Thinking of getting laser eye surgery...

[luckiestgirlintheworld]

Anyone have any experience?

Who do you recommend? How much does it cost these days? Are you pleased you did it?

Im 28. Got awful vision- always have. Not sure of my prescription- possibly -5, or is it +5? Oh I can't remember but I basically can't see without specs or lenses.

We've got a bit of money at the moment and I'd like to go with a trusted company probably.

TIA

With that prescription it's unlikely to be the advertised per eye price - those are usually only applicable to the weakest prescriptions.

Go to clinics and ask to see the clinic - my dp had laser surgery and ultralase was highly recommended by a colleague. However when actually visiting the place it was filthy!!

Went with optical express in the end and they were great, he does have dry eyes now which is common but you can keep going back for saline drops.

It also doesn't necessarily mean being glasses free - it could lead to you needing reading glasses if you didn't previously need them. They recommend off the shelf readers until about a year after surgery when your sight will have properly settled before getting new prescription reading glasses.

I had the same prescription as you (minus 5) plus astigmatism. I had it done 4 years ago with Optical Express. They originally quoted £3500 on 9 months interest free finance. I couldn't afford it and kept saying no. Eventually, after a LOT of sales calls, I said 'if you can do it for £2000, 18 months interest free finance and no deposit, I will book it right now' - 'oh nooooo' they said, 'we couldn't possibly do it for that amount'. I said okay never mind, bye! And they rang back half an hour later and said yes to what I proposed.

So pleased I did it. I was in and out of the room in 8 minutes and had perfect eye sight by the next morning. However, I have just had my eyes checked and I have developed astigmatism in both eyes (which is apparently common with laser eye) so I'm currently wearing glasses. OE have said I can go back but I just haven't had chance yet so making do with glasses at the mo.

OE customer service has been great though, by the way. I rang up one day at 9pm panicking because my eyes had blurred (turned out to be hayfever ) and they found me an appointment the next day free of charge.

Similar prescription here with astigmatism. I had it done with Optimax - and the procedure that takes longer to recover from (2 wks ish).

Brilliant for a couple of years but then started to deteriorate again so I'm back to wearing glasses again. They offered me a "top up" but I didn't fancy having it done again.

I had it done twelve years ago. Am still 20/20.

I'd go with the very best you can afford - I wouldn't trust the hard sell, bargain type places. I went with David Gartry at Moorfields. My prescription was -6.5. It's pricier than vision express et al, but you get the very best care and expertise and, most
Importantly, a hugely experienced surgeon. PM me if you'd like to know anything else

I had it done 10 years ago by ophthalmic surgeon - I was told at the time that there would be age deterioration (I was 43 at time) and that I would probably need reading glasses at some point - I've recently started wearing glasses for reading if light is bad. However as I had previously worn glasses for every waking moment, I am happy with the outcome and wish I'd had it done earlier.

3 years ago at optimax.
Best thing I ever did! I was only -1.75.
Go for it.

Mine was around 2k all in I think.

I went to the place in bluewater the surgeon there does complicated cases on referral and all day every day I wanted expertise and lots of it.
Whoever you feel comfortable with
You need to think about how you will get there / back on the day and the following day for initial check up

But yes go for it!

My dh had it done 2 or 3 years ago.

His eyesight was bad, -6 in one eye and -4 in the other. He was also starting to need glasses to read (something he hated as he loathes himself in glasses having been teased a lot as a child). He had worn lenses since he was a teenager

He had it done at Optical Express. I think it was 3 or 4k. It is the best thing he has ever done. His long distance vision is perfect now and they made some sort of tweak to mean he can see close up without glasses too.

I am mildly myopic, but there is no way I could have it done. It requires bravery, in my opinion!

I had Ultralase about 7 years ago.

Best thing ever! I can't remember what my prescription was but I had (have?) astigmatism. I had to use reading glasses as soon as it was done but my distance was, and still is, 20/20.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

And the upside to having to use reading glasses is that you can't see any wrinkles!

I had surgery 7 years ago. It cost about £2500 I think. After a year my sigh began to get worse so I has enhancement surgery which brought my sight back to 20/20.

My vision determinate do slightly but no need for glasses etc, them on a routine optician appointment they found I had a slight detached retina. I've now lost half the sight in my right eye.

The sight in my left eye has contributed to get worse and I'm back to wearing contact lenses.

I had very bad eyesight -8 I think so I was aware this could be the case.

I regret having it now as I'm paying for daily contact lenses again now. I can't even get the cheap ones as the surgery flattened my corneas so much most lenses don't fit!

I would say under -6 is only moderate myopia. The reason you need reading glasses as you age is because you lose your ability to accommodate and this isn't affected by laser eye surgery. I think sometimes they make one eye slightly shorter sighted than the other so you are effectively seeing distance with one eye and close up with the other. I hadn't heard of needing reading glasses after surgery but that just sounds like a slight over correction.

Interestingly 20/20 (or 6/6 as it us now) is not perfect vision - you can have better vision than this.

I had it done 11 years ago and at the moment (I'm early 40s) still have better than 20/20 vision but I'm aware I'm approaching the age where I'll likely need to start wearing glasses again.
I had -5ish and astigmatism in both eyes, which was corrected. I went with the most expensive procedure at the time. Had dry eyes for about a year afterwards (I had slightly dry eyes before too and was aware it might be a complication) and used a Vaseline-like cream, but dont have any issues now.
The big thing I've noticed is that I'm very very light-sensitive even now so I permanently have a pair of sunglasses on me. A very small price to pay for me.

I had mine done at Optimal about 13/14 years ago in my early 30s.

I had short sight with astigmatism and had worn glasses /lenses since the age of 10.

Had the laser with no problems at all. I think it cost about £1200 or so.

All was guest until about 3 years ago noticed the vision in my right eye had started to go a little. After another couple of years at my next eye test my right eye had gone to -1 so required glasses for driving.

It's fine though as I had years of perfect vision.

I only wear my glasses for driving, can manage perfectly well to watch TV etc.

Go for it. I was really happy with mine. It was very freeing.

Techniques have improved over the years so I doubt your prescription will be too severe to rectify.