Laser eye surgery

[nokissymum]

please is there anyone who has had laser/LASIK eye surgery and do you think it was worth it ? Ive just been for the initial assessment and I seem a suitable candidate, but would like to discuss more with people who have actually done it.

[virginiasmonalogue]

I had LASIK with WAVEFRONT technology (!!). was brillinat. Could see better than 20/20 straight away, though had very stingy eyes for about 2 hours that night.

Was money well spent.

That was about 2 years ago now at Ultralase in Manchester.

[ppeatfruit]

a1980 would you also advise people not to cross the road? I had optimax laser eye surgery 16 yrs ago it's fantastic. Had 1 eye done so I can read and see 100% 2 day recovery .

[chipmonkey]

A1980 is in as good a position to comment as any, this is a public forum and people are entitled to express a view from their own perspective.

The first thing I would say is to check out the reputation of the surgeon very thoroughly. I am an optometrist and have seen many patients after they have had the procedure. Most are perfectly happy but I have noticed that some surgeons have a better success rate than others and that some are much more thorough in their initial examinations. I prefer to refer to ophthalmic surgeons who are attached to a hospital rather than an independent clinic but I'm in Ireland so can't really advise on the UK>

[mummygogo]

I had lasik about 4 years ago. Its incredibly nerve wracking but having done lots and lots of research I took an informed decision. It has been brilliant. I dont think you can explain to someone who hasn't suffered from severe short sightednss what a wonderful thing it is to be able to see the clock in the mornings or be able to swim without fear of losing a contact lens. My contact lenses were also uncomfortable and in the evenings I couldn't wait to take them out. The other thing was I could never stay over at a friends on an impromptu basis as I needed to come prepared with solutions or spare lenses. It is an absolute joy to be free of those things.

I'm sure there is a risk and so I did see a proper surgeon at Moorfields which gave me more comfort.

[DBennett]

Life-time risk of vision risk from refractive surgery is probably fairly similar to the risks associated with soft contact lenses.

Rigid Gas Permeable lens wear does seem safer than both though.

Not much data directly compares satisfaction from refractive surgery with extended wear contact lens wear (the type you change once a month).

What data exists seems to show similar high satisfaction rates.

[A1980]

A1980 first of all I dont take very kindly to being addressed with
"If you have any sense in your head". Please don't ever speak to me like that again.

FFS don't take it so literally. People are so sensitive and arsey these days. It was not necessarily addressed at you.

I could tell you several horror stories about claims I've dealt with but after that reaction I wont bother.

Fine. Have the laser surgery then and also have a you need one

[notapizzaeater]

I had it done at Ultralase >10 years ago (think about 12) and I have never regretted it. My eyes are just starting to go now (-25 & -.50) but that is down to aging and would have happened anyway.

Went to bed for a couple of hours kip afterwards and don't remember any pain, hassle, dry eyes ....

I was one of the unlucky ones - I had acanthamoeba keratitis (swimming with soft contact lenses in) about 20 years ago (claim to fame here - I was the 2nd person in the UK to get it and was touch and go whether I would loose my sight) after this I couldn't wear lenses and hated my glasses.

[nokissymum]

A1980 you clearly have issues, no doubt you've been deeply affected by the "horror" stories in your head, which you are welcome to keep.

[nokissymum]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, which has helped put things into perspective a bit more, its always good to hear people's personal experiences and not just what the clinic say.

I'll be having it done later in the year and look forward to getting rid of at least one pair of glasses!

[ORML]

rabbitstew wrote, "A1980 is not in a position to comment as A1980 has only ever seen people with complications following surgery, given her job."

Call me stupid, but I think that puts A1980 in one of the best positions to comment!

As A1980 will no doubt tell you, most legal claims against laser eye clinics never get to court, they're settled quietly with the patient signing a gagging order.

I had LASEK 4 months ago & it is the biggest regret of my life, having left my eyes irreparably damaged. I'm not going to waste time explaining how, simply to be lambasted by people arguing that I'm biased, because so many others have had good results.

If only I had researched the risks more thoroughly, but I expected the surgeon would explain them to me - duh, he didn't want to lose his fat commission!

Post surgery, my research has unearthed true horror stories that would have stopped me considering surgery beyond Google had I found them beforehand!

Argue all you want, but it's a fact that the percentage of patients who have their eyes damaged by laser surgery is considerably higher than admitted. But even if it were only 1%, how would you feel to be that 1%?

Not only are countless unhappy patients paid off by high street laser clinics to keep quiet, many are also retreated at reputable eye hospitals like Moorfields, also paid for by the laser clinics responsible for causing the damage.

If you are considering eye laser surgery & want more information about the possible risks, I advise you Google "laser eye surgery ruined my life" and follow the links!

[rabbitstew]

I did months worth of research into laser eye surgery, including looking at sites on how laser eye surgery ruined peoples' lives, and imagined myself as one of the people who might have appalling things going wrong - and as one of the people who ended up with more common complications, like permanently irritated, dry eyes, and I imagined every possible complication in between. I then made sure that I went to someone with a phenomenal reputation who had fixed other peoples' bodge ups and operated on other eye surgeons (who really ought to know the risks, even if others don't understand them). And even then I panicked at the last minute and nearly didn't go ahead with it, got tetchy at every little symptom post-surgery and went back to the clinic more often than the standard check-up times to ensure that everything was going OK, because I'd made myself so incredibly aware of all the known possible complications. And even now I'm aware that no-one can promise that something that appears to have a good track record over 10-15 years won't have unexpected problems cropping up 30 or 40 years later. But I still went ahead with it - in the full knowledge that I was fiddling with one of my most vital senses - and still don't regret it.

Anyone who goes ahead with this procedure without having researched it properly is a bit (well, actually a lot) of an idiot, but that doesn't mean that everyone who goes ahead with it is an idiot. To go ahead with an optional procedure like this, on a vital part of the body, without being fully aware of the risks is just plain stupid, but I take exception to people warning others that they should never have the procedure done if they have any sense in their head. You might as well tell people that if they had any sense in their head, they would never drive a car, because the consequences of crashing it can be so appalling. Everyone has their own personal risk assessment to make, weighing up the pros and cons in relation to their own lifestyle, personality, existing eyesight, any extra known risk factors specific to them, etc, and then they should make their own decision based on this, not on other peoples' scare or success stories. I would be very sad if my operation had gone wrong, or if in future years I end up with painfully dry eyes and incurably poor vision directly connected to the operation I had earlier in life, but I wouldn't be angry or bitter about it, because I was aware of the possibility and did everything I could to minimise the risk factors (but was still willing to take the risks).

[nancy75]

I had it done 11 years ago at Moorfields eye hospital - i am very happy that I had it done. The person that did mine was Dr Gartry. Moorfields was more expensive that the high street opticians, however I felt it was worth spending the extra money.

[vickster11]

Hi

I had my eyes lasered ten years ago, I went to Optimax in London for it. Back then they only lasered one eye, then six month later would to the other.

I was advised on the day to bring someone with me. I have to say the laser didnt hurt and only took about 10 seconds to do. Once its done they cover it and give you painkillers. This is were the friend comes in they need to make sure you get home okay as after about 20 minutes you become really drowsey.

On the day you go and get it done. Put a tv in your bedroom and darken the picture until its black. Otherwise the tv will hurt your eyes and also put the controller for the tv and radio nearby. As you wont be able to stand the light either daylight or lightbulbs.

Regarding my eyes my first eye I couldnt open for 3 days and on day 5 I could see all the little lights on my radio clearly. My second eye took one day to recover and I suffered for afew years with a dry eye. I would have to put eyes drops in that eye. I still get the occasionally dry eye even now.

The downside for me is the fact I need to wear glasses again. After going back and seeing a specialist I was told me eyes have changed again. Abit annoying really.

My friend had hers done one year after me with the same company in Manchester. Her eyes were terrible, she wore bottle top thick lenses and her eyes are still okay.