Laser Eye Surgery Discussion Thread

bandraoi

Hey,
Asked this at the end of a previous thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=89895&highlight=lazer+eye
but I think it's gotten so long that some posts are out of date.

I'm interested in the answer to this question too, especially for people who have fairly high prescriptions - mine is -5D to -6D.

dragon999

Hi bandraoi,

my prescription was -5 / -6 ( i am now 20/20 vision)
hope this helps.

MARTIMAN

Wife had hers done 5 yrs ago with optimax, she was left with her right eye being 20 20 vision & left eye .50-, which she said wasnt a problem. Unfortunately her eyes have become quite sensitive & most days they get very watery, & this last yr she said her vision is not as good as it was when she 1st had it done,only slightly worse & she can still do without glasses.

Delilah

my husband had his eyes done 18 months ago with ultralase £3000 (both eyes). We tried other places Optical Express £600 (both eyes) and Harley Street £2500 (both eyes). They both turned him down his vision was like 4.75 and 5.00 he couldn't see his hand in front of his face without his contacts. He could read the chart the same day and was driving the next day. He had the type where they don't slice your eye, just did the laser. He has had no problems what so ever (touch wood). I would highly recommend Ultralase in Guilford.

dragon999

Don't forget what you were first told before surgery, you will not have 20/20 vision as you go through life (age gets to us all....sob!) the surgery corrects your vision error for the here and now but your eyes will still age with you.
I had it as a fix for severe short sightedness and am happy with the results but I may need glasses when I get many candles on my birthday cake.
Hope this helps everyone that asked me. I had my surgery done 4 years ago and am very happy with the results.

Clara_Pereira

Hi My sister is having laser eye surgery on 7th May (Monday) she is having it done in Portugal under their state system like the NHS. Her eyes are about -3/4 in both eyes and she has astigmatism. She will be having one eye done on Monday and the other in a couple of months time. She has been told she shouldn't drive for a while as a precausion and that her eyes would be more sensitive, therefore she should wear some sunglasses for a while. If you would like more info I will let you know after Monday. I too have been thinking about having it done, but as my eyes are so bad -5.75 and -7.45 I am a little scared. If all goes well with my sister I may pluck up the courage and have it done too, unfortunately our NHS is not as generous and we have to go private which is a big expense. All the best

specsappeal

Hi there,
both my husband and i had surgery with optimax in 2003. Got it for free as we were filmed by the press. My husband had no problems whatsoever but i had a few. my right eye was under corrected but i can still see without glasses and although they offered to re do it i just couldn't face it again. I also found out that i am extra sensitive to light and had to have more anethestic after the procedure as the pain was unbearable (although after 4 hours it was fine). My night vision was completely shot for the first year and a half and even now i still have problems at dusk and when its dark.
However - it is great to be able to see all the time (no steaming up of glasses etc) and on the whole i am happy with the result. The procedure itself is completely painless by the way!

bandraoi

Don't know how much use this will be to you all, but if any of you have close relatives living and paying the higher rate of tax in Ireland.

If they pay for you to have the treatment, they can claim it against the higher rate of tax (it essentially knocks 20% off the price).

To claim it (or any other medical expense) there is just a form to fill in.

summerday

I am considering having laser eye surgery with Lasik and wavefront. I have had a consultation and been told I am likely to get good results. I have not looked at the very cheapest options feeling that with something as important as my sight I would rather pay more for a very experienced surgeon with a lower complication rate and better aftercare.

I would like to hear from people who have had the laser surgery, please can you tell me whether you were glad you made the decision, did you still need to wear glasses afterwards, and anything else worth knowing

Thanks, Sarah

iubita31

Hi, yes I had it done a couple of years ago and I have absolutely no regrets at all. I had LASEK as opposed to LASIK which takes about a week to recover from. I have not needed to wear any glasses since having it done or anything, nor have I had any nightvision problems. The only thing is sometimes my eyes get a bit dry, but that is the only downside.
Its worth looking at all places to have it done, not just the expensive ones. Because at the time I worked for the NHS the place I went to were offering it at halfprice for NHS workers so i got mine done for about £560 for both eyes (same prices as two pairs of glasses!). Bargain.Saves money on glasses, contacts, cleaning solutions and hassle!

:j