Ds wants laser surgery on his eyes! I’m panicking!!

[Poppiesway1]

Help!
Ds (19) has booked himself a consultation for eye laser surgery. He does have a strong prescription but has been wearing glasses since he wasn’t about 11/12.

I am quite apprehensive about it! My dm is a retinal screener so has told us many times before of the horror stories they’ve had from patients where it has gone wrong. I’m aware they may be in the minority but am so so worried about him doing it. (Besides the fact he’s a student at Uni and will be paying for it out of his student loan which has made me furious too - that’s another matter!!)

Does any one have any articles I can pour over and go through with him. Any recommendations? And questions I can throw at the person who’s doing the consultation with him next week?

Poppies - I assume that your DM does retinal screening for diabetics. The type of laser procedure that diabetics have is nothing like the type used in refractive surgery.
Diabetic laser surgery creates a burn on the back of the eye, on the retina to stop blood vessels from leaking.
Refractive surgery lasers remove (ablate) tissue rather than burning tissue and its done on the cornea at the front of the eye. It's very effective and the modern techniques have very few complications.

Having said that however, I think that he's too young. Most providers recommend waiting until at least 21.
Unless his prescription has been stable for 4 years, its likely to get worse and since laser surgery doesn't stop sight prescriptions from changing, he'll just need to wear glasses again.

I know someone who had laser eye surgery. They still wear glasses for reading books, computer. I assume that the laser corrected their vision so that they don't need to wear glasses for long distance. So ensure that they do full research before they have it done !

I had laser eye surgery 15 years ago & it's been fantastic. My brother, an ex & best friend all had it around the same time & great for us all - no horror stories thankfully!

I'm now mid-forties & think my eyes are deteriorating a bit but they told me that would happen as it happens to everyone apparently in your 40s & laser eye surgery doesn't stop that.

For me, it's definitely been money well spent.

My eyesight continued to get worse until my late 20s. They probably will not perform this on someone so young. Also what is his prescription. If they are really bad he would need lens implants rather than laser.

I had laser eye surgery 7 years ago for an astigmatism. Best thing I've ever done. Recovery wasn't nice and it was sore but now it's great. I can see! I think I need reading glasses soon but I'm nearly 40 and they said that would happen

Surely his eye are still changing at 19 - I thought you had to wait till 21?

I've had it done and would recommend it to anyone!

How well it goes will also depend on skill of your surgeon. A friend used Moorfields private hospita in Moorgate and it went well. Another friend (age 40) had it done years ago and her eyesight is deteriorating so she will need to start wearing glasses again soon as you can’t wear contact lenses after laser surgery