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Original poster

Laser eye surgery

33 replies

KimchiLaLa · 23/01/2021 22:28

Has anyone done this? Would you recommend it? Obviously I couldn't do it until after Covid, but how much did you pay? And where did you get it done/would you recommend getting it done? Any help would be appreciated.

OP posts:
Byeckythump · 24/01/2021 00:26

I had it done 5 years ago. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Wish I’d had it done years earlier but couldn’t afford it then!

Mine was £3.5k, I was-6 so pretty badly short sighted. Procedure wasn’t pleasant but quick and pain free... until a couple of hours later when it got really painful so I went to bed to rest my eyes and sleep it off and it has gone by the next day.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw the detail of the leaves on a tree two fields away. Worth every penny. There are stories out there where things do go wrong so make sure you’re fully informed before making a decision.

butterfly990 · 24/01/2021 13:48

My friend had hers done 2 weeks ago. She is very happy.

Bamaluz · 24/01/2021 14:22

DH had lens replacement surgery last week, clinics are still open.

He used Optical Express. Very pleased with the service and outcome.

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Original poster
KimchiLaLa · 24/01/2021 14:30

Oh so they are working during lockdown then? I couldn't tell from some pages. I've looked at moorfields and they seem to charge £4.5kish which isn't awful but obviously still expensive.

Would anyone get it done now? The reason I'm keen to is i need to get it done before I get pregnant again, apparently you can't do it if you are understandably...but travelling in, going to the hospital all feels risky.

Can anyone recommend any other clinics in London?

OP posts:
Katrinawaves · 24/01/2021 14:44

I had mine done a year ago at the London Vision Clinic. It was all very straightforward and the aftercare was fantastic. I didn’t have any post op pain but they sent me home with painkillers just in case. Had to use drops for several weeks but my eyes are prone to dryness anyway.

A year on and I have perfect vision. Mine was done for a varifocal prescription so costs probably wouldn’t be the same if you just need it done for shortsightedness. It was expensive but worth it. I think they do offer credit terms if you want to pay off by instalments.

lpchill · 24/01/2021 14:48

Had mine done back in 2011. Optical express. Less than two minutes but was scary! Went to sleep after as eyes felt full of sand but when I got up after a few hours it was like seeing everything in HD would really recommend it as it's been so long and i still see everything in HD best £3k I've ever spent and would do it again in a heart beat

Beamur · 24/01/2021 14:52

Haven't had it done, so not talking from personal experience. I think it does depend on how severe your problem is. I asked my optician and they said it was effective if you only needed a mild/ moderate correction and that it's not permanent, you may need it repeating at some point or use glasses.

shinyblackdog · 24/01/2021 15:05

Had it done about 12 years ago, it was £3k then, so has paid for itself taking into account the cost of daily contact lenses (at the time). Best money I ever spent on myself. Still going strong, although I'll probably need reading glasses soon - sadly lasers can't fix aging! I think it was Optical Express. I would advise following the after care instructions to the letter - there are lots of drops that you have to use for a couple of weeks after, sleep in goggles for a while, no contact sports for about six months as I recall. My prescription was -4.5.

wishywashywoowoo70 · 24/01/2021 15:12

I had it done about 20 years ago when it was relatively new in UK. Used Optimax clinic in Birmingham as no where in South Wales did it. My eyes were shockingly bad so had to have Lasik. Best thing I've ever done. Wasn't painful and it's life changing

Dowser · 24/01/2021 15:17

Exh had it done about 20 years ago in Florida ( sorry it won’t help you there)
Someone recommended the clinic.
At the time the uk was only doing one eye at a time , so he had it done on holiday and had both done.
It all went really well. Well enough to see my wrinkles and dump me for a woman 10 years younger , 15 years ago. 😂

Katrinawaves · 24/01/2021 15:26

@shinyblackdog. Yes lasers can now fix age related eye problems. When I had mine done last year one eye was corrected for distance and the other eye was corrected for reading. The brain just works it out. I don’t need glasses for anything now.

I’ve been told that in about 10 years I may need to go back for a small adjustment to the reading vision corrected eye as the prescription may change over time but this is an easy procedure.

khg1 · 24/01/2021 15:34

I had it done at Moorfields 10 years ago and my husband around 5 years ago, I think at Optisomethingorother! Mine was around £5k I think and his half that.

It's been great, driving at night a bit more of a challenge than before (with oncoming headlights). I took a few weeks more than my husband for my eyes to feel normal again, I had a bit of haloing. Moorfields was good but my consultant (though highly recommended) was a bit brusque and not terribly interested when I had a query afterwards.

Only downside is that both of us have now hit our mid 40s, and as we were warned when we had it done, our short sight has now deteriorated such that we're holding everything at arm's length!

JustPootlingAlong · 24/01/2021 15:38

I had mine done a few years ago. Best money I have ever spent. Think it was 4k and done with Optical express. Surgery was painless. Could see straight away but a little cloudy. After pain wasn't horrendous. More just discomfort and it went after 4 hours.
I have been warned that I may well need glasses again as I get older but to be honest, I will probably just have them done again if that is possible.

chesterfuckingdraws · 24/01/2021 15:59

I had mine done in 2012 it was great I was -2.25 and -1.75 and cost £3k.

I was a text book candidate to have it done and I healed quickly with no side effects......I now wear glasses again with almost the exact same prescription as before. I got 5 years out of it and they can't give me any reason why it failed after so long it's just one of those things so for me it wasn't cost effective at all.

Monkeytapper · 24/01/2021 16:15

I had mine done about 15 years ago with Optimax, I was short sighted,the results were amazing but now I’ve found that my vision has deteriorated in the last year or so. I’ll probably have to wear glasses or contacts again or look into getting them done again, it’s possible in some cases but not all.
Well worth the money though, cost a couple of grand back the app and as I’ve said I’ve had 15 years of perfect eye sight nearly.
I’m 42 now so late 30’s when I had them done.

viques · 24/01/2021 16:17

I had mine done at Moorfields as a private patient som years ago. As others have said, the procedure itself is painless, but a few hours later you do start to feel it, they advised putting on the cute bug eye goggles they give you and going to bed! And that worked. Waking up to perfect vision is an amazing experience. do make sure you keep on with the eye drops they give you, and carry on wearing the goggles for a few nights until everything is healed. The funniest thing was the follow up appointment the next day, all the previous days patients sat there grinning at each other, and donating our old glasses to be recycled for charity.

shinyblackdog they did my eyes so that one sees things far away and others close up. sounds weird, but they tested me first with special contact lenses to see if my brain could work it out which it can, means I didn’t/don’t need reading glasses.

Monkeytapper · 24/01/2021 16:17

Also, as another person said, driving at night is a bit tricky, makes headlights glare more.

shinyblackdog · 24/01/2021 17:09

@Katrinawaves really? That is amazing!

Original poster
KimchiLaLa · 24/01/2021 20:38

Wow I'm shocked no one is saying don't do it - that gives me more confidence!

OP posts:
Campervan69 · 24/01/2021 20:45

I'm 51 and had it done about 15 years ago at Manchester Eye Hospital. Was pretty short sighted and had astigmatism so had the more hardcore op which can take longer to settle. Anyway was totally worth it, still have 20 20 vision now. Dont need reading glasses yet although most of my peers do. Was the best decision ever. So pleased with the results.

Itsamess8456 · 24/01/2021 21:25

I had it done over 20 years ago and it worked brilliantly with 20/20 vision for about 10 years. It did leave me with a mild astigmatism though and i do have a slight prescription now for distances and reading so am back in glasses (verifocal)

Shieldingending · 24/01/2021 21:30

Is it good for people with a plus prescription too? DD's is plus 7 and she would like to have this done when she's older

Bells3032 · 24/01/2021 21:31

Had in 2011. Cost me about £3k at optical express. Had to have the slower recovery one as my corneas were to thin for the quick one. Deff worth it. 10 years later my eyes are starting to detoriate a bit but I use screens pretty much non stop.

One of the best decisions I ever made

Ifonlyiweretaller · 24/01/2021 21:45

I had "mono vision" laser surgery 8 years ago, as my eyesight deteriorated. I was warned told it wouldn't last forever as the deterioration is age related, so now at 59 I'm having to wear a slight prescription again. (Interesting that people have commented about night driving - I have really struggled with this and to be honest don't feel at all confident driving in the dark and avoid it as much as possible.)

Happy I had it done, gave me another 8 years, but I wouldn't do it again I dont think (even though some previous posters have said you can now have it done again).

viques · 25/01/2021 09:49

@KimchiLaLa

Wow I'm shocked no one is saying don't do it - that gives me more confidence!
Make sure you choose your consultant and clinic carefully, a friend told me —boasted— her husband was going to a clinic where they were offering a buy one get one free if you referred a friend ( I think she was annoyed I chose to go elsewhere) . Personally I wouldn’t want my eyes being a bargaining tool for boosting footfall.

I went to Moorfields because you can see the qualifications ,specialities and experience of their consultants online. My daughter had her early onset cataracts done there too, we were originally referred to our local hospital where the only information you were given were the names of the people in the department.

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