Bonehead

I'm sick to death of wearing contact lenses and glasses to correct my Mr Magoo esque short sightidness - so I'm thinking of getting laser eye treatment.

Has anyone had the treatment done?

How'd it work out?

I'm gonna get a consultation done with Ultralase, they seem to be the best.

mattsan

Wife had hers done at optimax in leeds 500 an eye,had it done 3 years ago and never had any problems.Said it was the best thing she could have done.No messin with contacts and glasses and can even see the tv without being sat 3 inches away from it! Oh but you will be blind for about a day,so you need someone with you for the first 36 hours or so.

pslewis

Friend has had it done, £1000 an eye.

He now needs it doing again as his eyes have changed - like they ALL do!!

So, do it - but you will be back for repeats every few years (depending on your age)

Pete

Milamber

iTrader: (2)

How long did it last though?

As you say all eyes change over time. Are the repeat appointments cheaper?

King RA

ALL eyes change over time, that is why you wear glasses as you get old. This has nothing to do with whether you've had laser surgery or not tho!!

pslewis

Of course it hasn't anything to do with the treatment - I didn't say it did.

When you get into your 40s then your eyes change quicker than at any other time (generally)

The cost for another lazer treatment isn't cheaper 4 years down the line - it costs the same

Pete

King RA

I expect 4 years down the line it will be cheaper with the advent of new technology e.t.c. I'm gonna get it done 1 day, first I need a few grand and second I want to wait for some better technology. It will be routine on the NHS one day I'm quite sure.

...mini me, stop humping the 'lazer' lol

7 Foot

I am a bit of a moley (-7.5 in both eyes) and wear contact lenses every day.
Tbh surgery is not something I would consider yet. I have a few friends who have had it done and they all complain that night vision is a bit naff. The main problem being the flare/halos/general fuzz they see around lights. This can make night driving particularly enjoyable .

I too like the idea of waking up, opening my eyes and being able to see but until the procedure is absolutely perfect or as near as damn it, I'll carry on knocking the lamp over 'til I find my specs.

filfy

I have the same problem, yet my optician has advised against it as it's quite tricky, and he said if i just walk round with my fingers pressing on my eyes then i can see, and guess what i can aswell!!??
Plus i think it would freak me out been able to see first thing in a morning! And i'll be able to see the alarm clock which im not keen on doing!

Saz

StickyMicky

i fancey this, reason being that ive more then spent the cost of having my eyes done on contacts over the years

so i figure i will get less hassle for less money
i just wish it was all regulated and stuff as much as sum other things?
seams a bit hit and miss weather or not you will be able to see when its dark

Brit_in_Japan

Talk to your optometrist first for an unbiased opinion about the pros and cons of laser eye treatment. Ultralase (or any other company laser treatment company for that matter) are of course going to tell you of all the benefits and how it's so safe nowadays, but they might gloss over the possible drawbacks. 7 Foot mentioned the problems some experience with the halo effect, not good for night driving. Also you need to know whether your eye prescription is changing or not, this may determine the "lifetime" of any laser treatment. Your vision may not be as good as with contacts, and almost certainly not as good as with glasses (20:20 is a sort of arbitrary measure of vision, it does not mean perfect vision). Also the long term effects of laser surgery (30+ years) are simply not well understood right now as it's still a relatively recent procedure. There are many different types of treatments, PRK, LASIK etc

The latest contact lenses are vastly better than those of old. It used to be the case that one drawback of contact lens use was that the eyeball did not receive enough oxygen from the air and this could lead to problems, including bloodshot eyes. However my optometrist told me that the latest lenses actually provide more oxygen to the eyeball than with no lenses at all. So there is no problem with leaving such lenses in 24 hours a day.

Bonehead, your eyesight is precious so don't take it for granted, do lots of research and get some independent advice before making any decisions.

paulr

my sister and brother in law had it done in Leeds.
brother in law,fine no problems at all,my sister it was fine but she wasnt prepared for the amount of pain afterwards,she really suffered for a few days.
both had 1 eye done at a time,my brother in law ended up having both done but my sis only one eye because she couldnt face it again.(apparently thats okay in certain cases only having one eye done)

waggy doo

iTrader: (1)

Hi All
i had my consultation at Ultralase in Guildford yesterday.
Was there 3 hours for countless tests.
I have worn contact lenses for 15 years now and am booking my laser surgery for end of april.
I was extremely happy with the way in which i was looked after,not a single question was dismissed or brushed over.
The treatment i am going for is called Ultralasik,A flap is lifted on the surface of your eye,the laser work is then done,the flap is then replaced.The eye is also shaped to stop the night Halo problem.
I am not taking the discision making lightly,and am still crapping myself about the actual surgery,but i am so happy and at ease since the consultation that i have decided to go ahead.
I have been told that my eyes will change far quicker in my mid 40's,i am 37 now so i guess providing all goes well i am looking to have 6 to 8 yrs of contact free life.
The cost for my surgery is £2,750 3yrs interest free,thankfully.

CC

does anyone know if there is a minimum prescription?

my eyes are both -1.00 is this too small to be corrected?

Steve Perriam

my wife wants to have this done.

she wears contacts and would like to be able to have 'normal' eyes.

she is having a consultaion with ultralase in march, having cancelled one for next week.

she's heard about the poor'er night vision and other stories and is does make you thinnk do you really want to play around with your eyes ?!

Big Daz

My wife had this done at Optimax last year - £1K for both eyes, 1 day of pain & a couple of discomfort then they were as good as new
She has not mentioned any side effects but I tend to drive when we are out together anyway, for bigger safety reasons lol
Daz

Brendan Hughes

A thought - can you correct night vision (or general vision) problems with an occasional pair of glasses, after the surgery? E.g. my eyesight is pretty good but not great long distance, and I suffer from glare at night (driving through wet city centres, lights reflecting everywhere ain't pleasant) so I've one pair of specs that clarifies the long-distance aspect and has an anti-glare coating. They live in the car and are taken to conferences when there is a risk of a small powerpoint presentation, otherwise I'm spec-free. Could you do that?

lightning101

Laser eye treatment doesn't help 'Night Myopia', as Brendan says you get special glasses. My partner got this op done a couple of years ago, it helped her vision 3 fold, but still hates driving at night due to 'glare'.

Leslie

Think I would prefer to stick with glasses or contact lenses if I needed them. That laser treatment seems to have side effects, its not permanent, and there must be some risk involved as with any surgery. I would not want to weigh the risks against wanting to look better without glasses.

Les

Mice_Elf

I had this done at Optimax in Birmingham a year last October. Night vision is skewed for about 2 weeks with the halos and fuzzines but now it's crystal clear.

My normal vision is also apparently better than 20/20 as I can see beyond the smallest line.

There are 2 types available. Lasek and Lasik. Lasek they cut the flap from your eye completely and is usually performed on "better" short-sightedness. Healing time is longer and there is slightly more chance of infection due to the flap being removed completely.

Lasik cuts a flap which is smoothed back, so remains attached to the eye. Healing time is reduced to about 24 - 48 hours, as opposed to a week with Lasek and there is less risk of infection.

You will need someone to drive you home from a consultation (as they put relaxants in your eyes) and from the operation itself. For the first day and at night for the firist week, you need to wear dust guards which also stop you from rubbing your eyes and dislodging the flap.

For a year afterwards you need to avoid flying / scuba diving / high-impact sports and blows to the head.

I'm now over a year down the line from having had LASIK and I can honestly say it's brilliant. No pain, no grittiness, no fumbling for glasses / contact lenses. It's great. To the extent that my eye-phobe partner has even thought about having it done.

Gordo

I looked into this about 4 years ago - went to see a private specialist (cost me £300 I think) for independent advice from an expert.

He warned me off it as I play sport/ski/scuba etc - once cut, the eye never heals completely - so a blow to the head could well mean you lose the flap that was previously cut and lifted - cue blindness in that eye.

I must admit I haven't heard of this happening to anyone, however, so am wondering again myself.......

waggy doo

iTrader: (1)

I play football,and my main concern was how long would i be unable to play.
I was told no contact sport for 8 weeks,but advisd to leave it 6 months.
The flap completely heals in 12 months,and would only be dislodged by the sort of blow that would destroy the eye anyway.

I spoke to two people that had the treatment last week and were there for there weekly check up.Both said they so wished they had done it years ago.

My fear which is the same as anyones is,Will i be one of the unlucky ones?

RobinSherwood

I have wanted this done for ages being a glasses wearer who had to give up contact lenses as a teenager for medical reasons.

My father, who is one of the most senior Consultants practicing in this country, has always promised he would arrange for me (and my brother) to have this done when it was, in his opinion, a safe procedure in terms of the long term complications.

I can tell you without hesitation that when that time comes it WILL NOT be at any of the High Street clinics......

The most advanced forms of treatment are available at Moorfields Eye Hospital

http://www.moorfields.org.uk/Private...veLasersurgery

If anyone is determined to have the current form of eye correction carried out this is undoubtedly the best place.

They are also working on a procedure which will eliminate the risk of the lense scarring in the future, the other advantage of this new procedure is that some of the people who have had the procedure carried out in trials have come out with better than 20/20 vision.

It was last April when my Dad last spoke to the Consultant who runs the unit in question, so I might ask him if it worth calling again. If there is any further info as a result of that I will let you know.

Best wishes,

Robin

paulr

do a search,this has been discussed before as well.

little'un

iTrader: (9)

Several people that I work with have had surgery. They can't sing it's praises highly enough. £850 for each eye I think one paid - I really would like mine done but I'm being a bit of a scaredy cat and will stick to contact lenses for now. I'm not that bothered about what I look like with glasses more it's more the inconvenience of having to grab for glasses in the middle of the night whilst scrambling to the window to look outside. Apparently wearing lenses can slow down the deterioration of the sight because the eye is not straining the extra distance to look through lense perched on the nose.....

Jap2Scrap

I kinda like the idea of having perfect eyesight but I've worn contacts for 20 years now, with no problems, and I can't help but feel it's tempting fate a little to have surgery now. My mum is in the medical field and she's always said wait for the long-term trials to end and then make a decision.

I guarantee, if there's one case of someones eyes disintegrating after surgery, it'd be me

Lum

I'm told that the halo effect at night is caused by the way they control the laser. It doesn't cut in a smooth curve, but uses a stepper motor that makes many fine adjustments.

The end result is like a much finer version of those crappy wide-angle lenses you always see on the back windows of coaches, hence why it looks odd at night.

I have an opportunity to have it done for free, but am not sure if I want to yet.

Kiwi

I was once on holiday with a consultant eye surgeon and her advice was don't do it !!!!!!

StickyMicky

how long ago was this?
back in the days when the whole thing started?
and what was her reasons for saying so?

Bonehead

Did she say why?