Laser Eye Surgery Discussion Thread

LouBlue

Best thing I ever did was have my eyes done. Had it done 8 years ago and vision still great! :j

bexyboonz

I've had a quick read through this forum and some issues have been raised that need correcting;

1) laser surgery is suitable only for myopia, short-sightedness, and can do little for people who are long-sighted although it is being developed all the time.
2) ideally both eyes will be done at the same time to avoid a form of aphakia, meaning that one eye has clear vision while one doesn't requiring a corrective lens - this causes problems with double vision and depth perception - easy to fix with contact lenses but not with glasses and is a general hassle.
3) as we age, we develop presbyopia, where we lose our ability to focus close up - manifesting itself by the hardening of the crystalline lens in our eye. For those of us with mid - high myopia, an improvement in vision often occurs. Someone mentioned their vision improved from -5.5 to -4.5, and this is completely normal. Laser correction would not have had an adverse effect on this - if you are presbyopic requiring glasses for long and short sight, you will still require reading specs even after your myopia is corrected, as will we all.

hermoine_2

I have been for two consultations and have got the price down to £3k. I can pay this in one go so will not need credit.

I have quite bad eyesight and will still need to have reading glasses but I will avoid the need for varifocals. The varifocals will cost me about £450 for one pair next year (2009) and on top of that I will need a spare pair and a pair of sunglasses made to the same prescription so I reckon I will spend about £700 on glasses next year and poss the same the year after. Also as my prescription is strong I have been told to expect side effects while adjusting to the varifocals, these seem to involve falling over and being/feeling sick for a few weeks. I have worked in opticians and know that these side effects can happen.

I am happy with the price of the surgery but I will need cheap reading glasses after and of course although they tell you that it is quite safe there is always a risk.

Your thoughts on this would be gratefully received. Also if anyone has had the surgery and has similar circumstances I would be especially interested in their point of view. No pun intended!!!!!

H
:rudolf:

Nile

Hello hermoine

I'll move your thread to the 'Health & Beauty' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

freeranger_2

my son had laser surgery 9 years ago now is back wearing glasses to drive please think long and hard before u take the step. moorfield web site gives good advice for anyone concerned with any surgery have used it to check on my own probs with eyes hope this useful to someone by the way has anyone had laser surgery done 25 years ago?.

suki1964

I have varifocals for a strong prescription and they were easily got used to - even the cheaper specsavers ones I have now no problems. So at 250 for 2 pairs every two years we are saying 3k will cover me for 12 years?

I got two pairs for about 250 - one a pair of sunglasses to keep in the car. I need a new prescription this year (two years since last) and will go back to specsavers as price is so good for the quality

I cant have the laser treatment because of astigmatism - theres only one or two places country wide that do it - NI not being one of them and tbh reading the amount of stories where a few years down the line glasses are needed again I wont be having it.

I tried contacts as well and can only have the distance corrected, still requiring glasses for reading, close work - I gave up because in my mind you just cant beat the convenience of one pair of glasses put on in the morning and forgotten about till night

HTH

Savvy_Sue

hermoine wrote: »

I have been for two consultations and have got the price down to £3k. I can pay this in one go so will not need credit.

I have quite bad eyesight and will still need to have reading glasses but I will avoid the need for varifocals. The varifocals will cost me about £450 for one pair next year (2009) and on top of that I will need a spare pair and a pair of sunglasses made to the same prescription so I reckon I will spend about £700 on glasses next year and poss the same the year after. Also as my prescription is strong I have been told to expect side effects while adjusting to the varifocals, these seem to involve falling over and being/feeling sick for a few weeks. I have worked in opticians and know that these side effects can happen.

I am happy with the price of the surgery but I will need cheap reading glasses after and of course although they tell you that it is quite safe there is always a risk.

Your thoughts on this would be gratefully received. Also if anyone has had the surgery and has similar circumstances I would be especially interested in their point of view. No pun intended!!!!!

Nile wrote: »

Hello hermoine

I'll move your thread to the 'Health & Beauty' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

We already have a long thread so you should find answers there if I merge you in!

jorichste

Thanks for your replies, I am not in the uk so would you still recomend going to the uk to get it done, or did you just mean for aftercare?

minerva123

Been reading this thread with interest.
Have been getting emails from Ultralase for many months now (after I entered a competition to win free treatment - which I never won LOL). Just after a bit of general advice please and other opinions before I make the first step in booking an appointment.
There is also an Optimax clinic where I live and just wondered if anyone has ever had consultations with a few different clinics to weigh up who was cheaper, who were better etc? Presume both would give the care and attention expected.
Read that it costs from £395 per eye on their site then on here c£3k for both eyes - vast difference in price!
My eyes are about -5 and -6 and astigmatism in one - does astigmatism increase the costs? Does the strenght of your prescription increase the cost also? Have needed reading glasses for last couple of years, now 40plus (but manage to read the newspaper better without any!)
Anyway - would consider at a max c£1k per eye but not £3k and suppose wont find out what they would charge unless I make that first move! Thought of surgery petrifies me - low pain threshold and never had an op of any sort in my life.
Any advice welcome please.

Munchbunch

minerva123 wrote: »

Been reading this thread with interest.
Have been getting emails from Ultralase for many months now (after I entered a competition to win free treatment - which I never won LOL). Just after a bit of general advice please and other opinions before I make the first step in booking an appointment.
There is also an Optimax clinic where I live and just wondered if anyone has ever had consultations with a few different clinics to weigh up who was cheaper, who were better etc? Presume both would give the care and attention expected.
Read that it costs from £395 per eye on their site then on here c£3k for both eyes - vast difference in price!
My eyes are about -5 and -6 and astigmatism in one - does astigmatism increase the costs? Does the strenght of your prescription increase the cost also? Have needed reading glasses for last couple of years, now 40plus (but manage to read the newspaper better without any!)
Anyway - would consider at a max c£1k per eye but not £3k and suppose wont find out what they would charge unless I make that first move! Thought of surgery petrifies me - low pain threshold and never had an op of any sort in my life.
Any advice welcome please.

I had both my eyes done in May at Optimax in Liverpool - intralase lasik with wavefront, which is the top of the range treatment. When you see the low prices quoted, these aren't for lasik, but for the very painful option of epi-lasek. I'd been thinking of laser eye surgery for years 'cos I was fed up of contacts & glasses & dreamed of being able to see my alarm clock in bed, peoples faces when i was swimming if I didn't have my glasses on, swopping glasses in & out of shops etc. I thought long & hard about it, did a lot of research & spoke to a lot of people who'd had it done already - some as long as 20 years ago & decided to go for it. I know there are a lot of "knockers", but I went though the owner of Optimax's ebay web site (Russell Ambrose). There are loads of Q & As, honest answers & a big price difference. There was no difference to the treatment I received - I chose when to have it done (once all the tests/consultations etc were done), & the aftercare has been fantastic. Contrary to some other posters experiences, I had NO pain whatsoever either during or after treatment. I was given painkillers to take home with me, but didn't need to take any. The only thing that I found uncomfortable, but not painful, was when a suction cup is put over your eye before the laser cuts the flap - not pleasant but over very quickly. I paid just under £2000 for both eyes including all the extra options that were available, on 18 months interest free credit. There isn't a difference in price dependent on your prescription. I didn't make my choice based on cost - my eyes are too important to go for the cheapest option - I went on recommendations & because I felt comfortable with the clinic, surgeon etc. My eyes were about -4.00 & -4.50 & I was 48 when I had my treatment. As soon as I came out of the theatre, I could see the test board although it was a little blurred, by the next day it was clear, & a whole new world opened up before me. I am still amazed that I can look into the distance & see - it's fantastic! Re the stength of your glasses, you wouldn't be suitable for the cheaper option of epi-lasek - that's only for milder prescriptions. I could see perfectly close up before treatment without glasses. Now I can still read books, newspapers etc without glasses, but in poor light I do have a problem reading VERY small print if it's on a coloured background - like microwave instructions in a very small font. You could always go for mono vision which is one eye for distance & the other is slightly undercorrected for reading. I certainly don't regret having mine done! :j