Glasses,Contacts & Laser-What LASER surgery is like...

Mafro wrote:Awesome read, I'd be shitting myself

They were really clever - they said 'All the other guys we've ad through today have ben really cool about this....'

After that, I HAD to be cool about it. Damn primal male behaviour!

BTW I was terrible with eyes before, couldn't even really put in eye drops. I just had to have a 'screw it' moment, and put up with the 10 mins of counter-intuitive eye-fiddling for a lifetime of great vision.

Wow, good write-up. I'm considering going for it myself, as I said a while back, as it will save me the hassle of glasses and contacts (obviously) and is an investment (saving the future expense of glasses and contacts; as I am 23, this will be well over £2k, in my lifetime).

Contacts are great, and are way more versatile than glasses (e.g. for sport), but they're not perfect. I've had problems with 'em recently and also... I was on holiday last week and on two consecutive days I lost my left-eye contact lense, from swimming in the sea. So for the last few days I had to have right-eye contacts in each eye. Very annoying. That made me really think about laser surgery again.

What was your prescription, Lime? Mine's -2.5 in my left eye and -1.75 in my right. About the same as yours?

And, about the tired eyes... I take it that goes completely, eventually?

Edit: Also, what about follow up sessions? Will you need any? If so, how many and, I take it they are free?

I can't remember my prescription exactly, but both eyes were under 2.00

Tired eyes are getting better by the day, I forget about it now for long periods. To start with I was having little snoozes in the day (I work from home, so quite easy to sneak off).

Follow ups are free with Optical Express - next day, after one week, one month and six months I think.

I've been back between those for eye drops, which are free (normally £4 a bottle, I've got through about 5 or 6 bottles so far).

Right. I'm just wondering if there are any long term side effects, at all, or if it's literally like you had perfect vision from birth. I take it your vision is 20:20 or better?

Can't they send you the eye drops (saline?) as well? And you do have to keep using them for the rest of your life, or what?

It's early days for me, but I'm definitely finding I'm getting back to normal now.

The drops are now just for dry eyes- a common side effect - and I'm using them less and less. Some web-sites say you use them for about a month, some longer. I can see myself being off them in the next few weeks.

I'll report back in a few more weeks and let you know. I've got my month's check-up in the next week or so.

As for very long term, no-one knows as it's only been around for 20 years odd!!! But you can actually be re-treated if your vision changes again- and from what I can tell that is also included in the price. Lifetime care.

Most important thing for me - no one has ever gone blind from it.

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Lime wrote:As for very long term, no-one knows as it's only been around for 20 years odd!!! But you can actually be re-treated if your vision changes again- and from what I can tell that is also included in the price. Lifetime care.

Most important thing for me - no one has ever gone blind from it.

Have you head of night blindness?

One optician told me that once you get laser surgery, when your eyesight eventually starts to deteriorate, you can never wear contacts again. :shock:

I get free glasses. Can't see the point in expensive frames.

Once I hit about 25 I'm getting zapped, and that's all been rather reassuring to read.

Sure it'd be nice to only have to pay £400, but let's face it, it's your eyesight - let's not strawberry float about.

VenomUK wrote:
Lime wrote:As for very long term, no-one knows as it's only been around for 20 years odd!!! But you can actually be re-treated if your vision changes again- and from what I can tell that is also included in the price. Lifetime care.

Most important thing for me - no one has ever gone blind from it.

Have you head of night blindness?

One optician told me that once you get laser surgery, when your eyesight eventually starts to deteriorate, you can never wear contacts again.

Bear in mind the optician that told you about that wants to sell you contact lenses, and they lose your business if you have laser surgery.

I never wore contacts, so that doesn't worry me. Plus you can be zapped again if your eyes change. The only thing they can't do (yet) is sort out when your eyes get older and you need reading glasses.

Lime wrote:It's early days for me, but I'm definitely finding I'm getting back to normal now.

The drops are now just for dry eyes- a common side effect - and I'm using them less and less. Some web-sites say you use them for about a month, some longer. I can see myself being off them in the next few weeks.

I'll report back in a few more weeks and let you know. I've got my month's check-up in the next week or so.

As for very long term, no-one knows as it's only been around for 20 years odd!!! But you can actually be re-treated if your vision changes again- and from what I can tell that is also included in the price. Lifetime care.

Most important thing for me - no one has ever gone blind from it.

Are you experiencing any halos around lights in darker conditions? I've heard that can be quite a common problem.

Halos...starbursts... I'd say for the first week or so that there was about the same effect as I used to get with glasses, maybe slightly more- like a Dickensian Christmas card - sort of a soft glow around bright lights. It's now perfectly acceptable.

I suppose the thing is, I've never been able to see properly without glasses so I wore them all the time - so I got used to a certain amount of artifacts. Now I find everything is more vivid - compare looking through a closed window verses when it is open and you'll get the idea.

Dry eyes for the first couple of weeks is an arse though. It's why I didn't post sooner, as I'd probably have been not quite so upbeat about the whole thing. 3 weeks on and it's like I never wore glasses. Brilliant.

I have to say though, everyone is different, and so you have to make your own decision. Some of the stuff I read made me :shock:

,but like any surgery there may be risks, however small.

Glasses since I was 10, contacts since 15. (29 now)

I initially had problems with soft lenses not fitting my eyes so had to wear rigid gas-permeable lenses, which were nasty bastards. I soon switched to daily disposables, which are great as I can go swimming and stuff in them not caring if I lose one. I don't even notice I've got them in and often fall asleep in them by mistake and have to peel them off my dry eyeballs in the morning

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I look pretty good in glasses too so I wear them about half the time. I always wonder whether to wear contacts or glasses to interviews. I've always felt more 'casual' in glasses to be honest (cos I tend to wear them round the house) but most people say I look more professional in my glasses, especially my current frames.

I'm so comfortable with contacts now that I'm not really bothered about laser surgery. Plus all the adverts seem to look like those cheesy ones for hair replacement and it makes me slightly wary

. Given the fact that my prescription seems to change slightly from time to time I also wonder how long it would be before I'd need to wear glasses again anyway.

What a fantastic thread this has been to read.
I'm definitely thinking of having it done SOME time, last year I booked an appointment but chickened out and I'm really annoyed I did it because of the fear I would be in the 1% or so of it all going tits up.
I don't mind wearing glasses, but I do hate having to change them as there is always a problem with the prescription and I have to go back about half a dozen times til they are right. (Need to get a new optician.)
It seems with laser surgery, IF it goes right (and I would be praying every night til the op is done!) it's just a small amount of pain and blurred vision and then you have telescopic eyesight (sort of!).
Awesome comments about the actual procedure too, you must have so much more confidence in your appearance without the specs, and you can walk around when it pisses down and you can still see without feeling your eyes need windscreen wipers. :lol:

Probably my most successful (and appreciated) thread ever!

I was worried I would chicken out, which is why I booked, got tested and had it done so quickly. It's great having it all behind me now. I still love looking out of my window and being amazed at how clearly I can see.

My vision now is 6/4 - which is better than standard vision (the average is 6/6). In English it means I can see at 6 meters what the average person can see at 4. When I last went for a follow up, I was reading the chart and I said "I can just about make out that line, I think it's H C D K" (or something)

The guy said "Well done, and don't beat yourself up for finding it tricky, that's 2 lines better (i.e. smaller) than 20:20 vision."

I've been having some real trouble with my lenses for the past few weeks. Long story short is that I've been wearing lenses for a few years, and they have suddenly started to make one of my eyes go quite bloodshot and dry after only having it in for 10 to 15 minutes.

So basically this is the kick up the backside I've been needing to research laser eye surgery. I did read this thread when it was originally updated, but I'd really appreciate a summary!

- How much did it cost in total?
- How long was the recovery time from operation to 'normal' vision? (ie no blurryness/halos)
- How long is the improved sight guaranteed for?

and (unfortunately, as sad as it seems, this is the important one)

- What are the limits on computer use after the operation? I am a software engineer so I wouldn't be able to avoid computer use for too long

Hi,

a summary, you say....

I'm now 2 months on from the surgery.
Total cost was £2,101 for both eyes. That is after a discount for being recommended (£50 off for me+ £50 to the recommend-er) and a 10% discount for having it on a less popular day (Thursday).

I went back to work about 1 week after, and I have to admit it was uncomfortable, I would take 5 mins break every half hour or so, and a lot of moisturising eye drops. This got progressively better every day and after 1 month I was at the stage where I'd actually have to force myself to remember to put in drops as I'd not feel the discomfort.

Hard to comment on the halos as I suppose that as a glasses wearer I was used to artifacts, but I could drive at night after a week I would say. I don't even think about it now. I'm still sensitive to very bright lights (like sunlight reflected off puddles), but headlights are fine. This will fully recover in time.

My vision is amazing, better than ever. I regularly forget I that I ever had to wear glasses.

They will re-treat you if your eyes change - I had originally heard it was for life, but I'm not sure if that's the case (some documents say a year, by which time your eyes should have settled after the treatment). The other thing is that depending on your eyes you may end up needing reading glasses for close up if you're getting close to 40 and up. I'm 38 and have no problems with near vision at all, however. The older guy I sat next to the day after my surgery said that overnight he'd gone from being able to read close up to needing glasses, which I have to admit was my fear - but as I wore glasses all the time previously I guessed it wouldn't have been that much of a hardship.

For info, I work with computers all day as a developer/consultant, 4 days a week.

Hope this helps, let me know if I've missed anything or if you want more info. I'm so glad I'm this side of the procedure/recovery, and can enjoy it's benefits!

Thanks mate. It's definitely something I'm going to have to do some research into over the holidays.

Do they give a guarantee on how long your eyesight will stay sharp before a repeat procedure is required?

Agree with the comments about this being a great thread. I have often though about getting this done but to be honest I don't think I could ever get over the idea of someone folding back a flap of your eyeball. I just don't think I could handle that!

captain red dog wrote:Agree with the comments about this being a great thread. I have often though about getting this done but to be honest I don't think I could ever get over the idea of someone folding back a flap of your eyeball. I just don't think I could handle that!

I just kind of detatched myself from the situation and let them get on with it. It's definitely one of those things that get scarier the more you think about it. Also, the internet is filled with stories that will put you off. I spoke to probably 6 people I know well & trust before I had it done, and every one of them said it was the best thing they ever did.

I figured - 10 minutes of surreal, unnatural eye activity, a few days discomfort and you get a reward of a lifetime of great sight, no glasses, no lenses, no cleaning glasses, no choosing glasses, no catching glasses on clothing, being able to see when swimming, the list goes on.

Ultimately, I've based this thread on my own experience, and you have to decide for yourself if you want to go for it. I trusted the fact that the surgeon had done 17,000 of these procedures before she did mine.

I'm due my yearly contact lens test in a few months, I think I'm going to change to daily disposable ones. The ones I've had for the past four years are just the shitty standart toric lenses which last a month. When I do long shifts at work, I often find them drying out a bit after 10 hours-or-so of wearing them. Currently looking at these one-day Acucue ones http://www.acuvue.co.uk/astigmatism_acuvue

Daily ones will be a hell of a lot more convenient, especially for going out and not coming back till the morning :shifty:

Something like £115 for three months-worth from Specsavers, though :shock:

Glasses,Contacts & Laser-What LASER surgery is like...

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