Great Laser Eye Surgery Hunt

nkitson

spirit wrote:

...They've said that i may be a good candidate for monovision and wouldn't therefore need glasses for reading either. Anyone else had that? if so, would you personally recommend it?
many thanks

I had lasik treatment which gave me monovision 2.5 years ago (I'm now 50) and never have to use reading glasses (yet - I'm sure the day will come). I do find I need reasonable light to read very small print - 5pt or less - but I think thats an age thing anyway. See also my previous post at
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=912039&postcount=53

spirit

Thanks Nkitson, I think i may go for the monovision too. I've booked with Optimax via e-bay on the £750 inc deal. I'll let you all know how I get on!

johnfthetraveller

I've had a quick look through the posts, and they all seem pretty positive, but I would advise you to think again - THERE CAN BE MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS!

I know, because I had the operation and have complications that have been the bane of my life for over 10 years now.

I've not checked recently, but the USA, home of cosmetic surgery, would not allow this operation because they regarded it as too risky. Admittedly safety has improved, but at the expense of people like myself. Do you fancy paying to be a medical guinea pig?

Look at the complications listed on https://www.lasermyeye.org.

In Feb of this year, why did Which?, publish an article saying:

"Two well-respected clinics that do divulge details have told us that about 5 per cent of people who undergo Lasik treatment experience complications."?

This means if you have both eyes done, you have a 1 in 10 chance of having complications!

I hope I'm not infringing copyright by quoting the Which? conclusion.

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"Laser eye surgery is a great development but it's not risk free. Our research shows that some clinics aren't giving patients the information they need to make informed choices.

We want the government to enforce the tougher standards recommended by the parliamentary inquiry. And we'd like all clinics to publish details of their complication rates, with information monitored by an independent body. We also want sanctions, to deter clinics from giving misleading advice or unsuitable treatment.

Until then, patients must protect themselves. Always ask for the surgeon's track record and whether there's anything in your medical history that makes you unsuitable for laser treatment."

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I wouldn't put much store in the a positive answer from the last quesion. From dealing with some of the top UK eye surgeons over the last 10 years, my opinion is that the unfortunate minority that have complications are considered a price the surgeons are willing to pay to exploit this great 'once-in-a-lifetime' moneymaking oportunity placed in front of a previously academic group of experts.

I read one poster on this board talk about insurance. If you're considering having this operation, ask the company how much their insurance premiums are increasing year on year. Premiums are going through the roof because of claims.

You can get many enthusiastic recommendations from people who have had successful operations, and are very happy with the results. To my mind, this is like asking someone who's survived a game of Russian Roulette if the game is safe, and getting the answer 'Yes, look at me, I played and I survived!'.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

sarahcc

can I just mention that a collegue of mine (a nurse) had this procedure done two years ago, she cannot now go out in the sun, has continual eye pain which give her sleepless nights and suffers with dry sore eyes, for which she now has to take eye drops, which make her eyes water so she cannot wear eye makeup. She told me it was the worst thing she has ever had done, so please research carefully when choosing your surgeon.

Paul_Herring

johnfrith wrote:

I've had a quick look through the posts, and they all seem pretty positive, but I would advise you to think again - THERE CAN BE MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS!

I know, because I had the operation and have complications that have been the bane of my life for over 10 years now.[snip]

I note that in the rest of your long post, you never said what complications you yourself had, instead preferring to quote other people?

spirit

Hi,

I have researched this in depth. Optimax have a 99.2% positive feedback from past patients. If people had been unhappy with the procedure/outcome, surely they would be the first to voice their concerns by registering a negative response?

foxyuk

im -2.50 and -2.00 in other eye , spoke to several eye specialists in hospital etc...

a friend of mine is highly respected and goes on these seminars on laser/technology etc. it was asked why is it NO performing eye surgeon has ever had laser surgery before...????????? the reply was

THERE EYES ARE TOO IMPORTANT.... read what u want out of that.... its not like keyhole on your leg. if it all goes wrong then its unlikely they can reserrect it also many people still have to wear glasses........

in years to come the stability of the eye will become evident as laser surgery is NOT PERMANENT repair

jimbo67_3

I heard the segment on radio 2 on Friday.

I must say that I am surprised that you haven't picked up on the great offers at Optical Express at the minute. I went along for a consultation a few weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that the appointment was free and that they don't pressure you to buy because I found some of the other clinics charge you for the assessment and some asked me to sign up there and then.

As it turns out I went ahead with the Surgery (best thing I have ever done). The biggest and best surprise was the price though. ₤395 PER EYE. I couldn't believe it. I even got it on interest free credit over 10 months. I paid a ₤200 deposit and now I pay ₤59 per month. I know people that pay about that for contact lenses in a month. You would think that for that price there would be a downside but all of the staff were really proffesional and the clinic was by far the cleanest and most modern of all the clinics that I went to.

It wasn't a special offer. I went in, had the tests and then they told me the price. It was fantastic.

If you are thinking about laser eye surgery you need to check them out. You can view their website at opticalexpress.com or thelaserclinic.com.

gchapman

Can I just say that without looking through all of the posts my views and experiences are this....
I went to one clinic in London who said I was OK to do the treatment on and could fit me in within a week and then I went to another consultation somewhere else and they said don't get it done until your prescription stops changing otherwise it is pointless and you will again need glasses after a while.... I was told that is your prescription is stabla and has been for a few years then thats fine but if you keep getting stronger glasses WAIT! Apparently eyes settle down in your twenties and should stop changing but they differ from person to person.
Also a place that is advertising buy one get one free or are heavily advertising on posters etc.. I think that gives a bad image in the fact that they are having to advertise for patients and they care more about lining there pockets than your eyes.
ALWAYS go to as many different companies as you can for their consultations and then way up what they have all said and see who is telling the truth!
I'm waiting to get mine done at the Centre for Sight in East Grinstead but would prefer the laser cut flap and my eyes have yet to stabilise anyway.
Also remember you can never rub your eyes ever again - apparently its bad for them anyway.

rictic

I read somewhere in the last 2 weeks that there are now contact lenses that you can wear whilst you are asleep. The lenses reshape the eye giving you 20/20 vision for the duration of the day.
Got to be better than having your eyes hacked at.