Laser Eye Surgery Cost Cutting Tips

hethmar

SAMUEL, hope you are feeling better now.

I came on here to see if anyone has had the CK treatment for age related long sight? (Terrier lady -this is what your sister would need to ditch her reading glasses)

Re Optimax, I was interested to read Martin's info that they take Tesco vouchers.

samuela66

hethmar wrote: »

SAMUEL, hope you are feeling better now.

I came on here to see if anyone has had the CK treatment for age related long sight? (Terrier lady -this is what your sister would need to ditch her reading glasses)

Re Optimax, I was interested to read Martin's info that they take Tesco vouchers.

Thanks Hethmar,

Still feel blurry in left eye, but optician in Ultrlase yesterday said to stop comparing both my eyes........ the right is sronger, still on antibiotics in eye but only 4 hourly now!!

driscos3000

I had laser surgery 1 month ago with Optical Express. Here's how it worked for me:

• You book an appointment for a consultation
• You get phoned up every week until you attend the consultation
• You attend the consultation and they give you two options normal LASIK and ultra expensive Wafefront LASIK (that the US navy use)
• You are told your eye surgery will cost £1000 an eye (I have a -6 prescription). Which shocks you a little because of the £395 per eye plastered all over the posters and TV
• You decide on normal LASIK and book two days off work
• You turn up on the day of the procedure and the first think you encounter it a man in dark glasses stumbling down the stairs. You ask if he is okay and he says that he had the surgery yesterday and has been in immense pain ever since. He has taken 11 strong pain killers overnight.
• You are not filled with confidence.
• You are told to wait in reception and asked to fill in a waiver that prevents the opticians from being liable for any. Any thing at all.
• You are meant to have read this before you turn up. I didn't. Liz, my partner did.
• You sit there for a good hour reading a book on cosmetic dentistry. You wonder why a book on cosmetic dentistry is on the table of an eye clinic. You wonder if this is the right address or if you can book a whitening procedure at the same time.
• You are called to the surgeons office. As you sit down a burly nurse shuts the door and blocks your exit.
• The surgeon explains how you really should have the WaveFront surgery that costs double the amount.
• This is 3 mins beofre he rolls you in to laser your eyes.
• You explain that the salesperson explained the options before you signed up and normal eye surgery is okay
• He reels off loads of figures with big percentages that make you wonder if you've got a 90% chance of going blind or not
• You stick to your guns and you go back out to wait
• You are called into surgery to be met with your surly surgeon and two polish nurses
• They put a hairnet on me (which made me laugh - I am bald)
• The tell you to lie down and look up into the red light
• They put a contraption on one eye that holds open your eyelid.
• They put numbing drops on the eye
• They test the drops are working by poking you in the eye with a spatula ( a medical one)
• They then put a machine onto your eye that sucks in the eyeball
• Everything goes black and you hear a buzzing sound as a medical razor blade cuts a neat circular flap in the transparent skin that covers your cornea
• The surgeon peels back this flap of skin. You can still see.
• You are reminded to look at the red light and then your hear mechanical snapping and smell burning eyeball.
• I got shouted at because I moved my eyeball when the red light seemed do disappear
• After about a minute of lasers the surgeon puts the flap of skin back over your cornea
• He spends a minute brushing the air bubbles from under this flap. You see all of this.
• He then does the other eye.
• Surgery doesn’t hurt at all
• After about 5 minutes you are told to get up
• You can see without glasses (albeit a bit blurrily)
• You are led to a darkened room where a man gives you a gift bag full of unctions
• You are told to put anti inflammatory drops in 6 times a day and anti-bacterials in 4 times a day. You are also given artificial tears. I used all of mine up during the children of courage awards.
• During the next week you have to wear really cool goggles in bed in case you rub your eyes in case you run your eyes and dislodge the flap.
• My eyes went in and out of focus during the first week
• Your eyes are dry but don’t hurt at all
• Looking at computer screen and books was difficult
• In the second week just one of my eyes went in and out of focus
• I also had dry eyes and was given a gel to supplement the artificial tears
• After 3 weeks my eyes have started to settle down.
• I have about 20/20 vision
• Screen work can be difficult but blinking and looking away from the screen usually helps

Simon
www.stopsmokingshop.co.uk

tightus_wad

Great account Simon!!!
Put me off doing it!

hethmar

pmsl Simon

Could you go back for CK treatment so I have an idea of that please.

Have to say having spent a week trawling and reading articles (probably aged my eyes by another year) Ive gone off the BIG clinics - ultralase, Optical Express, Optimax - they seem so very pushy. I rather like this one:

http://www.ckvisioncare.co.uk/testimonials.asp

I found an independent site for info and there were a huge number of 5 star testimonials for that place.

nomealone

My experience has been different to Simon - thankfully!

I had treatment with Optimax two weeks ago and had wonderful treatment, was really looked after and I'm so glad I had it done.

I originally went in Feb for a consultation and the super duper treatment with the laser flap cutting and wavefront I wanted was over £3000. I couldnt afford it even with the £400 voucher I bought off ebay (BTW you cant use a discount and Tesco clubcard deal vouchers - its one or the other).

Anyway, someone at my hubbys work said keep hanging on and hanging on and they will drop the price - which they did. He also said summer when everyone is on hols is a good discount time. I did what he said and got a letter through inviting me on a "red letter day" at just under £1700. I booked in for about 10 days later. The nurses were great and the consultant was a bit miserable in the check up but great in the treatment room. I was really relaxed (bottle of wine the night before!) which helped - I was so relaxed I was helping other patients waiting to calm down! The nurses explained everything really well and I felt very safe.

I couldnt see anything during the procedure just a lot of red fireworks. The suction thing on your eye feels weird but not painful.

Immediately afterwards it was like vaseline on my eye - very cloudy vision. I stayed on the couch for the rest of the afternoon and I will say it was very sore and I had a corker of a headache. My eyes also were filled with blood which is from the suction on your eyes. By the afternoon though, I felt much better and the pain was going. I didnt have to use the painkilling drops they gave me just two paracetomol. Next morning I woke up and could see perfectly. Went for my check up - 20/20 vision. Went again a week later and my left eye isnt as good as my right eye so they are monitoring it. I have woken up a couple of times with a sore left eye. Apparently I sleep with one eye slightly open and this is causing a dry band across the eye which is stopping the left eye settling down. They reassured me, gave me some ointment to put in last thing and it is starting to settle now. Ive had no more discomfort and Im driving my husband mad pointing out everything I can see.

I would highly recommend it but would do lots of research and try a few places if you are not happy with the service or dont feel reassured. Hang on for a special offer (and forget the 0% - my experience is that they only offer that for the full whack costs - I put mine on a 0% purchase credit card instead).

One last tip - try to avoid anyone smoking near you or sprays or candles near you. I went to lunch with a smoking friend who kept the cigarette well away from me but the next morning I felt like I had been punched in the eye. I also put a bit of perfume on about 10 days after (close to my neck though) and again really suffered for it.

Its day 15 now and its wonderful - the only downside is I can see all my wrinkles much clearer!

Mr_Warren_2

Nomealone, what was your vision before the op?

mutley74

mutley74 wrote: »

I have a thread where i am offering anyone considering eye surgey with Optical Express £75 off!! (£50 from refer a friend plus i will share my refer a friend payback with you £25 = £75:j )

see my post on thread below (no. 2 posting)
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=474320

I had LASIK, wft and intralase with Optical Express. I paid just under £3000. But within minutes i could see further than my uncorrected vision, although it was very cloudy. After a few hours sleep my vision was very good! In fact i have been very lucky as i have not experienced dry eyes, which is a usual side effect with LASIK. At day 1 check up i was declared 20/20 vision. I think my vision is getting better but this week i have my official 1month check where they tell my prescription! However, at night i do experience glare/haze from bright lights.

BernardM

http://www.drjoeross.com/refractivesurgery.htm#about
Could be permanent

Luvmyfreebies

samuela66 wrote: »

Thanks Hethmar,

Still feel blurry in left eye, but optician in Ultrlase yesterday said to stop comparing both my eyes........ the right is sronger, still on antibiotics in eye but only 4 hourly now!!

Hey Samuela66 - how are things now? So sorry to read you were having problems, very different to my own experience. Has your left eye cleared yet?