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Original poster

Has anyone had Lens replacement?

42 replies

Squished22 · 29/12/2022 17:49

due to extreme short sightedness in one eye my optician suggested I consider lens replacement. It would need to be done privately and it isn’t cheap. Has anyone had this procedure?

OP posts:
Lentil63 · 29/12/2022 17:54

Is that the same as cataract surgery?

Cinders15 · 29/12/2022 18:04

Yes it is
I had both lenses replaced by NHS as had cataracts
My last eye vision was -16 and my vision in that eye was very brown!
The NHS gives you a choice of long vision for driving or short vision for reading
I chose long so I can drive and wear 2.5 ready readers for close work
If you are going private, you can combine the two and have tailor made lenses
I'd love to have that, as I wear my glasses a lot now
The change was immediate!
I used to pay £600 for glasses and wore contacts mostly so it is lovely not having to do that!

paleviolet · 29/12/2022 18:08

Cinders15 · 29/12/2022 18:04

Yes it is
I had both lenses replaced by NHS as had cataracts
My last eye vision was -16 and my vision in that eye was very brown!
The NHS gives you a choice of long vision for driving or short vision for reading
I chose long so I can drive and wear 2.5 ready readers for close work
If you are going private, you can combine the two and have tailor made lenses
I'd love to have that, as I wear my glasses a lot now
The change was immediate!
I used to pay £600 for glasses and wore contacts mostly so it is lovely not having to do that!

I'm about to have this done on NHS. Is there an option to have both visions corrected if you pay a top up fee I wonder?
My cataracts have come on very quickly-in a year.

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utterflapdoodle · 29/12/2022 18:17

I had this done privately in May. Not for cataracts but just to correct my vision. I had laser surgery about 15 years ago and was happy with my vision for years but in my mid forties started to need glasses for reading. I'm 55 now and before the lens replacement I needed glasses or contact lenses to see clearly at all distances. I had four different pairs of glasses of different strengths!

I'm very happy with the result. I had the trifocal lenses implanted and I only use glasses now occasionally to see really up close for sewing or doing my manicure. Otherwise I am glasses free which is wonderful.

I live in Germany and I was lucky that my private health insurance covered the cost. It costs about 7000 euros here.

Turnedacorner · 29/12/2022 18:24

Yes, best thing I have ever done. I was very long sighted with an astigmatism and I had refractive lens exchange done privately about 6 years ago I now have 20/20 vision. Life changing.

Original poster
Squished22 · 29/12/2022 18:26

Thanks everyone. I’ll book myself in for a consultation and see how the finances stack up

OP posts:
jesseastmids · 29/12/2022 18:28

God I would love this! -8 in both eyes and only 25. Had a consult recently for laser and I am not suitable as my eyes are too bad :/

girlwhowearsglasses · 29/12/2022 18:30

Would love to hear stories as one day I will consider this a a too short sighted and old to have laser - and contacts make me want to scratch my eyes out as I have astigmatism and need toric lenses (much thicker)

PriamFarrl · 29/12/2022 18:30

My mum was - 10 and has her cataracts done a few years ago. She had hers corrected to -2.50 at her choice. Another friend, who was -16 has had hers corrected to perfect vision and loves it.

jesseastmids · 29/12/2022 18:36

PriamFarrl · 29/12/2022 18:30

My mum was - 10 and has her cataracts done a few years ago. She had hers corrected to -2.50 at her choice. Another friend, who was -16 has had hers corrected to perfect vision and loves it.

Hi Priam, can I ask why your mum had them corrected to still needing glasses? Just curious as if I got mine done i would want them perfect.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/12/2022 19:04

I saved for it, and went for a consultation in July. For various reasons my eyes aren't suitable for lane corrective surgery; lens replacement, contact lens implants, or laser surgery. Gutted. I hope it works out for you @Squished22 but don't set your heart on it until you've seen the surgeon.

Original poster
Squished22 · 29/12/2022 19:12

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads that’s a shame that nothing is suitable. I’m interested in what would
be suitable but it’s all down to cost.

OP posts:
TugboatAnnie · 29/12/2022 19:18

Would love to know the cost of private. I have a 3 month wait for NHS consultation then 49 week wait for first lens. I can't drive or see much at the moment.

TugboatAnnie · 29/12/2022 19:20

Oh what a shame @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads especially when you hear of others getting rewarded with perfect vision. I'm keeping my fingers crossed here.

TotallyWhatever · 29/12/2022 19:24

Ophth have told me I’ll need to have it done in next couple of years, but feel a bit anxious about the procedure. The knife coming towards my eye whilst fully conscious. What’s the down time- patches? Any reassuring advice? I’m not remotely squeamish but eyes…

Passanotherjaffacake · 29/12/2022 19:32

Following as awful eyesight!

jesseastmids · 29/12/2022 19:32

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/12/2022 19:04

I saved for it, and went for a consultation in July. For various reasons my eyes aren't suitable for lane corrective surgery; lens replacement, contact lens implants, or laser surgery. Gutted. I hope it works out for you @Squished22 but don't set your heart on it until you've seen the surgeon.

Oh no! Why were you not suitable?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/12/2022 20:20

@jesseastmids
Laser surgery - eyes too dry to heal well or comfortably. Surgeon actually sent me away with eye drops and told me to use them 4 times a day for 2 months to see if the dryness was just a problem that day, or if it was more chronic. Turns out it was more chronic, and he showed me areas on my eye scan where my cornea was becoming damaged because of this. Apparently I make plenty of tears, but they are poor quality and break up very easily. Anyway, my eyes are so dry they would take > 12 months to heal, if at all and always be uncomfortable and vulnerable to infection. I would have needed reading glasses anyway.

Contact lens implants - not enough space

Lens replacement - because of previous vitreous detachment, associated with too high a risk of retinal detachment.

I'm actually ok about it, after the initial disappointment. I do a lot of outdoor sports /running/swimming and just wanted to be able to see without steaming up. I now wear daily disposable varifocal contact lenses at weekends. My eye dryness problem means i should wear them full time. But I still can't see when I am swimming (and yes, I've tried several pairs of prescription goggles, all steam up eventually, even when retreated. I have small eye sockets, they never fit well) .

Shunkleisshiny · 29/12/2022 20:26

TugboatAnnie · 29/12/2022 19:18

Would love to know the cost of private. I have a 3 month wait for NHS consultation then 49 week wait for first lens. I can't drive or see much at the moment.

I had mine done in May of this year, it costs me £5,000 but that was discounted because I worked for the NHS. My DH paid £7,000, and we both agree it's one of the best things we have done!

jesseastmids · 29/12/2022 20:35

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/12/2022 20:20

@jesseastmids
Laser surgery - eyes too dry to heal well or comfortably. Surgeon actually sent me away with eye drops and told me to use them 4 times a day for 2 months to see if the dryness was just a problem that day, or if it was more chronic. Turns out it was more chronic, and he showed me areas on my eye scan where my cornea was becoming damaged because of this. Apparently I make plenty of tears, but they are poor quality and break up very easily. Anyway, my eyes are so dry they would take > 12 months to heal, if at all and always be uncomfortable and vulnerable to infection. I would have needed reading glasses anyway.

Contact lens implants - not enough space

Lens replacement - because of previous vitreous detachment, associated with too high a risk of retinal detachment.

I'm actually ok about it, after the initial disappointment. I do a lot of outdoor sports /running/swimming and just wanted to be able to see without steaming up. I now wear daily disposable varifocal contact lenses at weekends. My eye dryness problem means i should wear them full time. But I still can't see when I am swimming (and yes, I've tried several pairs of prescription goggles, all steam up eventually, even when retreated. I have small eye sockets, they never fit well) .

Aww okay thank you for sharing that

I'm almost certainly going to look into it and I'd hate to be told I am not suitable 😞

I am sorry to hear you weren't ...but glad you are okay with it now though 💐

Afterfire · 29/12/2022 20:39

My mum had hers done as part of cataract surgery on the nhs. She was -12 both eyes and it restored her vision to near perfect, just needing reading glasses. She said it was brilliant.

I am -9.5 in both eyes and consider doing this privately but the risk of retinal detachment puts me off. I’m already high risk for that with my high prescription and also having lattice degeneration.

TugboatAnnie · 29/12/2022 20:46

Thanks @Shunkleisshiny. That's not as bad as I thought it would be

sueelleker · 29/12/2022 21:08

TotallyWhatever · 29/12/2022 19:24

Ophth have told me I’ll need to have it done in next couple of years, but feel a bit anxious about the procedure. The knife coming towards my eye whilst fully conscious. What’s the down time- patches? Any reassuring advice? I’m not remotely squeamish but eyes…

I had mine done on the NHS, and I persuaded them to do both eyes together, under GA. It's worth asking. Being very short-sighted, having one done at a time would have made seeing with or without glasses very difficult.

Purplepurse · 29/12/2022 22:14

I went from -13 to -3 . They couldn't get me perfect because of a bad astigmatism. Its still been life changing. I'm so pleased to have had it done.

deepbreath · 29/12/2022 23:21

My dh had lensectomy, vitrectomy and IOL implants on the NHS about 15 years ago. His lenses had dislocated and he was very myopic because of his connective tissue disorder. He had perfect vision, no glasses needed. He could see well enough to text me as soon as he was back on the ward.

Unfortunately, he had serious complications about 5 years on and both lens implants were removed. One had tilted and irreparably damaged his cornea, a subsequent corneal graft failed and he is now blind in that eye. They removed the other as a precaution. These issues are far more common in people who have connective tissue disorders than those in the general population, but I would urge you to do your own research. Dh says that despite all this, he would still have the surgery for those 5 years of being able to see.

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