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Original poster

has anyone had lazer eye surgery?

18 replies

oliviasmummy · 28/12/2006 23:39

Dh is thinking of going in for lazer eye surgery, he went to Ultralase at Leeds today for a consultation. It will cost nearly 3 grand, I wondered if anyone has any experiences, good or bad, to relate, as he's not sure wether to go ahead or shop around. He is very shortsighted and swimming is a problem, which dd loves, he's had a bit of a windfall since his dad died, I think he should go for it, anyone got any thoughts?

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 28/12/2006 23:42

I wouldn't have it done - I wear Ortho-k contact lenses that reshape my cornea as I sleep and have perfect vision in the daytime.

I wouldn't have it done because my optician says he doesn't know anyone in the profession who'd have it done - that speaks volumes to me. He does, however, wear the same lenses as I do - which a completely reversible procedure (should you ever decide "hell, yeah, I'd love shit eyesight again".

These lenses can only be done up to about a -5.0 prescription though.

pinkchampagne · 28/12/2006 23:44

I've had it & really reccomend it. I had it a good 9 years back & have perfect vision now!

hatwoman · 28/12/2006 23:45

dh had it done. went really well - no problems since. he really loves not faffing with glasses or lenses. but he did go for the expensive end of what's available (about £4k iirc) - he went through a consultant at an eye hospital. I would say it's definitely worth looking around - there are some slight differences in methods, and you do hear some stories about the cheaper deals using people with less surgical experience (or something like that....)

RoundTheBend · 28/12/2006 23:46

I had it done in July 2005 and I have to say I am kicking myself that I did not have it done ten years before! Best thing I ever did!

3Ddonut · 28/12/2006 23:47

hunker - never heard of those, they sound fab! My prescription is -5.0 now, are they expensive, I pay about £22 a month for dailies now.

vitomum · 28/12/2006 23:48

my dad had it done and one thing went wrong after another and it was a total nightmare for 3 months. He still has lingering 'dry eye'.

There are risks attached which they should fully inform you off.

hatwoman · 28/12/2006 23:49

they do sound amazing - dh has just said he hadn;t heard of them when he had his lasered

hunkermunker · 28/12/2006 23:50

£40 a month including all the cleaning solution, eye check-ups, contact lens checks, etc, etc. My eyes have never felt healthier - I don't get affected by air conditioning, etc.

The only thing I can't do now is peel an onion without crying - I didn't when I wore lenses!

They're not soft, though, they're rigid gas permeable lenses which are the healthiest ones for your eyes anyway.

Smurfgirl · 28/12/2006 23:50

Hunker do you have astigamtism? Is that what those contacts are for, would be v.interested in more info if you have some.

3Ddonut · 28/12/2006 23:52

More info please!!!!!!!! My optician said he would recommend a practitioner for laser eye surgery to me! but has never mentioned these lenses?! Surely would be better for him business wise? Are they widely available?

unknownrebelbang · 28/12/2006 23:52

Much as I would love to have this done, I've had an optician, a GP and a final-term medical student advise against, for reasons of lack of research into long-term effects and also that they can't readily test for glaucoma (sp?) once you've had it done.

hunkermunker · 28/12/2006 23:58

I do have astigmatism in one eye - my prescription is such that it shouldn't actually work on me - I'm slightly too short-sighted and the astigmatism is more than it usually corrects.

Not many practitioners do this though - so you might not find it in your local area. I'm in west London and have already sent one MNer to my optician though!

Original poster

oliviasmummy · 29/12/2006 00:01

This is all really great feedback - hunker can you swim in your lenses?

OP posts:

cat64 · 29/12/2006 00:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

3Ddonut · 29/12/2006 00:10

I've googled it, the website says it only treats up to -4.5 but I'm a -5 dh thinks I should go for it ( he feels guilty cause before we got together, I'd saved a chunk to pay for laser eye surgery but it got spent on house stuff) I'm glad to hear that you're outside of that bracket, is it by much? and I'm wondering if, although fabulous, eyesight of -0.5 is good enough...for driving etc?!

Also, with laser eye surgery it doesn't stop your eyesight from deteriorating further, which tbh is the main reason I've avoided it, I think that should I have it done I'd be back to wearing glasses in a couple of years, my prescription changes a little each time I go

hunkermunker · 29/12/2006 00:15

I was -4.75 in my left eye and -5.25 in my right eye - but it overcorrected me first, to about +1.5 in my right eye - so had it altered and I'm now 20/20. But that means it would've worked if I was -6.5 - I think!

If you already wear gas permeable lenses you are already doing a version of what the Ortho-k lenses do because the rigidity of the lens will alter the shape of your cornea - mine had corrected my eyesight to about -4.25 and -5.0. I had to wear glasses for a month so that a true reading could be taken of my cornea and lenses made from that.

I can't swim in my lenses - but there's no need, because I wear them at night, when I'm asleep - so I don't wear any kind of lens in the daytime.

The only slight drawback is that it causes a bit of haloing of headlights and streetlights at night - only slight and I can still drive at night - and with laser surgery you can get the same thing anyway.

3Ddonut · 29/12/2006 20:35

Thanks for the info Hunker, I'm seeing (ha ha) my optician in a few weeks and will be SURE to ask him all about them! I feel like someone gave me a 'get out of jail free' card or something!

3Ddonut · 29/12/2006 20:35

Thanks for the info Hunker, I'm seeing (ha ha) my optician in a few weeks and will be SURE to ask him all about them! I feel like someone gave me a 'get out of jail free' card or something!

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