SIDE EFFECTS OF LASER EYE SURGERY?

[frenziednester]

I am mulling over having this done as I am so fed up with contact lenses, but I am worried about the long term side effects - has anyone out there heard of any or had any? Also, what actually happens in the op? Is it really grim?

My db had it done about 5 yrs ago.He has had no side effects longterm.He did find his night vision whilst driving was initially affected.He said that lights were a bit starry iykwim.
Best thing he's ever done he says ,and he had a stigmatism and had worn glasses since a toddler.

I had it done 5 years ago and it was the best money I've ever spent, I reckon. I did get the night vision starry lights thing as well - actually I still do to a certain extent. I have been back and it could be corrected if I underwent surgery again but I am not bothered about it enough to have all the risks of surgery again, recovery time etc, again.

Had a client (used to do massage) who had cloudy vision as a consequence, even though her eyesight tested 20/20. Have worn glasses since I was 11, so I was very interested too but her story totally put me off.

Thanks for these posts. Weaselmum - what do they DO in the op?

Will watch this with interest, am also considering!

From what I've read and heard the outcome depends a lot on where it's done and who by (and how tricky your eyes are to start with)

I had a non-laser procedure done at Manchester Centre for Vision (attached to Manchester Eye Hospital) by Mr Brahma, who is fab. He would not do it if he thought someone wasn't a suitable candidate - I don't know whereabouts you are, fn, but you need someone like him to do it, even if it costs more! (IMHO anyway )

iirc you arrive a couple of hours before the op and they do final eye tests, taking measurements etc, then they put in your anaesthetic drops. They sort of sellotape your eyelids back (sounds a lot worse than it is, honestly!) and you focus on a light above you while they do the laser - you can't feel anything and it's only about 90 seconds per eye. It is a bit of a weird experience but not painful.

The worst thing about it is your eyes will be sensitive to light for a few hours afterwards and so you walk around with dark glasses on looking weepy.

Most people then have perfect vision the morning after - for me it took about 2 days for a slight blurriness to lift but after that it was fantastic

If you can find an optician near you who offers Ortho-k lenses, give those a go first. They're gas permeable lenses you wear while you sleep that alter the shape of your eye v subtly so that you can see during the day.

ohhh, I had visions (pun!) of them retracting eyelids in some sort of frankenstein type cradle and having to be VERY VERY brave !!!! Don't know why I'm so squeamish about it, I'm sure labour must be worse (she says hopefully)

yes, labour was far worse

I had laser eye surgery 2 years ago with the Ultralase Clinic. It has worked brilliantly for me, no side effects.

Procedure was ok. No pain or anything but a weird and not too pleasant experience. It is over so quickley though and the results, for me were almost immediate.

Had to wear sunglasses all day. I will always remember taking them off after a few hours and looking at the tele, I got quite emotional as I could see everything with crystal clarity - a first for 10years.

why wasn't it too pleasant? (I'm in such a gory details mood)

DH's best mate is a professor of opthamology (sp) at Manchester. He reckons it is best for eyes that aren't too bad to start with. He also added, interestingly, that he doesn't know of any opthamology professionals that have had it done however.

that's scary!!!!! why???

I think the thing about eye surgeons not having laser eye surgery is understandable, actually...the side effect I have barely affects my life but perhaps it would affect an eye surgeon's ability to do his/her job...so worth the risk for me but not for them maybe?

Ok, they clip your upper and lower eyelids so they are wide open, you cannot blink, so all I immediately wanted to do was - blink! they cut a flap on the surface of your eye and everything goes black. Though your other eye can see what is happening. Then the lasering starts and it makes a horrible buzzing sound, and smells funny too. It isn't painful but just made me feel very squimish iykwim.

I had forgotten about the smell, actually...burning flesh, lovely!

Yes WM, exactly!

I believe one of the reasons opthalmologists aren't having it done is because it's such a new procedure that the long-term effects still aren't known; I think in another few decades when there will be people around who are 50-60 years down the line, if their eyes are still OK then the professionals might be less reluctant!

Ortho-k...

Dp had it done and for three or four days of majorly gritty eyes was about to throw herself under the nearest train.
However,once it selttled down she admits it was the best money she has ever spent....

i went to see about the Ortho-K lenses but they don't work if your prescription is bad. philip schofield is a fan, however, so they Must Be Good. likewise the surgery, i went to find out about it and was told my lenses were too thin...

however, in the intervening years i learned that the laser in that particular Boots had been misaligned and had damaged the eyes of about 300 people (600 eyes!). big court case.

also my friend's dad had it done and he got an infection [boak] under the flap they'd cut [gag] and it didn't heal for ages [nausea] so he had pus coming right out of his eyeball [bleeeeee] and in the end his eyesight was actually a bit worse... [surprise]

soooooooo, i'd think about the lenses first, personally.

My eyes were slightly worse than they were meant to work with iyswim - I was (I think) -5.25 and they're only meant to work for about -4.5.

But I'm now slightly long-sighted (not enough to cause any problems), so it's worked even more than it should've done. I must have malleable corneas, I think!

Hence the need to see a proper expert. My-Mr-Brahma was interviewed on You and Yours (I know, I know ), possibly in the aftermath of the Boots thing Aitch mentions, and he was very insistent that people should be properly assessed instead of just lining up to hand over their money.

oh well, it he was on Your and Yours... PMSL.

actually, the infection happened at one of the better places. a proper doctor and everything.

and pah! to your eyes, hunker. i'm all 7s and 8s... blaind as ay bat.