Laser eye surgery?
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Original post by Ellsbells3032
Depends on your perscription. Mine was -4 and it was £3000 for both eyes (LASEK with wavefront). That's a pretty average price, you can get more or less expensive depending on the different options you chose. Will post about the options in a minute
Wow, thats a lot!! I didnt imagine it would be that much. My eyes are -4.75 and -4 with a -0.75 astigmatism...
Original post by Ellsbells3032
The choices you have are two basic treatments:
LASIK: where they create a flap. This takes about 24-48 hours to recover from. You get instant results and there's no real pain afterwards. However, you do have a higher risk of complications and some people (myself included) are not eligable for it as their corneas are too thin. It's also not suitable for people who do a lot of contact sports as the flap never fully heals and can reopen with trauma.
The other surgery is LASEK (what I had) - this they kind of graze your eye and remove the outer layer of the epithilials. This one takes about 4 days to recover from (though I'd say a week to drive). I was in pain (but manageable with painkillers and drops) for about 48 hours and the eye sight improves in the first week but takes up to about 3 months to get full results - i just had my 3 months and can now read two lines below the 20:20 whereas before I couldn't even read the big E. The upside is lower rate of infections and complications and completely heals, even the best opthalmic surgeon couldn't tell you've had it done so any later trauma to the eye is irrelevant. Also less likely to have dry eyes than with LASIK.
With both surgeries you can have what's called Wavefront which is a type of machine that tracks your eyes better and therefore more precise giving you a better chance of perfect vision. I did have this. It lowers your chance of having problems with night eye sight e.g. starbursts and halos.
If you have LASIK you can opt for INTRALASE which is when the flap is cut by a laser not a human and therefore lower risk of error. Also might be a better option if you don't like people near your eyes although everything is soooo blurry you won't see it anyway.
LASIK: where they create a flap. This takes about 24-48 hours to recover from. You get instant results and there's no real pain afterwards. However, you do have a higher risk of complications and some people (myself included) are not eligable for it as their corneas are too thin. It's also not suitable for people who do a lot of contact sports as the flap never fully heals and can reopen with trauma.
The other surgery is LASEK (what I had) - this they kind of graze your eye and remove the outer layer of the epithilials. This one takes about 4 days to recover from (though I'd say a week to drive). I was in pain (but manageable with painkillers and drops) for about 48 hours and the eye sight improves in the first week but takes up to about 3 months to get full results - i just had my 3 months and can now read two lines below the 20:20 whereas before I couldn't even read the big E. The upside is lower rate of infections and complications and completely heals, even the best opthalmic surgeon couldn't tell you've had it done so any later trauma to the eye is irrelevant. Also less likely to have dry eyes than with LASIK.
With both surgeries you can have what's called Wavefront which is a type of machine that tracks your eyes better and therefore more precise giving you a better chance of perfect vision. I did have this. It lowers your chance of having problems with night eye sight e.g. starbursts and halos.
If you have LASIK you can opt for INTRALASE which is when the flap is cut by a laser not a human and therefore lower risk of error. Also might be a better option if you don't like people near your eyes although everything is soooo blurry you won't see it anyway.
thanks for this
I had no idea there were two different types. I would probably have to opt for the LASEK because I'm a horse rider 
Original post by Claudine
Yeah the long term effects worry me too, apparently it may not be permanent if your eyes grow!?
yeahh exactly i'm just unsure .. buut though who knows it might be ok
and there must be some research somewhere from people .. say 10 years on .. maybe 20or actually these newer lasers haven't been around that long have they hmmmmmmmmmmm..
Original post by tnajamie
yeahh exactly i'm just unsure .. buut though who knows it might be ok and there must be some research somewhere from people .. say 10 years on .. maybe 20
or actually these newer lasers haven't been around that long have they hmmmmmmmmmmm..
and there must be some research somewhere from people .. say 10 years on .. maybe 20or actually these newer lasers haven't been around that long have they hmmmmmmmmmmm..
haha
Maybe when I can afford the surgery it will be better then?
Yep. The adverts are very misleading. Thats for like the most basic surgery for like 0.5 perscription. And can get far more expensive if you use the more expensive clinics (I went for optical express. Ultralase was far more expensive and Optimax didnt have a clinic nearby so). I waited til I could afford it myself without the payment plans but you can get no interest payment plans if you want
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Ellsbells3032
Yep. The adverts are very misleading. Thats for like the most basic surgery for like 0.5 perscription. And can get far more expensive if you use the more expensive clinics (I went for optical express. Ultralase was far more expensive and Optimax didnt have a clinic nearby so). I waited til I could afford it myself without the payment plans but you can get no interest payment plans if you want
I wouldn't get a payment plan... I just want my eyes fixed and i was really hoping that in a few months if I had £800 I could do it
sad times!
Original post by Claudine
haha
Maybe when I can afford the surgery it will be better then?
Maybe when I can afford the surgery it will be better then?
i'm looking at it this way .. i'm gonna do skydiving soon and bungee jumping ... that's risky and very scary
how scary can this laser eye surgery be + I imagine it is safe to be fair ... years and years of research went into these procedures .. you know like ensuring nothing slips ... and a million of other things like that!Original post by tnajamie
i'm looking at it this way .. i'm gonna do skydiving soon and bungee jumping ... that's risky and very scary how scary can this laser eye surgery be + I imagine it is safe to be fair ... years and years of research went into these procedures .. you know like ensuring nothing slips ... and a million of other things like that!
how scary can this laser eye surgery be + I imagine it is safe to be fair ... years and years of research went into these procedures .. you know like ensuring nothing slips ... and a million of other things like that!problem with all things risky, it only takes one slip and it's all over..
I had mine done with Ultralase and it was the best decision I ever made. They don't price by prescription as your prescription actually doesn't make the treatment any more or less expensive for them to do! There are different variants and levels of treatment which they can explain to you at your free consultation.
My advice to anyone thinking about doing this is to have as many consultations as you can at different places so that you can get a feel for where is best for you. Remember that this is your sight - it may not be the time to go for the cheapest if you could save up or use a payment plan to get the best instead! I chose a surgeon I had researched and felt confident with and checked that the 'lifetime' gaurantee meant it literally (as many places have small print that means lifetime doesn't mean your actual lifetime!!).
Yes, I will one day need reading glasses like everyone else. We all will whether we ever wore glasses before or had treatment or not etc! Everyone who lives long enough needs those one day. I will never, however, need glasses or lenses for distance again as the t&cs of my contract state that should my distance vision deteriorate I would get my laser treatment again at no additional cost. I also was shown scans etc of my eyes that made it clear that my (personal) corneas are thick enough for this to be an option on the rare chance that I needed it.
Laser eye treatment is life changing and I'd do it again tomorrow but it's also a huge decision that should never be rushed.
My advice to anyone thinking about doing this is to have as many consultations as you can at different places so that you can get a feel for where is best for you. Remember that this is your sight - it may not be the time to go for the cheapest if you could save up or use a payment plan to get the best instead! I chose a surgeon I had researched and felt confident with and checked that the 'lifetime' gaurantee meant it literally (as many places have small print that means lifetime doesn't mean your actual lifetime!!).
Yes, I will one day need reading glasses like everyone else. We all will whether we ever wore glasses before or had treatment or not etc! Everyone who lives long enough needs those one day. I will never, however, need glasses or lenses for distance again as the t&cs of my contract state that should my distance vision deteriorate I would get my laser treatment again at no additional cost. I also was shown scans etc of my eyes that made it clear that my (personal) corneas are thick enough for this to be an option on the rare chance that I needed it.
Laser eye treatment is life changing and I'd do it again tomorrow but it's also a huge decision that should never be rushed.
Original post by Tom.
I would not be happy with a dangerous laser being shone in my eye when i could just wear a pair of specs. 
Have you ever worn glasses? If not then you wouldn't understand why so many people here have said it was life changing. If it wasn't so, why would we all want to risk our eyesight for this procedure?
Original post by Claudine
Have you ever worn glasses? If not then you wouldn't understand why so many people here have said it was life changing. If it wasn't so, why would we all want to risk our eyesight for this procedure?
Yes, I've worn them for TV and reading since i was a bairn, and they really don't bother me.
Original post by Tom.
Yes, I've worn them for TV and reading since i was a bairn, and they really don't bother me.
so you don't need them all time then?
Original post by Claudine
so you don't need them all time then?
well for 8 hours a day at work as i use a computer, then most of the time when i'm at home. The only time i don't need them is when i'm walking to and from my job.
Original post by Tom.
well for 8 hours a day at work as i use a computer, then most of the time when i'm at home. The only time i don't need them is when i'm walking to and from my job.
and you honestly wouldnt prefer to live without them?
Just for the attention of people who say that contact lenses dry their eyes out:
There are many different types of contact lenses, and you can get some which allow more oxygen entry into your eyes and also prevent them from drying.
They are more expensive, but these are what I wear, and I put my lenses in as soon as my feet hit the ground after getting out of bed, and take them out just before I get into bed.
There are many different types of contact lenses, and you can get some which allow more oxygen entry into your eyes and also prevent them from drying.
They are more expensive, but these are what I wear, and I put my lenses in as soon as my feet hit the ground after getting out of bed, and take them out just before I get into bed.
Original post by Tom.
well for 8 hours a day at work as i use a computer, then most of the time when i'm at home. The only time i don't need them is when i'm walking to and from my job.
Still it's not the same like needing them all the time.
I only recently started thinking about the surgery as now I need progressives and really need to wear them for almost any activity just to see, it's like I can't see small print without them and I can't see distant objects without them and my overall focus is messed up without them. So visionwise I feel much better if I just wear them 24*7, but I don't and I don't like them. My eyesight is slightly better then most of the people with prescription like mine and I manage really good without glasses but still my vision is awful.
For many people, laser eye surgery can correct their vision so they no longer need glasses or contact lenses. Laser eye surgery reshapes the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. This changes its focusing power.
There are different types of laser eye surgery. LASIK - laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis - is one of the most common. Many patients who have LASIK end up with 20/20 vision. But, like all medical procedures, it has both risks and benefits. Only your eye doctor can tell if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery.
There are different types of laser eye surgery. LASIK - laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis - is one of the most common. Many patients who have LASIK end up with 20/20 vision. But, like all medical procedures, it has both risks and benefits. Only your eye doctor can tell if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery.
TBH, I don't think dry eyes is a good reason for considering laser - on the contrary, dry eyes sometimes get a lot worse after laser.
I'd suggest that you deal with your dry eye problem first, by (a) minimising contact lens wear (b) trying lubricant drops and / or (c) discussing with your optician whether a different lens might be better for you.
I'd suggest that you deal with your dry eye problem first, by (a) minimising contact lens wear (b) trying lubricant drops and / or (c) discussing with your optician whether a different lens might be better for you.
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