Latest knock-out for the hitman - brand new 20:20 vision

The Manchester boxer, who is now a professional trainer and runs Hatton Boxing health and fitness centre, said his vision deteriorated the minute he turned 40 and that at each subsequent eye test, his vision seemed to get considerably worse.

Now 45, he said: “It was like someone turned a switch – I could not read my phone, a menu in a restaurant, anything. And I travel a lot so not being able to see the Sat Nav was really annoying! I run my life through my phone – all my planning, meetings, emails, so suddenly I found myself constantly, all day long, putting glasses on and off just to manage. Every time the phone rang I had to find my glasses.

“And if I lost my glasses, or forgot them, I was in real trouble! All day long, ‘where are my glasses?’ – it affected every day, I was so dependent on them. In the end I just could not see well enough to do what I needed in life.”

A few of his friends had mentioned specialist eye hospital group Optegra and said vision correction surgery was the best thing they did, so Ricky booked in for a consultation. He said: “My friends raved about it so I thought I would give it a whirl. I was told I could have lens replacement surgery.

“Even on the day of the op I could tell there was a big improvement, my vision was considerably different. By day two it was pretty much bang on perfect, but over the next few weeks my eyesight has just got better and better, and now I can see brilliantly!

“Life is so much easier now and so much less hassle. People who wear glasses will know exactly what I am talking about – not to have that weight anymore, it is the best thing I have ever done.”

As for the procedure itself, Ricky said: ‘It was very quick and that surprised me to be honest. I also expected it to be a bit painful. It certainly was not, just a bit uncomfortable with putting the lens in, fixing it and keep it lubricated. But it was done so quickly – half an hour and all done.

“Optegra made me feel so comfortable all the way through. It’s natural to panic a bit about an eye operation, but they made it so relaxed in the lead up, they let me know everything that was going to happen and kept me up to speed the whole way.”

At his six-week check, Ricky has been told he now has perfect 20:20 vision.

Ricky had his treatment with Optegra consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr. Shafiq Rehman, who explained the procedure he performed: “Ricky is one of many people who get to mid-life and their vision starts to deteriorate. This is called presbyopia, a condition where the natural lens of the eye starts to harden, affecting focusing power – particularly for close-up, reading and so on. You will see many people of this age start to hold their phones or newspapers at arm’s length as they try to focus on the words in front of them.

“This is completely natural but the good news is that there are treatment options such as Presbyond laser vision correction or lens replacement. For Ricky, lens replacement was the best option. The hardened lens is removed through a tiny keyhole and replaced with an artificial lens, made to correct his prescription.

“This is a permanent solution. It is very similar to cataract surgery – the most commonly performed elective surgery – using a prescription, multifocal lens to give perfect vision at all distances. In fact another bonus is that it means he will never need cataract surgery in the future, as the natural lens of the eye has already been removed.”

For Ricky, who trains boxers daily and offers boxing training for his members, his own fitness recovery was quick and he was straight back in the gym.

“Boxing has been so good to me – it was a fantastic career and now I am in a position where I have a comfortable life and can support my family. I even got awarded the MBE from King Charles, then Prince of Wales, in 2007 which I never would have dreamt would have happened to me. If I can bring the next boxer through and give someone the type of life that me and my family have through boxing, then that is great – I want to give a little back.”

Ricky feels a boost with his new vision, as he goes on to achieve more and support others. “I have a hectic schedule and like to keep really busy – my eyes were holding me back really, just with the frustration and hassle of glasses.”

Ricky also gives back by being an Ambassador for mental health charity CALM, acknowledging that he went through his own dark time and is so pleased to now be in a better place and able to enjoy his life and family. “I suffered with my mental health for a few years and some of those times I was in a really bad place, but I have come out the other side. The Campaign Against Living Miserably is brilliant, it ticks all the boxes for me so that we can help anyone who is struggling.”

Ricky, who is a four times World Champion, was a professional boxer from 1997-2012, competing in two weight divisions (light welterweight and welterweight) and in 49 fights (won 46, lost 3). When he reflects on his career he states that one of his proudest achievements was actually his fan base and the support he received – such as when 40,000 fans travelled to Las Vegas to support his fight.

Stockport-born Ricky is now a boxing trainer and also loves time with his three children and his grandchild, and is supporting his son Campbell Hatton in his own professional career. As his boxing manager and mentor, he admits that watching him makes him incredibly nervous!

Optegra Eye Health Care is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, with its first hospital opening in 2008, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 39 eye hospitals and over 60 locations across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.

Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment. It performs more than 140,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.

www.optegra.com