Has anyone regretted laser eye surgery after years of wearing glasses?

[TooBigForMyBoots]

I've been wearing glasses since my early 20s. 30 years on (give or take), my eyesight is pretty much fucked. I wear my main glasses on a chain and have a scattering of reading glasses about the house. In my bags. And all my coat pockets.🙈

I've got to the stage where I need different glasses to get by and I'm sick of it!

I'm thinking of asking my family for vouchers for eye laser surgery for Christmas and my birthday this year with the view of having the treatment in early 2027. But I worry it may make things worse.

Can it?
Does it?
How do you feel going without glasses after wearing them your whole adult life?

How much is lens replacement surgery? Will you still potentially get cataracts?

I had mine over 10 years ago so no idea of current costs. It means you will never get cataracts - it is basically early cataract surgery before cataracts have developed - you could view it as preventative.

PLEASE PLEASE research laser eye surgery very thoroughly. You can suffer from dry eyes afterwards which can be extremely debilitating. I have dry eyes but not as a result of laser eye surgery and had to leave work eventually.

I had cataract surgery about 10 years ago, I guess that would be lens replacement. I got monovision - long vision in one eye and short sight in the other, so I didn't need glasses at all. However, about a year ago I started to need glasses again, and I just got varifocals a couple of months ago.

I needed the surgery anyway and didn't have to pay for it, and actually I did miss wearing glasses. I don't think I would ever have chosen lasik or lasek. I love glasses and they weirdly suit me. I have gotten so many compliments on my new glasses lol. I might get contact lenses for when I don't feel like wearing glasses.

I was considered unsuitable for laser eye surgery 25 years ago, and did not consider it again. I'm now in my 60s and have had cataract surgery. One of the first things they ask you at consultation is whether you've had laser eye surgery because it makes the operation considerably trickier (and therefore riskier?)

Perhaps you should consider lens replacement so that you won't need cataract surgery in 10/15/20 years time? Or just invest in a pair of varifocal glasses? Afterall, most older people will need glasses for reading regardless of the surgery as your eyes weaien with age.

I will add my prescription is much lower than it was before i had the cataract surgery. Some days I forget to put on my glasses - that would never have happened when my prescription was minus 9.5 in one eye, and about 7 in the other.

Thanks everyone. You've given me a lot to think about. I never considered lens replacement.

I mentioned previously I had laser eye surgery in my 50s. I have since had cataract surgery on both eyes but although I was told previous laser surgery may make the procedure more difficult, it actually didn't and the cataract removal was straight forward and successful. I have never suffered from dry eyes although I was warned it could be a problem

Lens replacement surgery two years ago cost me around £4000 per eye. One was slightly more expensive than the other because I had an astigmatism and needed a special lens. Because I was paying privately for it I was able to have multi focal lenses. I now have perfect distance vision. Close to I find glasses easier, I have several pairs of cheap basic reading glasses at the lowest strength for eg reading in bed, using the computer but I can read without them. It’s been life changing.