I've had laser eye surgery AMA

[Vwswimmer1]

Just as the title says...

I had it. The results only lasted 2 years and then my eyesight started to deteriorate again.

Are you awake for it?

I had emergency laser eye surgery to sew my retina back together, so there are different types - I now can't have corrective surgery.

Which type did you have?

I had laser surgery for glaucoma last weekend, but I'm guessing this wasn't the sort you had...?

Yeah you're awake for it. They numb your eyes and hold them open.

I had the SMILE laser which is the least invasive. They make a tiny key hole and then use little instruments to reshape your cornea.

It has honestly been life changing for me.

Why? I mean why did you want to let anyone go near your precious eyes with a laser when you can get perfectly serviceable glasses to deal with short sightedness? I've been shortsighted since childhood but never been tempted to get laser treatment or anything else.

What was your prescription?
I'm around -8 so not sure if its an option

Why? So the risk of injury or infection is lower than wearing contact lenses for more than 5 years (which I do). I've also worn glasses since early childhood and always hated them. They don't fit with my lifestyle, I was getting increasingly frustrated with contact lenses so for me the benefits outweighed the risk.

My prescription was -4 in both eyes so I'm not sure @AwkwardPaws27 but you can get a free consultation where they'd be able to tell you.

Awkward I believe -8 is pretty do able although at that level I would personally go to a very experienced eye surgeon rather than high street.

I am -10 and have just been told by Moorfields I’m a little too far. Up to -9 is generally ok if you have normal corneal thickness.

I’m having ICL surgery instead - if you can’t have laser this could be an option for you.

@Vwswimmer1
How much was your Laser Eye Surgery?

Did you go with a big company - Ultralase, Optimax etc or a local eye surgeon?

What was your aftercare like?

DS (20) is hoping to have it done in the summer. I had laser eye surgery 19 years ago. I still have 20/20 vision.

Its amazing isn't it, had mine done 16 years ago and went from -9 and -10 to -0. 75. To me it was a miracle

I had mine done 16 years ago. Absolutely fantastic. Best thing I've ever done. Think I've finally justified the cost as was spending £200-250 a year on glasses and the surgery was around £4k.

@Bowbridge hi! So I had the SMILE version (which is keyhole as opposed to the flap) and it was £3000 with 10% NHS discount.

I chose to have it done at a private clinic attached to a big hospital in my city. So the surgeons work private and NHS which I just felt a bit safer than a high street place.

The aftercare was great, I had scratchy eyes for about 24h, saw the surgeon the next day and was signed off to drive. Used eye drops for about 1 month then not needed anything since.

No regrets at all

Thank you @Vwswimmer1. DS had a consultation with a high St place but they wanted to charge £5000+. I am looking at private clinics, but have not found any attached to hospitals. Yours was not in the South East of England by any chance?!! PM me if it was!

No sorry, very much in the North!

My eyes have deteriorated again and I'm back wearing glasses - mind you I did get 20 years of perfect vision but I didn't want it to end! Have heard mixed messages about whether you can do it again.

I had it done 12 years ago with Optical Express at Harley Street. Having worn glasses and contact lenses for 19 years before that, I found it amazing getting 20/20 vision back! Best thing I ever did. Cost was just under £4,000 from what I can remember.
There’s a slight deterioration in my eyesight now but not enough to need glasses yet.

I had mine done,because I didn't get on with contact lenses and I got fed up with thing like cycling and walking in the rain - a choice of blurred or blotchy and steamed up. Seeing the click at the end of the swimming pool for the first time, Seeing my bag on the beach, and all the way from Old Harry to the Needles, that was amazing I've done things like skydiving and whitewater rafting since having them done, which I wouldn't have dared to do in glasses. Glasses just aren't perfectly serviceable in all circumstances.

*Seeing the clock

Hi, please could you tell me where you had it done? I’m in the North and work for the NHS. Thanks

I had mine done at Moorfields.

I had mine done at -8. It has lasted perfectly for 15 years and is only just starting to slip now, very slightly.

I would say there were some downsides in the very short term, but totally outweighed by the long-term good eyesight.

Horrible bits in the moment:

• pinched my eyelid in the clamp by accident, which hurt and gave me a black eye
• smelled disgusting (like burning hair)
• made me very emotional and tearful, which hurt!
• made my eyelids not waterproof for around 4 weeks as my eyeballs had changed shape, so every time I washed my hair I got shampoo in my eyes
• the same deal with the eyelids not quite fitting meant that my eyes would dry out overnight, including one terrifying occasion when my cornea dried so badly it went visibly yellow and wonky, and I could see as if through smoked glass (this went away after 5 mins putting drops in)
• dry eyes needing viscous drops 4 times a day for about 6 months
• no longer get protection from contact lenses when cutting onions so always cry a lot when cooking.

Plus sides:

• perfect eyesight ever since
• no further issues at all for 15 years
• allowed to outsource all onion chopping to DP

Hi - I was told by an optician that if I had laser surgery to correct my shortsightedness I’d then have the opposite problem and need reading glasses (can currently see perfectly well to read). Seems odd. Have you heard of this or had that issue?

That's what they told me too but it didn't happen. Depends on whether you're purely short sighted (as I was) or a bit wonky in the other direction too. Still better to have reading glasses (£5) than need varifocals (£500) I'd say.

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden Interesting. I don’t really get on with varifocals - always end up taking them off to read! Would be great to be able
to sport etc without having to wear contact lenses (also varifocal but bit hopeless for reading so have a cheap pair of reading glasses!).