Laser eye treatment - who's done it?
- Thread starter Phate
- Start date
I had mine done a few weeks ago now, and the dry eye is virtually gone. I do get it occasionally when in front of the computer for long spells, or long driving sessions but a few drops and it's job done. I asked my surgeon about dry eye, and he said it 'affects everyone who has surgery for a variable amount of time', so I was expecting it.
I do hear that it varies from person to person, so it's always a risk it could affect you completely differently of course. I would hazard a guess to say that the reports of people suffering horrendous dry eye for 12 months after surgery are very much not the norm however.
I'm also led to believe Wavefront can help reduce the risk of dry eye, for what it's worth I had Lasik Wavefront Intralase.
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So after trying contacts 13 years ago and failing massively, I've recently gone back to trying and having some success, and have been wearing them for the past 10 days or so. I never wants to get laser eye surgery as I didn't mind wearing glasses, and the thought of surgery on my eye freaked me out. However after wearing contacts, putting my glasses on now doesn't feel as great, even if my vision is slightly better, but most importantly I'm getting over my fear of eyes and I'm considering looking into laser surgery. Maybe not yet, but not completely ruling it out like I did before.
What is there to research, pay the money, go to LVC, get it done by one of the worlds most recognized clinics.
This. You'll be in safe hands with Dr Dan and co.
Well, after a lot of research and a big and in-depth face-to-face chat (read: grilling) with my doctor this morning, I have decided to change my surgery technique to bladed LASIK.
Why, you ask?
Well, I learnt after much research that PRK permanently destroys what is known as the "Bowmans Membrane". This is basically a "screen protector" for the eye, and while some say this doesn't pose any long-term risk, nature and evolution have seen fit to make it a permanent and unchanged fixture for the last million or so years, and personally I see no reason to argue with that. It's a bit like circumcision really, apart from in my eyes (ho ho) in a more critical area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman's_membrane
After this, I then researched different types of LASIK. Smile Relex was unfortunately out of the question as I am Hyperopic (long sighted) and currently it is only reliably proven to work if you are Myopic (short sighted).
So, I then looked at Femto-LASIK, which uses a laser to cut the flap instead of a blade. While this has the benefit of creating the predictably thinnest possible flap, it also has specific potential complications and side-effects that have occurred enough to make me nervous. In addition to this, my doctor said, with the full knowledge that he makes more money from femto surgery, that long-term it has no tangible benefits in terms of structural integrity of the eye despite the thinner flap. My cornea is also a very good thickness (500 microns) so there is little risk of any complications due to the slight variance in blade flap thickness cuts.
So, with as much knowledge as I have been able to gain, I am confident that bladed LASIK will provide the best balance of safety and long-term eye health, while retaining the chance for future surgery (at that point my only option would be PRK) when I am 45 and my vision worsens.
I hope that info may be useful to others, and I will let you know how it goes on Friday morning, provided I can see the screen.
Why, you ask?
Well, I learnt after much research that PRK permanently destroys what is known as the "Bowmans Membrane". This is basically a "screen protector" for the eye, and while some say this doesn't pose any long-term risk, nature and evolution have seen fit to make it a permanent and unchanged fixture for the last million or so years, and personally I see no reason to argue with that. It's a bit like circumcision really, apart from in my eyes (ho ho) in a more critical area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman's_membrane
After this, I then researched different types of LASIK. Smile Relex was unfortunately out of the question as I am Hyperopic (long sighted) and currently it is only reliably proven to work if you are Myopic (short sighted).
So, I then looked at Femto-LASIK, which uses a laser to cut the flap instead of a blade. While this has the benefit of creating the predictably thinnest possible flap, it also has specific potential complications and side-effects that have occurred enough to make me nervous. In addition to this, my doctor said, with the full knowledge that he makes more money from femto surgery, that long-term it has no tangible benefits in terms of structural integrity of the eye despite the thinner flap. My cornea is also a very good thickness (500 microns) so there is little risk of any complications due to the slight variance in blade flap thickness cuts.
So, with as much knowledge as I have been able to gain, I am confident that bladed LASIK will provide the best balance of safety and long-term eye health, while retaining the chance for future surgery (at that point my only option would be PRK) when I am 45 and my vision worsens.
I hope that info may be useful to others, and I will let you know how it goes on Friday morning, provided I can see the screen.
How did it go Richdog? My eyes were still unbelievably sensitive for a good week afterwards, so it's possible you won't see this for a couple of days, but hope all went well and you're recovering!
I had another eye exam yesterday, it's the 6th i've had in the first month following surgery as I had some inflammation that needed a steady course of steroids. I could read 2 lines under 20/20, so that was promising. My eyes do seem to still fluctuate depending on how tired I am, and how dry my eyes are. It's only been a month though so i'm hoping that settles down.
All in all, considering the very negligible issues i've had (other than the horrific 4/5 hours immediately after surgery) i'm very happy with the results so far.
I had another eye exam yesterday, it's the 6th i've had in the first month following surgery as I had some inflammation that needed a steady course of steroids. I could read 2 lines under 20/20, so that was promising. My eyes do seem to still fluctuate depending on how tired I am, and how dry my eyes are. It's only been a month though so i'm hoping that settles down.
All in all, considering the very negligible issues i've had (other than the horrific 4/5 hours immediately after surgery) i'm very happy with the results so far.
Hi McBain,
Indeed, time for an update my good man!
Well, I had the surgery late last week and it was not what I would call a pleasant experience. I can't say I felt any genuine pain at the time, but it was like the promise of pain, if that makes any sense. I didn't get any eye suction machine, just an eye opener torture-gadget applied to my quivering orbs while the surgery was conducted, but there was a point when the knife went in to my left eye and I felt an unpleasant enough sensation that I thought "this is about to get nasty". But thankfully it then withdrew and then it was just the memorable feeling of having the flap lifted and then smelling my burning corneal flesh as I tried somewhat frantically to keep my eye on the green light while being told off by the Doctor for flinching, and then having the flap plonked back down. My heart was pounding. Ugh.
While it was initially pretty damn cool to see my hand and phone clearly in front of my face, in the days following the surgery I have been doing my best to maintain the eye-drop routine but seem to have developed pretty bad myopia (short-sightedness) which I am assured is temporary. Basically anything further than 1-1.5m away is a little blurry and unsharp... not so I can't make out any detail, but just not sharp, and that is giving me eye strain and mild headaches.
I have a check-up tomorrow and will ask them to do an eye test to see where I am now... I really hope it improves over the next couple of weeks and will be updating the thread as I go along!
Sounds good Richdog. I think the important thing is not to panic and assume that if you don't have 20:20 5mins after the op it's all gone wrong. Everybody reacts in different ways.
As you folks may remember I went to LVC last year. I'm doing very well but all this talk of the surgeon 'cutting' the flap makes me wonder why I can't actually remember that. I had standard Lasik (not reflex) and I honestly don't remember that. Do LVC do the cut with the laser?
Reason I ask is a friend of ours went to Optical Express. We ended up seeing her a few days after and she said about the whole 'cutting the flap' thing and how awful that was.. an her eyes were actually really red to each side. Eww. I obviously kept quiet but I was curious..
As you folks may remember I went to LVC last year. I'm doing very well but all this talk of the surgeon 'cutting' the flap makes me wonder why I can't actually remember that. I had standard Lasik (not reflex) and I honestly don't remember that. Do LVC do the cut with the laser?
Reason I ask is a friend of ours went to Optical Express. We ended up seeing her a few days after and she said about the whole 'cutting the flap' thing and how awful that was.. an her eyes were actually really red to each side. Eww. I obviously kept quiet but I was curious..
yeah lvc do it with a laser.
lvc have videos of all thier procedures on youtube btw, google LVC <your procedure>
She seems very happy now though.Holy crap just read your posts... hope you get it fixed as that sounds like a nightmare!
Cheers dude, as much as its not been fun, I really can't fault Optical Express for the way they've handled things. I suffered an extremely rare complication, it was unfortunate, but since it happened they've bent over themselves to try and put it right.
At the moment the left eye still isn't good for much, but they think there is a good chance of getting vision back to 20:20 or at least close to it.
Even with what happened, its still some of the best money I ever spent.
Hi McBain,
Indeed, time for an update my good man!
Well, I had the surgery late last week and it was not what I would call a pleasant experience. I can't say I felt any genuine pain at the time, but it was like the promise of pain, if that makes any sense. I didn't get any eye suction machine, just an eye opener torture-gadget applied to my quivering orbs while the surgery was conducted, but there was a point when the knife went in to my left eye and I felt an unpleasant enough sensation that I thought "this is about to get nasty". But thankfully it then withdrew and then it was just the memorable feeling of having the flap lifted and then smelling my burning corneal flesh as I tried somewhat frantically to keep my eye on the green light while being told off by the Doctor for flinching, and then having the flap plonked back down. My heart was pounding. Ugh.
While it was initially pretty damn cool to see my hand and phone clearly in front of my face, in the days following the surgery I have been doing my best to maintain the eye-drop routine but seem to have developed pretty bad myopia (short-sightedness) which I am assured is temporary. Basically anything further than 1-1.5m away is a little blurry and unsharp... not so I can't make out any detail, but just not sharp, and that is giving me eye strain and mild headaches.
I have a check-up tomorrow and will ask them to do an eye test to see where I am now... I really hope it improves over the next couple of weeks and will be updating the thread as I go along!
Glad to hear it all went well! Your eyes should settle down over the next few weeks, I had the same problem you're having with everything just being a little 'smudgy' for want of a better word. My surgeon said that was due to the amount and frequency of the drops you have to take... i'm guessing one of the ones you're taking is cloudy? Pret something or other, my eyes really became clearer when I stopped using those.
Congrats though, it's definitely not a pleasant experience but should be well worth it in the long run
Wow, 4 surgeries, that's grim.
Best of luck they get it sorted, when is it booked for?
Yes there are. Read more on ReLEX Smile.
Also, there are pre-operative tests that can determine the quality and quantity of your tear production, so you'll know what to expect post-op. They can tell you the severity and longevity of the dry eye side effects after the surgery.
Soldato
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Although I opted for the laser flap the surgeon opted to do bladed surgery due to scarring inside my left eye, which I didn't know existed.
£300 knocked off the bill and it all went fine.
That was over 5years ago now.
£300 knocked off the bill and it all went fine.
That was over 5years ago now.
The saga continues...
Just had a phone call from Optical Express asking me to pay a deposit for my next procedure... safe to say that left me a little bit miffed. It seems that since its been so long since my first surgery, any further corrections are chargable. Given that my left eye has been screwed since 2012ish because of the first surgery, and they've repeatedly operated since to stop the condition from progressing I expect that the surgery to finally put things right would be free. Am I being unreasonable?
I asked the lady in question to speak to surgeon and confirm, but I can't see how its fair for them to expect me to pay. If it was standard regression of vision that occurs over time I could understand it, I wouldn't be happy but I could understand where they are coming from...
Now I have to wait for the phonecall tomorrow. It never rains...
Just had a phone call from Optical Express asking me to pay a deposit for my next procedure... safe to say that left me a little bit miffed. It seems that since its been so long since my first surgery, any further corrections are chargable. Given that my left eye has been screwed since 2012ish because of the first surgery, and they've repeatedly operated since to stop the condition from progressing I expect that the surgery to finally put things right would be free. Am I being unreasonable?
I asked the lady in question to speak to surgeon and confirm, but I can't see how its fair for them to expect me to pay. If it was standard regression of vision that occurs over time I could understand it, I wouldn't be happy but I could understand where they are coming from...
Now I have to wait for the phonecall tomorrow. It never rains...