If you had laser eye surgery, are you glad you did ?

[Starfishswimmer]

I want it but I’m scared

Yes I'm happy with mine. Been 11 years without glasses. I was -5. Only draw back was having halo night vision, which was uncomfortable whilst driving. That only lasted 6 months though.

Yes best money I've ever spent , The only uncomfortable thing is the smell but that's the laser not your eye burning
You can be prescribed a sedative if you are nervous

Nope. Spent £3k in 2013 and was back in glasses by 2020. It was amazing to begin with but just didn’t last for me. I’m more short sighted now than I was before.

Can you have it in your 50s or is it too late?

Yea best ever money spent. I've more than saved the money I spent. 10 years glasses free. Wish I had done it sooner.

It was much more painful than I expected after having it like PP said you get the impression that it's painless recovering. But actually I needed the rest of the day in bed and my eyes and nose were streaming and blurry. Was on school holidays when I had it done and fine to do normal things, fully Recovered in a week.

Hated glasses and contact tact lenses as I'm sure most people do. Glasses can look cool but not in the sun or the rain or the cold or with a mask.

I had dry eyes for three or so years after.

Still worth it!

I went to optical express in Meadowhall. Huge chain. Can't say they are anything special but it's a routine procedure for them. Ask for a discount they seem to do lots of discounts. Weird sales model. I went for the more advance one at the time but technology is much more advanced now, spend as much as you can afford in the extra enhancements was called wavefront now i think it's idesign

I had lazik. The stronger the prescription the more expensive it is.

I've always fancied it, had all the pre op checks done about 10 years ago and just bottled out. Part of it was that every single person I saw working in the clinic (it was a big name one) had glasses on. I just thought that was odd and off putting!

I think for the people who find it life changing, they maybe wore glasses all the time? I wear contacts every single day, get on great with them and don't really think about them at all. However I ran out recently and had to wear glasses all the time for about a week - I hated it so much that I vowed I would never let myself run out again. I actually suit glasses, so it's not a vanity thing, I just hate the feeling of them on my face.

If I had to wear glasses and contacts didn't work for me I'd get laser in a heartbeat.

A thousand times yes. It is the best money I've ever spent. It's not painful, or it wasn't for me. It is absolutely life changing.

Ditto - best money I've ever spent - I did mine in 1994 or so - for short sight -7.5 lenses. And it has worn off a bit now. At the time they could not correct astigmatism so I have a slight blur. But going from putting glasses on before I get out of bed and taking them off when I'm in bed - to not needing them at all for about 20 years and now only wearing them for distance occasionally it's well worth it. Night vision is a bit difficult and I think that's got worse with age - the bright lights ! I would seriously consider doing it again.

DH had it. He said he'd have it again if he needed it (and it was a possibility).

Yes! It’s brilliant.

I left uni in June/July, got a full time job…saved up and got it done the following January. I was 22 and I’m 38 now, eyesight is still fine. At 22 I was mature enough to realise that it wouldn’t fix ageing eyesight, but I really like getting value for money and at 22 decided I’d have a fair few years value out of them!

I had it a while ago and selected the option which had the best long term results but longest recovery. I came out of the procedure, got home, went to sleep for about 16 hours then woke up with no pain and wonderful eye sight. For a few weeks I noticed my eyes took a little longer to go from looking at things close up to things far away. But no halo-ing around lights or anything.

if you wear contact lenses one of the weirdest sensations is feeling the wind on your eyes for the first few months …. Or at least I found the sensation weird!

I spent 3.5k and was back in glasses 5 years later (by the age of 30, so not exactly old) My eyesight is still better than it was but i have to wear glasses pretty much full time now.

Yes. Eye sight is no longer as perfect as just after procedure but no regrets

So worth it - had Lasik (£3k) in 2011 when I was 32 to correct being very shortsighted and still going strong now. Had a slight reaction to the anaesthetic eye drops which needed some cocodamol to help with the irritation immediately after but don't regret it in the slightest. However watching gory YouTube videos of the procedure the night before having it done was extremely stupid.....it was literally over in about 2 minutes!

I really want to get it done but I'm freaking out about being awake while they mess with my eyes. Can they give me something to knock me out or make me not care? 😂😫

Yes and no. It's brilliant while it works but I've had to have it done three times because I kept reverting (company payed for repeats). Now back to glasses for driving and bad halos. Can't have any more surgery on them - if I could and had the money I'd get a lens replacement.

Had it in April. No regrets at all.
Go to Optegra! Avoid optical express, they didn’t tell me my options and tried to make me have lens replacement. ( cost £££ and they didn’t tell me I was suitable for a laser surgery that they just didn’t offer)

I'd love to have it done but I already have dry eyes, especially in the spring/summer with allergies, and the thought of that getting worse fills me with dread!

Great thread though, nice to see a fair few people recommending it.

Is it too late at 48 , and would it work when badly shortsighted but also when wearing glasses can’t now see close up?

I definitely don't think they can knock you out but I'm sure you can take something that might chill you out a bit, obviously you'd have to check with them just in case there's anything that might have an adverse effect. I'd recommend having the initial appointment (usually free at the big chains) and chatting through it with them. But honestly it was so quick, I doubt I was even 10 minutes in the room, and the actual lasering part was only seconds.

Had it done around 1998 best thing ever. I was very very shortsighted so it changed my life. I wear glasses for driving now but I'm
51 so I expected that

I would love to have it done. I’m very short sighted

Best 3k I ever spent. Was terribly short sighted, got it done 2009 at Vision Express.

Totally painless and took about 10 minutes for both eyes. No problems at all since.

No glasses or contact lens ever again.

I found it really weird but interesting. They spray something in each eye so you can't blink.

I was aware that things were happening (sensation but no pain at all) to each eye in turn, but was told just to focus in the distance and it was like looking at a very starry clear night sky.

Was too intrigued to be scared.

Do you mind me asking how much is cost with Optegra?

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