Eye Operation (like laser) Can I get sick leave

[SayItWithWine]

I am going to have my lenses (in my eyes!)replaced for severe bad eyesight. They have to do each eye seperately a week apart. It will mean at least 2 weeks off work. It is classed as cosmetic as my vision is corrected now by glasses. Has anyone been in this situation, could you get time off sick? Dont know whether to just phone in sick after the first op and say eyes too bad to work at computer, or just come clean and accept if they refuse to pay. How will I pay my mortgage that month?

Moorfields is not the only excellent place to get laser eye surgery done - Centre for Sight (in East Grinstead or London) is run by surgeons from the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, which is a world renowned centre for corneal (and other) eye surgery, and laser eye surgery is an operation on the cornea. They get people coming from all over the world, including the US, to have their laser eye surgery done there (or other centres' bodge-ups fixed), and have operated on other eye surgeons, so must be pretty good! You can probably guess where I had my laser eye surgery done last year...

My GP said they would give me a sick note as all they need to know is Ive had eye surgery So yes, its officially OK. I'm sure the consultant eye person will agree to a letter to my employer stating all the medical reasons (not cosmetic) I need the operation for so feeling much more confident now!

Badkitten I dont have myopia its the opposite (longsightedness) not sure what its called and also that presbyopia - so long and shortsighted!! With myopia there is a higher risk of retinal detatchment anyway and also with any eye procedure. My retinas are perfect thank heavens. I think I am a good candidate but am frankly terrified! Thats why I want to get the worry of work out of the way.

The surgeon who will do my eyes is very well qualified and has done 26,000 lasers. Doesnt say how many lens exchanges but I'm sure adequate in this too. I've read up on all the right questions and will meet him the
week before the op so I do feel confident terrified but confident!!

sayitwithwine When is your op?

Looking at the first two weeks in November. They could have done it next week but declined (when I stopped hyperventilating) - need to psych myself up!

I wouldn't try to justify why you are doing it with work, you will just tie yourself in knots (if you are like me). Just give them the note from the doctor and say that you are having eye surgery on y date and will need x weeks off afterwards. They wouldn't understand the ins and outs of the procedure anyway, unless they have a medical background.

Very best of luck. Hope you get the results you are after.

Will you let us know how you get on? I'll put this thread on my 'watch' list and wait for an up-date after the surgery (and also when you have been given official permission for leave from work ).

Good luck, SayItWithWine - I know how you feel! I was unbelievably scared and anxious/wondering whether to pull out at the last minute when I had my laser eye surgery done. I knew if I did it would only make it worse, though, because at some point I'd have to go back and go through the whole process again, now that I knew the operation was a possibility for me rather than something I'd reassured myself I'd be told wouldn't be viable in my case in any event... It was fine once I got there on the day, though, because I could then relax knowing it really was a bit late to pull out of the procedure, now. (And I had in any event researched every possible complication, imagined myself living through them, and added a few imaginary complications of my own for good measure, and still wanted to go ahead with it).

As an HR manager I would support your need for sick leave in your situation. I'd suggest you talk to them. The fact is that whatever the reason for the op, you'll need time off. You'd need a note from the GP though (I don';t know if opticians can do notes but I don't think so). Assuming this op has been recommended by your specialist, its better to be open about all this.

Thank you all so much. November it is!