Getting my eyes done

[Stan_Lite]

I went to Optical Express today for my laser eye surgery consultation and have decided to go ahead with it, despite the expense.

I'll be getting Lasik with Wavefront and Intralase - basically the top of the range up-to-date treatments. I'm booked in for the 6th of May (next time I'm home from work) and the total cost is a little over £3000 for both eyes

It'll be worth it. I'm looking forward to waking up in the morning and being able to see properly without putting on specs or shoving bits of plastic on my eyeballs.

Anybody had this done or know people who've had it done? I've been given an idea what to expect but real-life experiences are always helpful to get a better understanding of what's involved.

[Flibster]

Yup. The other half - Hang on a mo I'll get here in here.
I'm now acting as secretary....

- She had them done in 2003 - her eyes were deteriorating before the operation, now they are stable.

- She had them done at Moorfields Eye Hospital - the best place to get them done. Cost less than £3k though!

- She had the Lasik, but she didn't need the wavefront as she didn't have much astigmatism.

- Took around 2 hours - including the medications and the final checks and all that guff.

- Make sure you have someone to take you home *not someone who will lead you into a deep puddle.... *

- The procedure doesn't take that long at all. Around 30 mins.

- They put some local anesthetic into your eyes and then prop your eyes open. Similar sort of system to the one in Clockwork Orange it seems. You still have the blink reflex, but your eyes don't shut - doesn't feel like they are propped open though due to the anesthetic.

- Told to look at a red light, then the laser goes zappy - just looks like stars.

- Her eyes were bad before the operation, around -10 *blind as a bat in other words...*

- When she got home 2 hours after the operation, washed the gritty bits out with the eyedrops *you will probably need help for this* and could see everything clearly in the flat without contacts or glasses for the first time ever!

- Next morning, looked out the window and could make out the trees on the horizon.

- Had to wear stupid goggles in bed. If you rub your eyes you can remove the flap they make and seriously shaft your eyes.

Downsides:

- Eyes felt tired for the first couple of weeks. Felt like she had her contacts in all day and they needed cleaning.

- Sometimes a little dry for the first couple of months.

- More sensitive to chopping onions and stuff like that - could just be because of the lack of contacts or glasses blocking the flow of vapours to the eyes though.

- Halos - sometimes at night bright lights cause halos. Only notices it in the car though.

- The bloody goggles!

- The eyedrops - several times a day for several months....

Got any questions Stan and I'll get her to try to answer them.

Me? I'm happy with glasses thanks.

[Will]

The only thing I've heard is that it's not always 100% successful and can help to reduce the sight impediment rather than cure it 100%, also sometimes some people's eyes just don't react. What we don't know is, what are the long term effects - you'll probably still need glasses owing to old age (reading glasses etc...).

I'm tempted but my eyes aren't bad enough to warrant the expense and harley street isn't cheap!

[Roberta]

If I were brave enough I'd love this. I'm constantly becoming allergic to different lenses and due to my job glasses are not ideal.

[BBx]

A friend of mine had them done and he said if I could stand him talking me through the procedure then I would be able to have them done - no worries.

I got to the bit when he said "your eyelids are stretched open"



BB x

[Roberta]

I got to 'they use a scalpel to cut a flap of skin...'

Not a chance in hell I'm sitting in a chair with my eyelids held open with a scalpel coming towards me!

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I got to 'they use a scalpel to cut a flap of skin...'

Not a chance in hell I'm sitting in a chair with my eyelids held open with a scalpel coming towards me!

There was no mention of a scalpel. They either use a precision mechanical cutter or, in my case, with the Intralase, they use the laser to make the flap.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Bigstan

There was no mention of a scalpel. They either use a precision mechanical cutter or, in my case, with the Intralase, they use the laser to make the flap.

Yup - to use the jargon - either a microkeratome (cutter) or a femtosecond laser.

Can you tell I've been reading stuffs?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Mark

Yup - to use the jargon - either a microkeratome (cutter) or a

This doesn't make me feel any less scared!

[Stan_Lite]

Optical express claim that 99% of patients achieve legal driving standard or better and that less than 1 in 1000 need specs after the treatment.

I have given thought to the probability of needing reading glasses in the future (probably not too distant future ) but this would have been inevitable anyway and glasses would only be needed for reading or close up work. Also, they're working on treatment for that too, so maybe by the time old age kicks in, I'll be able to get that sorted too

Thanks Flib. that's pretty much what I've been told. The counsellor told me the first few hours would feel like someone had thrown sand in my eyes and the best thing to do was to go home and sleep for a few hours (wearing the daft goggles) until the discomfort went away.

I'll get antibiotic drops and anti-inflammatory drops to use for the first week and moisturising drops to use for the first month or so until the dryness goes away.