Laser Eye surgery

Toffeejen222

Hi guys,

Long time viewer but first time poster, this site is fantastic!

I'm considering having laser eye treatment (but don't know whether I'll be brave enough to go through with it!) and was wondering if anyone has seen/heard of any special offers on at the moment. I'm also not sure which company to go with - Optimax seem cheapest but I've read some mixed reviews! - any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

Jenni

John_G66

Toffee Jen (Fellow Blue ?)

I had my eyes done a year ago. I researched it for about two years !. In the end I went with Ultralase, they were fantastic. Cost me 2 grand for both eyes, well worth it!!

John_G66

Try this site - very good

http://www.lasik-eyes.co.uk/Clinics/listclinics.asp

Click on the surgery that you are interested in and read patient reviews.

webhamster

This is a relatively young medical procedure , and is not subject to the same as private medical surgery laws and practices.

Go to a hospital for a consultation with a opthalamist and ask if hes/she had it done , or of course whether he would have it done , same with your optician.They will give you the truth and unbiased medical opinion , not someone after a couple of grand of your cash.

Its for that reason why I have never done it , the long term aspects have yet still to be proven and your gp will know EXACTLY why he wouldnt do it.Bit like silicon implants and look what happened there.

Do a lot of research to unconvince yourself of doing it vanity , if thats the underlying reason , is worthless if in the end you cant see yourself enough to be vain.

There is always the IMPLANT of artificial lenses , richard branson is the most famous person I know of that has had that done and of course that too has risks.

Consult the medical professional first , the people that carry these procedures out are not opthalmic doctors , and in recent highlight cases may not even be trained at all.

Mustang

Wasn't there a recent thread on this somewhere on this site?

Anyway, do lots of research and understand what you may be letting yourself in for. There are different types of eye correction surgery, eg LASEK, PRK, LASIK etc. Understand the pro's and con's of each *GIVEN YOUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES*. Go talk to an expert who doesn't just want to take your money.

I spent ages looking into it and went to talk to Mr O'Brart at St. Thomas Hospital in London. He was recommended by an eye consultant at my local hospital. Had a full consultation with Mr O'brart who told me everything I wanted to know. I found a check list of questions that you should ask any prospective surgeon somewhere on the web. I went ahead with LASEK (not LASIK), and had both eyes done a few years ago. For me, best thing I ever did.

For something as important as your eyes, don't go for the cheapest. Go for the one you have most confidence with. And do your research .. check out the web for medical papers (not marketing adverts). Good luck.

chriswilton

My best mate had it done in November and he's pretty happy with it. He went with Ultralase too and had excellent treatment and consultations and was happy with their service - there was no pushy selling at all.

His eyes were quite different in strength - one was only -2 and the other -3.75. the -2 one is now 40/20 vision (better than 20/20) and the other is something like -0.5 now - a massive improvement but not perfect - so he is waiting to see if it improves as it might. If not they will re-laser his eye 6 months from the first treatment.

He needed to have it done as he plays a lot of sport and has had serious problems with contact lenses in the past - so this seemed pretty good. The deal he got was 0% finance for 2 years - so gives them a monthly payment.

My dad went for a consultation before Xmas with the same people and looks like he is going ahead too - and my dad is anal about researching things - so I trust his judgement.

Do your own research, speak to people in the know and go and visit a clinic - ask them questions and make your own decision based on what your hear and beleive.

EvilMonkey

Wasn't there a recent thread on this somewhere on this site?

Yup there was. See here

I went with my wife to optical express (use to be eye clinic). They seemed V professional (although their diary \ booking system needs work). No hard sell, no glossing over things. I took along a print out of the royal school of opthamologists advice on laser eye surgery and ticked off every check they recommend asking about. Most of them without having to ask for them.(IE they volunteered info about the experience and NHS qualifications of their doctors etc.)

Read up. Think about it. Try to balance the "perfect sight pain free"sales hype with the over reacting "IT'S UNNATURAL AND YOUR EYES WILL FALL OUT" brigade to come to your own conclusion as to whether your happy about the risks.

The site mentioned in the 2nd or 3rd post is ace as you can read actual reports from hundreds of people!

chmaiden

ultralase....more expensive but aftercare is second to none....did mine 2.5 years ago and loving it! ;D

vk2003

This is a relatively young medical procedure(Laser eye correction) , and is not subject to the same as private medical surgery laws and practices.

There is always the IMPLANT of artificial lenses , richard branson is the most famous person I know of that has had that done and of course that too has risks.

I agree with webhamster. There have been some recent concerns due to longer term studies starting to show some dehiscence of the lens following laser surgery. This can mean that your eyes can deteriorate many years later as a result of the surgery.

Lens implants however have been around for a longer time, and the studies are positive about their stability. One of the only disadvantages of lens implants is that your eyes can look a little like a cats' (as in animal) eye when the light shines in a certain way....As with laser eye surgery, lens implantation will often correct your eyes perfectly, but occasionally some minor subsequent correction is needed to change the shape of the (natural) lens to bring about 100% correction (not via laser though).

Hope this helps.

vk2003

nikkikl

ToffeeJen

I had laser eye surgery on 21st December at Optimax in London. It cost 595 per eye which includes all the aftercare. I had EPI-LASEK which is cheaper than LASIIK (cut and flap) but significantly more painful afterwards. I would say that the paperwork you receive doesn't mention how much it hurts afterwards BUT they do tell you when you have the consultation. Please be aware, with EPI-LASEK IT DOES HURT AFTERWARDS! A LOT!!! The actual procedure is pain free if not a bit surreal

As everyone has said, research is the key but price was important for me as I had been saving for a long time. I cannot recommend anything or any one company but all I can say is, its brilliant and the pain, for me, was worthwhile. What I will say about Optimax is that the place I went to in London was very posh and the surgery room unbelievably clean (and cold) but the staff are right miserable so-and-so's.

Nikki

Mustang

According to my surgeon, it's the younger people, and usually men, who feel the pain of the laser treatment most. I had LASEK and was climbing the walls for a couple of days on the first one, and was just uncomfortable on the next. However, the cons of LASIK were too much for my risk level, although it is supposed to be a more pain-free technique.

My view was that the pain was a temporary thing that would pass ... and the results (perfect eyesight after having -7 in both eyes - AKA blind as a bat) were definitely worth it.

Interestingly, the room where I had mine done at St. Thomas Hospital in London looked more like a cupboard than anything else. It was just large enough to take the machine, and had a couple of filing cabinets in there as well. I don't think that NHS hospitals pay much attention to interior design and style