Flippin' "lasers"

I had mine done about 3.5 years ago at Optimax in Bristol.

I bought the treatment on Ebay of all things! Basically they work out how many free slots they have towards the end of the month and sell them on Ebay for half the price.
Sound dodgy but it's totally legit. You get exactly the same treatment and aftercare as the full paying people it just they'd rather get half the cost than letting the slots go unused.

I opted for PRK / LASEK over LASIK as I didn't want the flap as back then it was a little iffy still and some people had problems. It also (not sure about now but back) it would have stopped me joining the Police.
LASEK is where they overburn the front of the eye directly but a "calculated" amount and it grows back slightly. It takes a week or so to heal and I was warned it hurt like hell.

I had it done, but I was prescribed a sedative before hand so I was a little away with the fairies. I was put under the machine and drops put in. That stopped my eyes from moving (I could still see fine) and I had clamps put on my eyes to keep them open.
Ring rings were put on my eyes and small amount of a alchohol was put in to soften the front think layer of my eye which was then "peeled" back.
They checked the lasers were tracking my moving my eyes slightly and then my head and then started. The procedure went well, the only bit I was not warned about was the sound and the smell. It was like burning flesh and the sound was a series of rapid loud cracks. I could see the laser whilst it was going on.

I was told to take some prescribe sleeping tablets when I got home, but I thought he said once the sedative worn off. Boy had I wished I'd taken them earlier!
The only thing that hurt more in my life so far was a lumbar punch when I got meningitis.

Sleeping tablets knocked me out sequentially for pretty much 3 days, but by then I could no longer open my eyes. They my kinda stuck shut and fill with tears. Every now and again I would move and the seal would pop and I'd get what felt like a cup full of liquid down my face. On the 5th day I could open my eyes and by the 7th day (my first after care) I could see fine. First check - I was 20/20, but there was a little scarring. I had to keep returning every week to have the scarring looked at. It was not visible to me and they had to see it under a violet light with orange drops in my eyes.

I was signed off about 6-7 weeks later and I can read the bottom line of the eye chart with ease. I'm now slightly long sighted - I can't see stuff less than about 6 inches from my face 100% and the astigmastism is all gone.

I was -2.5 in both eyes with -1.75 astigmatism (or something like that) so I was ideal for the treatment according to the surgeon.

I paid a shade under £1,000 for it - obviously that was the normal cost for just 1 eye and it was cheaper than Lasik too as that was about £1,300 per eye.

Was it worth it - hell yeah. I'd recommend it to anyone.
I was not the most confident of people before and I'd shy away from social situations as I didn't get on with contacts and I didn't like glasses for 24/7 wearing.
I'm now a scuba diver (soon to be a certifed rescue diver) which would not have been possible before. Again, so many people says it, but I should have done it a long time before I did.


Edit: The reason for the scarring not healing was due to dry eyes. I got Viscotears and used that and it helped - but for about a year after I still needed it about once a week.
I still need it every now and again, usually when it's hot and dry (so not often in the UK!)
Sideeffects.... I dont have any problems with halos or double vision or problems at night - but I do have a problem with bright blue light at night - it's simply out of focus.
From what I gather it's normal as an optician corrects your eyes based on red and green, but blue is normally out of focus - maybes as it's the least naturally occuring colour or something.
Blue LEDs are a killing for me but I try and limit the amount of stuff I have with them.
 
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I seriously considered getting my eyes lasered. Have since been using contact lenses for pretty much the same effect without the risks associated with the surgery and have not thought about it since.

Glad to hear it went well for you though Freefaller. My experience with contacts was equally liberating :D
 
Nice one. I intend to get this done when I have the funds. I considered it a few years ago but wanted to wait until the technology matured and had given enough time for any potential horror stories to emerge.
 
Captain Planet said:
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.
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I'm also -1.50 and -1.25 with no other complications (stable for 5 years now). Just around the house etc. I don't wear anything, I have glasses for driving and the office and tend to wear daily disposable a couple of days a week for sports or going out depending on the occasion.

I would consider laser if my prescription was say -2.50 or worse, in that it was bad enough to be a hassle. But as you know our prescription still lets you do most day to day stuff just fine without glasses so I can't be bothered.
 
I am -1.25 and -1.50 and I would NEVER be able to live my life without correction... 1.50 is not minor! I could not make out faces at any respectable distance :(
 
I had mine done almost exactly a year ago, as a 21st b/d prezzie from my mum. Not gonna lie the I absolutely HATED the procedure, might only of been a few minutes but It felt every minute. Think It was about 3000 in total through optical express, but absolutely worth every penny.

I was lucky that my sister used to work for them, so she phoned up one of her old bosses who recommenced the best surgeon/most up to date clinic at that time.

It all went fine, had the usually dry eye symptoms and still even after a year have the odd 'bad day' where theyget pretty blury. Driving at night again is an issue, not impossible or dangerous but I do suffer a lot from glare.

All round though I love them, sport and nights out are the real winners. No more pullin out of tackles or worried im going to get my glasses knocked off my face at the dancing and then spend the rest of my night on my hands and knees trying to find them, that's if they haven't already been stood on.

Anyone out there in two minds, I definitely recommend it. Just do your research and get the best quality procedure you can afford. Its your eyes at the end of the day, you only get on pair.
 
I see your laser eye treatments and raise you two squint surgeries, muscles cut off and then re-attached to my eyeball, now that was fun :)

Anyway, must be great to have proper vision again, I know my eyes are not as good as they used to be but I still have better than 20/20 and if they degraded to the point of needing glasses I'd do everything in my power to gain the funds for corrective treatment, must be such a feeling of freedom after having had it done!
 
Dano said:
I see your laser eye treatments and raise you two squint surgeries, muscles cut off and then re-attached to my eyeball, now that was fun :)

Anyway, must be great to have proper vision again, I know my eyes are not as good as they used to be but I still have better than 20/20 and if they degraded to the point of needing glasses I'd do everything in my power to gain the funds for corrective treatment, must be such a feeling of freedom after having had it done!
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You win. I wish to hear no more about that surgery. Thank you :)
 
-6.75 -7.50....if i could get a stable prescription for more anything close to a reasonable amount of time id jump at a consultation, as it stands, no chance, i would love to get it done some day and have even had family saying they'd help out with the cost side of things


although things are starting to slowly settle, gone from NEEDING new lenses every 6months to being able to manage without new lenses for 10-12months
 
.:MBK:. said:
-6.75 -7.50....if i could get a stable prescription for more anything close to a reasonable amount of time id jump at a consultation, as it stands, no chance, i would love to get it done some day and have even had family saying they'd help out with the cost side of things


although things are starting to slowly settle, gone from NEEDING new lenses every 6months to being able to manage without new lenses for 10-12months
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Just hang in there, it'll settle down at some stage. For me it was when I stopped growing at 20. I had been looking to get it done since I was 16-17, but like you, between 15-19 I was going through a new prescription every 6 months. Quite rapid deterioration.

Then as I said after I quit growing upwards (I continue to grow outwards funnily enough) my prescription stopped dead. just like that.

Your time will come, and the days of sticking little bits of plastic in your eyes will be a thing of the past :)
 
call me a pessimist but if my dad is anything to go by then not likely, admittedly laser treatment wasn't really viable when he might have hit that sweet spot between his eyes getting crap due to growing up to his eyes getting worse due to getting old. we'll see i guess, might settle down enough by my mid-late 20s to atleast get me in the door
 
Robbie G said:
My situation was almost identical to yours Freefaller.


- wake up in the morning and see everything pin sharp straight away, no hunting for lenses or glasses
- lie on your side on the bed or sofa and watch TV without your glasses interfering with your ears pressing against the pillow / cushion
- open your eyes underwater yet still able to see clearly when you put your head out of the water again
- not having to pack crap loads of contact lens and glasses paraphernalia when you go away for the weekend or on holiday
- eyes are brighter and look healthier than when I was wearing contacts
- glasses are PITA. Aside from the cosmetic issues, there are practical issues such as them sliding down your nose when you get sweaty if exercising, being upside down under a car and they keep falling off, and glasses steaming up or getting smudged in the rain

etc. etc...the benefits go on and on. I would have paid twice as much to have mine done, I'm that pleased.
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Jesus, spot on list, specifically for me I lie in bed watching tv on my comp screen and i just never get comftable, in my lenses its fine but then I usually watch as I fall asleep so have lenses out.

I've said in previous threads, the main reason for years I never did it was it always seemed like a big risk. But then from my lenses I got a scratch on my eye, which developed a semi bad infection but if untreated it would have gotten deeper into my eye and you get real risk of losing eyesight at that point.

So realistically glasses and contacts just AREN'T risk free, apparently over your life the chance of getting infections from contacts is pretty dang high. LIkewise, what kid hasn't had a ball, a fall, something that causes glasses to cause damage somehow, ok usually not to the eye. But its obviously still a risk. I'm going to do it when I can afford it, however i have somewhere between -6/-7 and semi bad astigmatism, which stretches how much it costs quite a bit at places like OPtical express afaik, while Moorfields and places, if you're eligible, tend to charge less for higher perscriptions and have the best people.


So for me I really can't even focus on my monitor more than 6 inches away without anything on, so it will make a ridiculous difference, waking up being able to see is something I can't wait for.


Freefaller, one thing to just keep in mind just in case, eyes can actually adjust to be worse as they heal. Its not altogether frequent, but 20/20 or better in the immediate post op check doesn't mean you'll not drop below 20/20 as the eyes heal, but without initial complications odds on dropping much are very very low.


One thing I learnt through having family who work in the NHS and from talking to a couple people at Moorfields, almost any doctor can say they worked at Moorfields, because almost every proper eye doctor will have done a rotation at Moorfields because it is THE eye place in the UK. So almost any doctor can claim to have "worked there" implying they are that good. But in reality worked there for years having been offered a permanent job, and trained there are very different things. Not that you can't be good if you didn't work there for ages, just its something several doctors trade on the reputation which they haven't earned.
 
Freefaller said:
The guy I had was called Osama!! :D

Ricochet, I spoke to a guy called Inoides or something like that?
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Thats a name I definately recognise, infact

http://www.moorfields-private.co.uk/TreatmentsConditions/Lasereyecorrection/Consultantprofiles

Inoides, Maurino and Stevens are THE guys to have do it in the UK. Stevens pretty much started doing them in the UK I believe, has been at Moorfields forever, runs the joint, is on the board of whatever its called that monitors and sets the standards for laser eye surgery and he's done a ridiculous amount of them.

I've seen multiple "bad stories come good" when less than reputable places gave poor treatment, refered the patient to one of those guys at Moorfields and they got superb treatment.

Just trying to find out if one of my dads drinking buddies(he works in the NHS) is an eye doctor who can swing a family discount.
 
Nice one. Im going to get this done when I move back home at a trusted clinic. I almost got it done here but decided I would rather be back home if anything went wrong.
 
Tempted to look at this at some point for my left eye at least. Wouldn't do anything for my right though - I was born premature and my optic nerve didn't develop properly.

I've always been a bit worried about the costs and risks but now I have a decent job and the tech has improved so much it's potentially viable if I can be sure about the surgeon doing it...
 
I had this done back in August and i have not regretted it once. It's nice being able to wake up and be able to see the alarm clock and not try and guess if i'm late for work or not.

I have £300 off vouchers which i was given, so if someone is considering it, please let me know and i'll send you the voucher :)
 
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