[Archived] Laser Eye Treatment

[1864roverite]

Have any our members undergone this procedure ?

I am considering Laser Eye Treatment as a preference to wearing contact lenses and glasses. I only need to wear them whilst driving at night, watching football (distance) and tv.

Can anyone tell me whether its worthwhile spending £700 to have my eyes done or is it just as simple to continue to wear glasses/contacts ?

Your views would be appreciated.

[Eddie]

I wear glasses to drive and that's it, so never really looked into the laser eye thing seriously, but I've had a couple of friends who have had it done and there have been mixed results (and they've all gone to well-respected and expensive clinics/doctors for the procedure). Some love it, some have never had their vision be quite right and some have loved it and then had it fade (I've had four friends have it, one still wears glasses).

Personally I think the risk is higher than the reward, but depends on if you really hate wearing glasses/contacts or not. If it were me I'd stick to my glasses and spend the money on something else.

[BuckyRover]

"Risk is higher than the reward"

I was booked for a laser eye treatment, but then I spoke in detail to the three people that I knew had the treatment.

One who had it done 6 or 7 years ago loved it. But the two people who had it done more recently, both had to go back in for more treatment and I did not want that to happen.

Also, did a bit of research and found that is affected a lot of people quite badly. Quite a few occurences of people no longer being able to drive at night after surgery (the U2 drummer can't). Tiger Woods has had to have it done three times.

After much soul searching I decided that wearing glasses/contacts isn't that bad really and I should be grateful I can see at all!

[nowthen]

I had mine done about two and half years ago and it's been a good thing for me (perfect vision and the only downside is you do sometimes pick a halo up off lights). I had the option of Lasik or Lasek and went for the more expensive one(can'tremember which one it was) because it was less timely and painful in recovery. My consultation and treatment were done on the same day. My eyes were fine 24 hours after the treatment.

Clearly reading the other posts not everyone has positive results though.

[modes98]

My friend had it doen very recently by the original creator of the treatment for some monsterous sum and he is over the moon. Hasn't had a single problem and he no longer needs his glasses.

My eyes aren't amazing, although better than most premiership refs, and I was looking at getting it done. My dad has said there is no point until I am at least 25, as your eyes slow down the changing process, but even then they still change in time and I could end up getting it done a couple of times in my life and there is a risk of side effects, etc.

[Shevchenko]

Any type of surgery involves fairly high risks of complications. These types of procedures seem relatively straight forward and simple - hassle free. That doesn´t mean there are less risks involved. I would advise you to avoid any type of invasive intervention unless you have problems that are seriously or negatively effecting your daily life. If you need glasses or contacts to drive and TV, I would suggest that the risk involved with surgery does not outweigh the possible reward.

[neekoy]

It would be better if you could get lasers for eyes *sigh*

Listen to those above they sound like they know what they are talking about

[Paul]

Your views would be appreciated.

I have no experience of this and only need glasses to read and type. I often wonder about this treatment when I see it advertised on TV, almost on a 2 for 1 basis. I would urge you to discuss it in great detail with your optician, who hopefully doesn't provide the service, and take the advice offered. I find the idea of having unecessary surgery on the eyes quite worrying, I don't know if there is a percentage error but if there is I'd say any risk to one's sight is too great.

Following an accident two years ago I was offered surgery to repair a damaged muscle which controls the opening /closing of my eye lid. The only problem I have is when I'm tired the eye closes and I can't prevent this. The surgery had 1-5% chance of leaving me with a permanently open eye, albeit only by millimetres but enough to be a concern. I declined as I thought the risk too great.

[broadsword]

Yeah, you're better off with some sight rather than none!

I do know of a friend's brother-in-law who had it done and he's been delighted with it. But his eyesight was so wretched before, it was a risk worth taking as they could barely make it worse.

There's been no long-term studies on the safety and efficacy of this type of treatment simply because it is relatively new. If I had to wear glasses then I'd just put up with it.

[DanLad]

"Views appreciated"

"Clearly reading..."

Funny!

Sorry, got my crap pun head on!

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Don't worry. You need good imagination and vision to think up puns.

Eh? Eh?

[tcj_jones]

Personally, while I know that laser eye surgery is very safe, even if there were a 9999999999 / 1000000000 incidence of the procedure working 100% effectively, my eye sight is one thing I would never, ever risk. I'm more than happy to wear glasses when using the computer / watching TV / reading etc. Maybe that'll change as I get older and my vision worsens, but even then I'd rather go with contacts.

I've heard good things about the procedure, but also some slightly worrying things. One person I knew was very happy with it, another wasn't so (I think she had a problem with dots in her vision or something).

[Ste B]

From the people i've known who have had it, i've not heard of any bad results.

I wouldnt recommend its done for consmetic reasons mind, as anything eye related isnt an exact science.

Thats coming from somebody who's had worse surgery on the eyes...

[Jimmy Jupiter]

Have any our members undergone this procedure ?

I am considering Laser Eye Treatment as a preference to wearing contact lenses and glasses. I only need to wear them whilst driving at night, watching football (distance) and tv.

Can anyone tell me whether its worthwhile spending £700 to have my eyes done or is it just as simple to continue to wear glasses/contacts ?

Your views would be appreciated.

I had it done just before last christmas (I was 26). I had to wear my glasses pretty much full time and have done since about 11 years old. I went with Optical Express and I paid more than 3 times the amount you've quoted (I can't remember if I had LASEK or LASIK...obviously had the expensive one anyway). And it was worth every penny. I have better than 20/20 vision unaided nowadays, and I still find it absolutely gobsmacking I can see so much detail without glasses on my face (I always hated my glasses, possibly because I was bullied for wearing them while at school!).

The procedure itself was no more than 15 minutes long, and although extremely uncomfortable and a little bit scary (think Clockwork Orange where he has his eyes bolted open!), it was actually painless. Immediately following the operation you're as good as blind, but you'll quickly be able to see blurred images within 15-20 mins. When the anesthetic wears off it is absolute agony, they recommend you be asleep before that happens, although the pain woke me. This pain will quickly drop to tolerable levels before the end of the day and be gone by the next morning. You'll have antibiotic and antinflammatory drops to take for a week and also some saline solution drops to take as and when needed (I was still taking them 3-4 months after, your eyes will feel dry on occassion, but I no longer need these drops). Your vision will take 24-48 hours to become half decent, and I think they said 3 days before I could drive again. They also mention it could take several months for your vision to reach optimal levels. Night driving was tricky the first few weeks and glare from streetlights and other cars was disorientating, this has now completely passed and I don't think twice about night driving anymore. I have had constant aftercare and checkups from Optical Express and fortunately i've not suffered any side effects or complications and not had to go back for repeat treatments (which if needed is free with Optical Express). So like I said earlier, worth every penny!

[Alex Rover]

This is something I've considered as well but not been comfortable with it as yet.

What type of disclaimers do you have to sign away? Lets say the worse happens or even if your eye-sight deteriorates again afterwards, what happens then?

[LeChuck]

What actually happens during the procedure? Are you told to stare straight ahead? If so...could you ruin it all by looking somewhere else? I think I'd be terrified of doing that.

[American]

Not being pedantic, just checking. Is it possible to have better than 20/20 vision?

[DanLad]

Not being pedantic, just checking. Is it possible to have better than 20/20 vision?

I know that there was talk of peripheral vision for quarterbacks, but that was proved to be false, except for one QB who could read signs in shop windows whilst walking along and staring straight ahead! (or something)

I don't see (cough, cough) why people couldn't have better than 20/20, unless people have better eyesight than that and the scale just stops there. We're all different, or are we all the same, if forget.

[Jimmy Jupiter]

Not being pedantic, just checking. Is it possible to have better than 20/20 vision?

Yes. 20/20 is simply the second to last line on the optician's chart. If you can read the bottom you technically have better than 20/20 vision (20/15).

[Jimmy Jupiter]

What actually happens during the procedure? Are you told to stare straight ahead? If so...could you ruin it all by looking somewhere else? I think I'd be terrified of doing that.

You're strapped down in a lieing position and they cover one eye up. You have all manner of drops and anaesthetics until the surgeon can pretty much prod your eye and you dont feel it. You're told to stare straight ahead and move your eye as little as possible but the laser tracks your pupil extremely accurately and quickly and will follow any movement you inevitably make. Before the laser commences the surgeon prodded about a bit and moved my eye around, this was absolutely bizarre as I couldn't feel it but I could certainly see my vision being pulled around and "stretched". The laser then turns on and you hear a lot of popping and you can literally smell your eye being burnt by it. It stinks. Then I just remember a lot of flashes and weirdness going on in my eye, it was quite scary but absolutely painless. They then swap eyes and do it again. 5 or 6 mins per eye.

[den]

While we are talking eye ops, I had replacement lens's in both eyes. The lens is the clear bit, over the pupil, that clouds when you get catarracts. No anaesthetic because of the danger of eye bleed. Just cut the lens out with a scalpel and stitched the new one in. Wide awake all through with no anaesthetic in the eye.

Ow 'ard is that?

[Ste B]

While we are talking eye ops, I had replacement lens's in both eyes. The lens is the clear bit, over the pupil, that clouds when you get catarracts. No anaesthetic because of the danger of eye bleed. Just cut the lens out with a scalpel and stitched the new one in. Wide awake all through with no anaesthetic in the eye.

Ow 'ard is that?

Kin ard.

I had the same myself, with the second op only being yesterday morning !

[Cocker]

I would recommend Ultralase simply because they refused to go ahead and do mine after the tests. They said they would have to laser too much and it would be pointless to do less to make them just a bit better.

I was tempted to goto one that charged less just out of interest to see after testing if they said no problem

[philipl]

I am lucky that my eyesight is actually improving with age.

The worst that can happen is that you have to go back for a bit of corrective if they didn't get it exactly right first time. Heard reports of painless to agony- that is all about the quality of suround care.