April 8, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Vance Thompson Vision.

When Ronan Murtagh began his worldwide search for a trusted cataract surgeon offering the most advanced technology, he never expected to find himself in Sioux Falls.

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Murtagh is a pilot who flies his Gulfstream G650 around the world.

After passing his medical exam for his pilot’s license, the doctor told him, “make sure you get that left eye looked at.”

Very soon after, he started noticing blurry, cloudy vision affecting his daily life and his piloting work.

“When I noticed the cloudy, blurry vision, that’s when I said, ‘no, stop the flying, and get this sorted out,’ ” he said. “In my job, it’s very important to have good eyesight. So I found a very well-respected eye doctor in Ireland and had my initial eye consultation.”

After his first consultation, Murtagh wanted a second opinion. He began researching eye surgeons online, looking into FDA trials and approvals, new technology research, surgeon experience and advanced clinical outcomes. His extensive research spanned surgeons around the world but ended up leading him to Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls.

“During this research, I was asking myself, ‘who would you rather have, a doctor with no experience or someone with tremendous experience with clinical trials and new lenses,’ ” he said.

He wanted a surgeon and practice he could trust with his vision, so after a trip to Disney World with his daughter, he flew to Sioux Falls for a consultation with Dr. Vance Thompson.

“Right away, I was impressed with everything about Vance Thompson Vision. Everything was cutting edge and state of the art,” he said. “I just felt like from day one, after coming here for a consultation, with all their clinical research and meeting Dr. Thompson and the team, this is it. This is where I’m coming. I just felt it.”

Some of his friends questioned why Murtagh didn’t choose a renowned practice in New York or Washington, D.C., for his surgery. But in addition to the technology offered by Vance Thompson Vision, the pilot made a connection with Dr. Thompson himself.

“His personality, his way of explaining things, it made me very comfortable. It was an immediate connection.”

“The way I look at it,” he said, “I’m flying a cutting-edge aircraft with state-of-the-art technology. To fly a state-of-the-art aircraft, you need state-of-the-art vision. And I found that at Vance Thompson Vision, right here in Sioux Falls.”

Murtagh selected the innovative Light Adjustable Lens for his cataract surgery.

“What really impressed me about the lens is that it can be modified after surgery and adjusted to my vision requirements,” he said. Immediately after surgery, he had zero cloudiness in his vision.

“If my vision is this good now,” he said, “I can’t imagine how good it’s going to be in a couple weeks.”

With the Light Adjustable Lens, Murtagh needed to come back to Sioux Falls about two weeks after his surgery, which meant another flight from Florida to Sioux Falls before his planned return to Ireland.

Then, COVID hit our country, and Murtagh was stuck in Florida for several months, unable to travel back to Sioux Falls for the light treatments or to go home to Ireland.

Eventually, Murtagh was able to get light treatments on his new lenses, and following his final adjustment, he had uncorrected distance vision of 20/10! Two lines of vision better than 20/20! He was absolutely thrilled.

Dr. Doug Wallin of Vance Thompson Vision worked with Murtagh to decide on the best lens and surgery option.

“The LAL was the perfect choice for Ronan, and even though COVID threw him a curve, the beauty of the LAL is that we have the amazing ability to adjust the implant itself to give the patient the exact vision they want,” Wallin said.

“The accuracy and adjustability of the LAL allows us to do this without needing an additional surgical procedure. Knowing the clarity of vision that Ronan wanted, the LAL was the perfect choice for him.”

Long-distance flights, COVID delays and all the logistics and challenges Murtagh faced were large obstacles to overcome. But that investment of time and money was worth it, he said.

“To fly here again, eight or nine hours each way, for the best vision in the world? It’s nothing. It’s worth it.”

The Light Adjustable Lens is one of many advanced technology options offered by Vance Thompson Vision to reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses and contacts.

To learn more about the Light Adjustable Lens, call Vance Thompson Vision at 605-351-EYES (3937) to set up a cataract consultation in one of our seven locations across the Mid- and Mountain West.