Laser Eye Surgery

[Alexis_SUFC]

Evening all, I am thinking about laser eye surgery and was just wondering if anyone on here has had it done and if you have would you be kind enough to answer a few questions, simple things really like:

How long did the procedure take?
What company did you have it done with? Was their after care anygood?
Was there any complications with it?
Is it a one time thing or do you need it done again?

All those sort of things really, ta muchly.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

My mother-in-law is a dispensing optician and she says she honestly (& not for commercial purposes) advises people to think long and hard before undertaking any eye-surgery.

The procedure has not been going long enough to see if there are any long-term effects such as muscle wastage etc.

After all, it's your eyes. 10 years of perfect 20/20 vision is some trade for premature blindness!

Get some contacts (or if you've already got them) ask about being fitted with the 24 hour wear ones that you change quarterly!

 

[Napster]

My mate had it done and he said the worst thing was the smell of burning flesh

 

[MK Shrimper]

I had it done in 2002....completely recommend it to all afflicted with dodgy eyes!

The procedure is 100% pain free and takes less than 5 mins in all.... Your eyes are held open (ala A Clockwork Orange), and machine is put on your eye that cuts a flap. The surgeon holds the flap up with a scalpel and the laser does it's bit. It's fail safe so if you move, the laser switches off. A nice smell of burning flesh and seconds later, you're done and it is instant. A bit blurry maybe, but you've got 20/20 vision.

Once both eyes are done, you're given antiseptic drops and sleeping pills. You have to wear eye protection at night for a couple of weeks so you don't inadvertantly rub them, a few check ups afterwards, but thats it. At night you notice a "corona" from streetlights as the eyes heal, but that's about it.

I must say, 5 years later, my eyes have got worse, but not to the point where I need glasses to drive or watch TV.

Recommend it 150%

 

[Pubey]

My mother-in-law is a dispensing optician and she says she honestly (& not for commercial purposes) advises people to think long and hard before undertaking any eye-surgery.

The procedure has not been going long enough to see if there are any long-term effects such as muscle wastage etc.

After all, it's your eyes. 10 years of perfect 20/20 vision is some trade for premature blindness!

Get some contacts (or if you've already got them) ask about being fitted with the 24 hour wear ones that you change quarterly!

what he said!

basically your eyes will continue to naturally deteriorate and so just like with glasses you'll need to get new prescriptions. laser surgery will work in the short-term but the long-run implications are unknown and it won't fix your eyes for life. having worked in the hospital all the Ophthalmologists wore glasses.. so take from that what you want!

 

[jstallan]

Sister-in-law had it done about 4 yrs ago - cost a fortune (in my eyes) and now she finds that her sight is starting to fail again.. I can't remember the place she had it done at, but it was some big place in the London.

Having turned 40 yrs old, I've found that my sight is on the decline, but I'm sticking with glasses - at least while my company subsidises the cost of them (after all they bloody caused it!!)

 

[Mad Cyril]

I wear daily disposable contact lenses and would recommend them to anyone.

 

[Alexis_SUFC]

I have to say that I was only really thinking about it and it does cost a fair bit for what seemingly is only a temporary fix. I may not even be able to have it done as my eyes are too dry (or something like that) which is what prevents me from wearing contacts, this is the reason I'm contemplating surgery, if i could wear contacts then there would not have been a problem and I would not have bothered looking into surgery at all.
Seems like a lot of money, especially for a student!

Thanks to all that have replied.

 

[MK Shrimper]

It was a £2K interest free loan when I had it done, but I wasn't a stoodent - I'd wait until you've got a job, paid of your student loan, bought a house.... so in 2037 it may be a goer.....

 

[Mad Cyril]

You can make your own disposable contact lenses by ******* Rowntrees fruit gums until they are wafer thin.

An added bonus is they come in multiple colours so you can pretend you are David Bowie.

 

[Alexis_SUFC]

2037 is a bit optimistic Mk, I still plan to be laying in bed at my parents house at 11:40 rather than working. Maybe 2050 is a better bet, 63 is a good age to settle down.

 

[londonblue]

My mother-in-law is a dispensing optician and she says she honestly (& not for commercial purposes) advises people to think long and hard before undertaking any eye-surgery.

The procedure has not been going long enough to see if there are any long-term effects such as muscle wastage etc.

After all, it's your eyes. 10 years of perfect 20/20 vision is some trade for premature blindness!

Get some contacts (or if you've already got them) ask about being fitted with the 24 hour wear ones that you change quarterly!

A friend of mine (also an optician) basically said the same to me. I was asking him because I potentially needed surgery to pass the CAA Class 1 medical to become a commercial pilot. (Since then the CAA have changed their rules.) His answer was that he wouldn't recommend it unless your eyes are really screwed because the potential side effects may actually make things worse.

His argument was that people with really bad eyesight would be able to put up with the potential side effects such as a corona or halo effect because their eyesight is still better than it was before. If your eyesight isn't all that bad, and you are left with these effects then you have effectively made things worse.

However, he went on to say that if there is a specific purpose (such as passing a CAA medical) then it may be worth it even if your eyesight isn't all that bad.

I guess therefore, it depends on why you want it done, and whether or not the risk of permanent side effects is worth it.

 

[MK Shrimper]

2037 is a bit optimistic Mk, I still plan to be laying in bed at my parents house at 11:40 rather than working. Maybe 2050 is a better bet, 63 is a good age to settle down.

Good call... However we will probably be robot slaves controlled by brain bugs, building bus stops for their ruler, Emperor Hutton the Terrible, who's taking his revenge against humanity.....

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Emperor Hutton the Terrible, who's taking his revenge against humanity.....

..... and Bus Shelters!

 

[MK Shrimper]

..... and Bus Shelters!

The world will be populated by bus shelters....but curiously no buses.....