Flippin' "lasers"

[Freefaller]

Well after researching it extensively and speaking to one of the UK's leading professors of Visual Sciences who happens to be a friend of the family I decided to book myself in for a free consultation for laser eye surgery.

After my consultation which was great, bar the fact that they put eye drops that dilate your pupils which makes them look like you've had one too many "special brownies"... as well as adding a dye to to them for their scans, it seems that my eyes were perfectly suited for laser eye surgery. Yay!

Off on holiday I go and 2 months later I'm sat in the waiting room in Haley street waiting for my surgery at 930am... Probably the cleanest, neatest and most agreeable waiting room I've been in (but I haven't been in many for any sort of medical things).

Surprisingly I wasn't nervous, but the double espresso I had with breakfast was probably not wise as I was somewhat more excitable than I usually am. I definitely felt quite excited... but now looking back I remember my heart racing a little when lying down on the operating chair.

I had the Intralase with Waverfront treatment - which is the "creme de la creme" of treatment, ergo the most expensive. Hopwever as a result they were able to correct my astigmatism and also my myopia (short sightedness).

I was literally done in 10 mins - it was painless, and they gave you a running commentary, and explained everything, I felt really well look after and in good hands. The op room was clean, tidy, it was so so professional, v.impressed.

I was then taken to the recovery room, you're eyes are a bit blurry, and of course under a little bit of trauma but really even once the anaesthetic wore off I felt fine.

I've just had my post op checkup, and bar my left eye being every so slightly dry I have no swelling, bruising or trauma to the eye and it's already almost healed completely ( which is normal for the eye). However having had my eye tests I am better than 20/20 now which is just incredible. 15 years I've been wearing glasses, and now I don't have to. My eye sight is actually better than when I was wearing glasses. I have no pain, no "grittiness" and absolutely no discomfort at all.

I have to put antiseptic and anti inflammatory eye drops in every few hours, but really this is really hassle free. I can drive, I can see.. and I don't need glasses. Just wondering round the house is just so much easier and more comfortable, I don't need glasses any more to be able to see the tv for more than 2 meters away... I can see as far as the eye can see. This is just amazing. I'm in shock, but grinning from ear to ear as well!

Anybody thinking of doing it, do it. End of. Best money I've spent. Sure, it's cose me more than 2.5k which is a lot of money, but frankly since I've stepped away from the operation I've not had a moment's doubt.

It does mean I have to take it easy for a week, no sports, or showers, can't scrub my face or touch my eyes (not that I'd need to) - and you have to wear goggles for bed (again for a week) but they're perfectly comfortable. You eyes slowly stabilise over the next week to a month it just depends on the individual - I may even get better... but still better than 20/20 is more than good enough for me!

My astigmatism is no longer present, I have no halos or haziness in my vision, no grittiness or discomfort. I feel fan-bloody-tastic. Why didn't I do this sooner?! Well, a) because I couldn't afford it but also b) the technology now is so good and they were able to remove the imperfections in the eye. It's just incredible.

 

[Freefaller]

Awesome, do your eyes ever go back to how they were originally over time? (when you had to wear glasses I mean.)

I was going to need reading glasses when I got old, would would have had to have vary/bifocals anyway, so until then I have a good 20 years of glasses free vision.

My prescription had been stable for 12 years (i.e. no changes) and my eyes had not sustained any damage or irregular shapes so the prospects are good - though the chances of needing reading glasses still exist.

Let's get the important stuff asked straight off, what was your prescription and what was the bottom line cost?

-2.25 & -2.00 (OD, OS), Cylinder -1.25 (axis 90 I think) & -1.5 (120 axis).

Total cost was 1495 per eye - but I was able to get a £500 discount thanks to my family friend who referred me.

Definitely worth it IMO.

Overclocked eyes, excellent.

Indeed!

 

[Freefaller]

Sounds like it was the perfect solution for you; 'grats on having perfect eyes now.

I think our eyesight is probably the most valuable thing we have on this planet; I couldn't imagine not having access to viewing all of lifes treaures.

I agree - sight is the most important thing ever. I'm young enough to still be able to enjoy activities where wearing glasses is a pain, so now I can keep at it without having to worry about contacts and glasses.

 

[Freefaller]

So need to go have a consultation been wanting it for ages and next year I might actually be able to afford it.

Everyone I know who's had it has loved it and all have 20/20 or better. it really is fascinating and a massive step forward compared to glasses and contacts.

Lots of people do free consultations, I had mine with Optical Express

Freefaller - how much did you pay? Where exactly did you go? Got a full address?

My eyesight is the most important thing on my body and don't want some muppet in Suffolk/Norfolk from Specsavers blinding me!!!

22 Harely Street, it's in the optical Express practice, but the surgery is also used for private customers, the surgeon I had worked at Morefields Eye Hospital - this is the place for eye medicine - so I Felt confident my surgeon knew what he was doing. Our professor friend also gave me the thumbs up for him so instilled even more confidence.

That's awesome to hear, amazing how far technology has advanced!

Indeed - it's nothing like the "regular" laser technology that was around 10-20 years ago, this is just the most incredible bit of technology I've ever seen. Even all the pre-examination tests are just so futuristic and amazing. Digital tech and optics at it's best.

So so impressed and absolutely ecstatic.

 

[Freefaller]

£2.5k is a small price to pay for perfect vision with no real side effects. I am also planning on looking into this at some point next year, I would really like to rid myself of glasses if at all possible. Two questions though; do you feel any pain while they are performing the procedure? Also, do you have to keep your eyes motionless while they do it?

No pain at all, they put local anaesthetic drops in your eyes and you cannot feel a thing. You can even notice really what's going on anyway it happens quite quick and it's all out of your focus ability anyway. You're eye socket is held in place with a sort of clamp which obviously you can't feel, and the machine clicks down in place on the clamp and as such you don't feel anything. If you do somehow manage to twitch or move, the laser cuts out it happens a lot. It's very easy to keep still and you don't really feel the need to move - it takes 20s per eye, then the 2nd machine takes another 20s (if you go for the wavefront technology). Including pre work and the actual procedure you're in surgery for 20 mins max.

I have no pain now, no pain then. It's easy to keep your eyes still for a short period of time - I didn't even think about it, it was so so easy. The staff (the 2 nurses) were very helpful, they told you every step of the procedure, what's going on, what the noises are (the ticking of the laser for example, well more like heavy clunking!!). I felt very secure and comfortable.

 

[Freefaller]

Sounds great. Just out of interest, where do they inject the anaesthetic, or don't I want to know? I thought having a needle shoved into my big toe was bad enough... not a lot of meat there and all.

No injections - eye drops. It is so that you eye is numb so they can put the template/clamp thing in place so that your eye doesn't spasm during the op. It's really not gruesome and you don't feel a thing and can't really see what's happening.

 

[Freefaller]

Were there any sharks with these lasers?

No I couldn't clear the red tape so I got sea bass instead.

 

[Freefaller]

Robbie, great isn't it! I can't believe I didn't do it sooner! I can seeeee!

 

[Freefaller]

The guy I had was called Osama!!

Ricochet, I spoke to a guy called Inoides or something like that?

 

[Freefaller]

Btw why is it so much money, didnt they used to offer on tv or somit 300 per eye or somit which is far more money than id ever have being on benefit. So thousands would be impossible or take 10 years to save up.

Plus 50 quid or less for glasses or thousands, seems clear what ill be doing for years. Shame but its rather crap for people who dont get much money, tis a rich peoples only treatment for now. Hope this gets reduced to hundread or so for both eyes good treatment in the future. Or stick it on the NHS or somit.

You can go for the cheaper treatments which comes to less than £900 for both eyes... but my thinking is, it's my eyes, I need them, I want the best for them so went for the best treatment. Wavefront is the best technology they can offer for best vision correction with minor to no side effects.

I've been wearing glasses for 15 years and I've spent well over £3000 for glasses, contacts and consultations in these 15 years.

If I can have even 10 years of perfect vision it's paid for itself pretty much.

Besides, it's having the freedom of no glasses or needing to wear contacts and just being able to see without any aid. I can now wear sunglasses in the summer without contacts or them being prescription, which means that when I go inside I don't have to swap glasses, I can take 'em off. It means in the cold when walking into a hot building/room my glasses don't steam up. I don't have a fear of losing a contact lens, or have to worry about cleaning them and going to bed with them, no protein build up in the eye... I have clear vision and it's something I haven't had for 15 years, and it's incredible.

are the eye drops permanent or temporary while the eye heals?

Just for the week. You take an anti inflammatory one, and an antiseptic one. Then just eye doprs to keep your eyes moist, but mine aren't suffering any dryness issues. You have a post op consultation, then one in a week, then a month.

 

[Freefaller]

I wear glasses and have done since I was in Year 10 at school so about 10/11 years. I'm also deaf so being able to get rid of glasses would be fantastico. Might be worth saving up for and seeing if I can get my eyes fixed.

I HATE having to clean my glasses all the time because they get dirty, or when I get sweaty and beads of sweat abseil from my forehead onto the lenses. That and when it rains I can't see. Would love to be able to wake up in the morning and see 100% WITHOUT having to reach for specs.

Indeed it does get so so tedious wearing glasses.

I saved up for it this year (put some money aside every month) for 2009. Sure it could have gone towards a new car or a holiday (but I can still afford holidays so that's cool ) etc... but frankly it was something I wanted to do for a while. And when Adam said the technology is good and the research is strong and clear I thought that's it, I'm doing it.

 

[Freefaller]

I'm seripously considering and have been for some time. I have -1.50 and -1.25 which isn't bad but having glasses and contact lenses is a lot of hassle for such a small correction. Laser surgery therefore sounds perfect its just the after effects that bother me. Does the flap ever heal? i.e. if I were to rub my eyes later in life could it knock it off?! Whats the chances of them revertinng to my old prescription?

The flap heals after a week, though in fact it heals almost instantly but since everyone is different a week is a good buffer. You shouldn't rub your eyes anyway, naughty boy! IF your prescription has been steady for at least 2 years then you shouldn't have any regression but will still have to probably wear reading glasses as presbyopia kicks in naturally.

I've had no pain, no after effects no glaring or halos.

 

[Freefaller]

I put £200 a month aside since Jan - and now I'm beyond 20/20. It's the most incredible thing in the world. Modern medicine at it's best.

 

[Freefaller]

You see it sounds bad, but it really isn't. With the laser tech now they cut the flap to a perfect shape, it's peeled back but you don't even notice they're doing it. I guess seeing it from a 3rd party would be a little gross though.

 

[Freefaller]

Can you now see through walls? Or at least through ladeez bikinis?

Not quite... but I'm so alpha I don't need x-ray vision

This is really useful, thanks for taking the time to write that up freefaller.

I have been considering getting laser treatment but the main thing that puts me off is the whole having a flap cut in your eye thing. Did you have that done to you? If so what was it like?

They use a laser to shape the flap now, so there is still manual interaction with the "flap" - once the flap is moved they apply the wavefront laser which is a custom "map" of your eye correction i.e. it's not a generic "fix". so yes there is a flap, but it's much more accurately done with the laser and neater. The flap is still required in laser eye surgery. Honestly though you don't really appreciate or see what's happening and you don't feel anything.


I have one complaint... putting the anti inflammatory eye drops in, you get a bit of a taste in the back of your throat. I think I'm lucky though as I haven't suffered any bruising, dry eyes or side effects (yet). Best money I've ever spent.

 

[Freefaller]

I wear contacts often enough, and my glasses were frameless so it didn't change my facial shape too much, but you have a point people have associated me with glasses so I guess it'll take a while for them to get used to not seeing me with them.