ultralase

[TracyK]

anyone had their eyesight lasered? or is there a new improved one available now?

[Sponge]

He didn't go to Hammersmith hospital Puff he went to the ultralase place in Hammersmith which is just behind King's Street.
Looking at the current costs it was probably £1000 per eye as I'm sure costs have come down a bit rather than gone up.

[franch]

TK, DH is an eye surgeon at a top London hosp. He always says to people, it depends on your prescription. If you're VERY shortsighted, def worth a try. If not, bear in mind that you'll be thankful for a bit of shortsightedness when you're older, as it's likely to cancel out the longsightedness that usually develops with age. What are you, minus how much?

[HunkerMunker]

Franch, has your DH heard of ortho-k? Actually, I would assume he has - what does he think of it?

[Bradsmum]

I had lasik at Moorfields about 4/5 years ago - 1 eye after the other. Absolutely brilliant - went from -5.5 approx in both eyes to nearly 20/20 vision.

[franch]

Just asked DH about ortho-k - he says it does have risks, but fewer than for laser eye surgery which does obviously involve cutting a flap in the front of your eye. But it's only suitable for people with a small refractive error - I don't know what TK's prescription is. You won't necessarily get 20:20 vision with either procedure but I get the impression that surgery, if successful, is more likely to give a more dramatic result. He always asks people the reason for wanting surgery - is it that you hate your glasses, or what? (Sorry if this has already been covered.)

[Ameriscot2005]

And what's the "right" answer to that question, Franch?

[franch]

No right answer AS - DH just has different suggestions depending on the situation

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

TraceyK, I've asked dh if I could have it done for my 40th birthday (May). I am scared, but soooo fed up with bloody glasses!

[Ameriscot2005]

That sounds like a pretty good birthday present...different camp to a new outfit

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I originally asked for a "serious" piece of jewellery, but this will probably work out cheaper for him!

[sweetkitty]

mine was £2000 for both eyes from ultralase on tottenham court road

I chose ultralase as they seemed to have being doing it the longest and checked out the surgeon.

I had to wear clear specs and goggles at night time for 2 weeks and take saline and antibiotic drops. Did get slight haloing of artificial lights at night for a while afterwards but not that it worried of affected me. My eyes are amazing now

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

That's about what I was expecting to pay sweeykitty.

[TracyK]

I don't know what my prescription is - I'll look at my Boots Opticians card from a few years ago. my eyes have gotten slightly worse but will be an indication. I'm not too short sighted - but I can't see the digital clock at the far side of the bed anymore when I used to be able to with screwing my eyes up.
I don't think I could afford £2k at the mo - may wait another year and see what developments are here by then.

[Portree]

Tracy, my dh had his eyes done at Moorfields by one of the top surgeons there. I think it was some kind of enhanced Lasik. Wavefront technology? Boots and the high street chains weren't able to treat him as he was outwith their parameters. He had severe short sight and astigmatism, now has 20/20 vision. He had some problems with haloing night vision but that's resolved himself. Total cost was about 4k.

[TracyK]

my prescription is -2.25 and -1.50 is this very short sighted?

[charleypops]

What an interesting thread! Hunker - I'd never heard of the Ortho-K treatment, and I like to think I'm fairly well informed about this sort of stuff, so I followed through the link you posted - it sounds fascinating and looks like it will work brilliantly for you.

I'm short sighted with astigmatisms, I can only wear gas permeable (rigid) contact lenses (or specs of course) and they always cost twice the price at least of what people with milder prescriptions have to pay. My eyes don't really like contact lenses and I don't like wearing glasses so a lot of the time my eyes look a bit pink and tired.

So I've been looking into getting lasered myself. After reading reams of stuff on the internet about all the different procedures, pros and cons etc, I have decided that I will seriously think about getting the Wavefront Laser surgery which seems to be the most advanced at the moment and I would go to Moorfields. Can't have it done though until at least 3 months after having my baby (due in June)

I'm glad I have found out about the Ortho-K stuff first, because I'd hate to have not been able to consider it before having the surgery. I might have a consultation myself, but I do still love the idea of not having to bother at all with lenses/solutions etc. Also with the Ortho-K I think you have to be pretty organised ie, use the retainers religiously otherwise you'll revert to your natural state and have to start all over again. I'm not a particularly organised person...

TracyK - any more clues as to what that new procedure in the USA is? I'd love to find out about that too...

[Ameriscot2005]

Tracy - your eyesight isn't too bad

[TracyK]

Charleypops - have a look at the web site ameriscot suggested further down this thread - it's very intreesting. although a little confusing with all that is to offer.
Ameriscot do you know what they mean by a microkeratome? Thats what Lasek (rather than Lasik) DOESN'T use??)

[HunkerMunker]

TracyK, your prescription sounds fine for ortho-k. I'm quite a bit more short-sighted than you are and it's looking like it'll work quite well for me. Spoke to a friend of mine today who's an optician and she said that she doesn't know many opticians who've had laser surgery, which I thought was quite telling (my optician said the same - he wouldn't touch it).

I asked her what she thought of ortho-k and she said there'd been some cases of infection among children in Canada with it, but that was likely to be because children (teenagers) and lens care don't go together and it was only the same kind of risk from wearing any kind of contact lens.

[Ameriscot2005]

I think the microkeratome is the knife

[TracyK]

does that mean lasek is better for the sqeamish?

[Ameriscot2005]

No idea of the difference. You aren't squeamish once you get there. The place I went have a TV in the waiting room with a direct feed from the top of the keratome. After seeing five or six procedures, you can't wait for your turn.

[ChicPea]

HunkerMunker, your optician isn't impartial when giving you advice. If he recommends laser surgery and you go ahead, he will lose you as a patient and maybe some of your friends who could also be his patients/potential patients. Food for thought huh?
Opticians / optometrists are having laser surgery because they can see for themselves how fantastic this op is. If you contact any of the laser companies, they will give you names of opticians / optoms who have had surgery.