “She has the ability to pass on her extensive knowledge to a patient so they are always reliably informed and understand the different treatment options, the likely outcomes and any potential risks associated. Her passion for the field of vision correction has been to the practice’s benefit as she keeps up with the latest technology in addition to attending national and international meetings and presenting papers.”

Dr Ring’s two other team members are Sandra Dobbs and Aaron Sheldrake, who job share the support role for Dr Ring and Jasha. They can help you with your initial vision correction appointments, surgery bookings and discuss payment options. You will find them friendly, efficient and always willing to help you.

In addition to his practice at Eye Institute, Dr Peter Ring each year has presented at various prestigious international and national events.

He has published over 27 papers in peer reviewed journals and contributed to numerous educational courses for Nurses, Orthoptists, General Practitioners, medical students, Optometrists and trainee ophthalmologists.

In January 2009 Dr Ring and Jasha presented two major research papers at the Asia ARVO scientific conference Hyderabad, India: “Visual Outcomes and Higher Order Aberration Differences between Spherical and Aspheric ReSTOR multifocal IOLs” and “Femtosecond versus microkeratome LASIK”, the former was given the “Best Scientific Paper” award for the session.

Dr Ring carried out his post-graduate training in Ophthalmology in London at the prestigious institutions of: Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital and Moorfield’s Eye Hospital.

Dr Ring is married to Alison. They met when she was a ward sister at Moorfields Eye Hospital where he was training. Together they have two grown children: Charlotte and David, and are a close-knit family.

Apart from his family, Dr Ring’s other passions vary, from rugby, tennis and Formula One racing to cooking, reading and relaxing at the beach. He has also clocked up more than one hundred hours flying with a PPL license and is a Designated Medical Examiner for Civil Aviation.

Dr Ring also holds the sporting distinctions of an Otago University Blue and a New Zealand University Blue in fencing.

The Ring Team

Dr Ring and senior members of the theatre team after operating on his own technician, Jasha, the Vision Correction Educator. Jasha had a ReSTOR lens implant.

Dr Ring performing a Cataract Operation

Dr Ring using the new IFS technology for laser vision correction

The 500th ReSTOR patient on their second day after the operation

Happy 500th patient on the second day after ReSTOR Intraocular Lens Implant

Dr Ring and Jasha with prize for Best Scientific Paper Award

Dr Ring and Jasha with prize for best 'Best Scientific Paper Award'

Jasha attended the ReSTOR meeting at the San Francisco townhall 2009

Following the Asia-ARVO conference the Rings and McGhees accompanied by Jasha, undertook an exotic journey through Southern India stopping at numerous palaces, temples and ancient cities from Bangalore to Goa while being fed and pampered on the "Golden Chariot" train.

Dr Peter Ring and his wife Alison Ring with Jasha Morarji at the railway station in India.The team were welcomed at this Heritage site by the local community.