Reply With QuoteI had mine done about 3 years ago, it was the best £3000 I have ever spent!
Mild discomfort for a couple of hours after, and as mentioned before there is the chance of having to wear glasses again.
One cautionary remark concerning lasik and the possibility of cataracts later:
"After LASIK the altered corneal surface causes inaccurate measurement of the intraocular lens power for cataract surgery. This means that patients who have LASIK surgery and later develop cataracts may be right back in glasses after cataract surgery -- or worse, subjected to the inherent risks of multiple surgeries."
This from a site about early-onset cataracts after lasik.
The problem with laser correction of the cornea is that it alters the shape of the cornea, and this will later make it very difficult for eye surgeons to accurately measure and calculate the power of cararact-replacing implants if you ever need them. It is vital to record the detailed corneal measurements before any laser surgery, and again the measurements post-lasik. Otherwise a cataract surgeon may need to just guess the power of the implant to use. So do get your lasik surgeon to provide you with those details and store them somewhere safe. If you don't get cataracts soon, you may get them (much) later and at that point you may be glad to have those data.
I had mine done about 3 years ago, it was the best £3000 I have ever spent!
Mild discomfort for a couple of hours after, and as mentioned before there is the chance of having to wear glasses again.
I had my eyes lasted 6 years ago at Vision Express. Cost £3,200, I think.
Toss up between that and a new PAM? I'd go off the eye surgery every time. It's a revelation: skiing, scuba diving, playing football with the kids, driving, etc. All those things which are so much easier than with specs.
I save quite a lot of money on new specs, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Not enough to completely offset the cost of the operation but certainly makes the net cost a lot less.
Amazing how quickly I got used to being able to see. Only took a week or so before I stopped reaching for my specs on the bedside table as soon as I woke.
Had it done twice, and after 10+ years of perfect vision my eyesight has gone off, although only -.50 and -1.00
Still I'm considering having another surgery.
It's just a matter of time...
I had mine done two years ago at Optical Express. I went for the consultation after receiving an email offer for £200 off and prices starting from £395 per eye. I had read that nobody ever gets offered the cheapest prices so was expecting an expensive quote. Prescription was around -2.5 with an astigmatism in one eye but I still made it into the £395 category so had both eyes done for £590. It was incredibly uncomfortable, but not painful, for a few hours but the difference after that was astounding. I spent hours worrying about the procedure the night before but each eye only takes seconds and it really does change your life.
It was a project they were working on and they needed volunteers. I gave it a lot of thought, but I just could not turn it down, I hated every moment of wearing glasses.Originally Posted by mindforge
Was it hard getting used to the blended vision? Only for the first two or three weeks while my brain re programmed it's self.
When you wear specs, you tend to forget that the only part in focus is directly in front of you. After surgery It was as if someone had placed a goldfish bowl over my head, Because everything was in focus.
I had exactly the same experience word for word, but Optical Express Finchley Road. First 3 days, a couple of codeines kept the pain away but now 9 months dwn the line, wow oh wow - i would pay double...it is incredible
Thought I'd bump this for future reference. I had mine done here: http://www.londonvisionclinic.com/ and would suggest they are the best clinic in the UK.
They can treat patients that even Moorfields have turned away due to their level of equipment and expertise. I'm now three months post surgery and my blended vision is excellent (20/10, which was confirmed pre-surgery) with only minimal side-effects for the first few weeks.
what were your 'measurements' pre surgery bonzo?
I've got astigmatism and am shortsighted (about -6.5 I believe). Have been toying with the idea for years but never went for a consultation.
^ Approx -1.25 with astigmatism in both eyes, so not major, but enough to endure glasses and lenses (with severe GPC) for 25 years. I know they've treated -10 and probably worse.
Last edited by bonzo697; 30th January 2015 at 15:03.
Chaps
I note that everyone is coming up with positive responses.
I seriously considered eye surgery 3 years ago and a friend of mine who is a consultant in a hospital made a very damming statement to me warning of its risks.
You often see opticians wearing glasses and also doctors often wear glasses.
These people are in a position to have the surgery done at reduced prices, but they never take up the offer.
Regards
Mick
ohh yes, and also another thing to chew over, yes it might correct your eyesight, but many of us with bad eye sight tend to get worse as we get older, so your laser surgery might be3 good for 5 years, then your back to square one wearing glasses,
this has just happened to a mate of mine, he was 32 when he had it done, he is 36 now and is wearing glasses again.
I don't know any Ophthalmologists who have had it, they wear glasses, even the one who operated on a young lady I know.
Her night vision was never the same and some years later her vision is deteriorating again.
I was -6.5 left eye and -7 right eye. Wearing glasses and contact lenses for over 20 years. Had laser surgery in February last year and it was the best decision I ever made.
As others have said there is mild discomfort for a few hours but as long as you follow the eye drop regime you will be fine. I was told a lot of problems arise because people don't use the provided drops properly or forget. Check up the following day then once a month for 6 months then once a year. They just keep giving you as many drops as you need.
Mine was through Optical Express and I paid £2500.
My positive response is based on positive experience, which is why I posted the link. Anyone considering it can see the credentials of the surgeons and the clinic and make a decision based on fact rather than anecdote. I can't comment on other clinics as I have no experience of them.
Yep, time must be factored into the decision.
Basically, the older you are, the shorter the treatment lasts.
Time is, however, only one of a range of factors and good professional advice is essential.
Personally, I would only go to Moorfields or St Thomas' in London.
Coincidentally, I'm going to St Thomas' next month for the 20-year follow-up on my treatment.
I've worked on computers and played sport all my life, using a combination of glasses, short and long term contact lenses, was short sighted, around -1.5 as I recall, with pretty bad night-blindness when driving.
Got waveform Lasik 6 years ago, hands down the best thing I've ever done.
Absolutely amazing. I was pondering for about 5 years, and finally had it done back in 2010.
I really looked into the whole thing at the time, but can't remember much now. There's LASIK and LASEK - one can be painful as they need to scrape the (cornea?) before laser treatment, which then takes a while to heal - luckily I didn't need that.
I went for a consultation at Optimax - didn't like them at all. They were cheap, but I only have one set of eyes. I went with ULTRALASE, and can recommend them 100%. Lifetime aftercare included, which hopefully I'll never have to make use of.
There wasn't much in the way of discomfort - especially after 24 hours. Procedure was a maximum of 2 minutes per eye. I had the best level of treatment they did which helps with glare etc. and also corrected my astigmatism.
I've certainly never looked back, and don't miss my glasses steaming up when trying to play golf in the rain, or getting a bit of fluff stuck between my eye and the contact lens.
Eye test at Specsavers confirmed my eyesight is (their words) "better than 20/20 vision". I didn't realise it was possible.
Should have been £4,000, but you can have a proper deal with them. Whether it made any difference or not, I had it done on the last day of September (end of month/quarter figures??) Knowing what I know now, if I had to choose, I'd rather wear a £9.99 Casio and have fantastic eye sight.
Yeah, 20:20 isn't that good really - I think that's a relation to about 2 lines up from the tiny numbers on the chart.
I hate wearing glasses again, so I might have mine done for a 3rd time - if possible!
It's just a matter of time...
Also, I thought Optimax and Ultrlase were always part of the same group - but they let one go into administration??
It's just a matter of time...
It's now possible with blended vision that future adjustment may not be required. This is obviously dependant on the individuals eyes, but more so on the skill of the surgeon and level of equipment in the clinic.
20/20 is standard vision and I believe what most High St Opticians test to. (You only need 20/40 to drive). I was tested to 20/10 or better, which is nice to have but I doubt it makes much difference day to day.
Should have gone to specsavers
Had it 3 years ago at Optical Express in Reading, wish Id done it sooner. I would say it took around 6 months for the dry eye sensation to clear but I can do a lot more now than I ever could before.
I do wear +1 prescription reading specs, but can manage without if required.
Sorry to bump this thread but was thinking of getting my eyes done given it's 2020 (bad pun intended!). Does it still cost £3-4k for both eyes, and any updates from people on here that have had it done over 10 years ago?
I have no idea about current cost, but I had it done in 2005 and I still have perfect vision. It has been well worth the outlay for me and I have had no problems with my eyes.
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