Laser eye treatment - who's done it?

jpod said:
Ah now I understand, thanks semi-pro. No it is not a conspiracy theory approach. But evidence (my experience of speaking first hand with opticians/surgeons) should not be confused with proof.

The laser surgery technology is incredibly clever and exquisitely accurate.

The best approach to all irreversible surgical procedures which by their nature have pros and cons and risks is to explore what is the benefit to you personally. And try not to be a pioneer and undergo new procedures which have no data for safety or effectiveness.

For instance I would have laser surgery if I had to wear massively thick glasses and the surgery would enable me to wear contacts or normal glasses or none!

Or if I had one bad eye - and I could have an op on that and even if there was a bad outcome I still had one good eye.

Personally, I am mildly shortsighted and it currently not worth the risk when I can wear glasses/sunglasses/disposable contacts until scientific peer reviewed studies demonstrate the risks are infinitesimal and the long term effects are known.
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I can only assume you live in your house encased in fire retardant bubble wrap as the risks on the journey to the shops are far above "infintesimal"
 
varkanoid said:
Read a few posts on here, well the ones on topic and I have considered looking into laser surgery but what puts me off is the actual process. Now I guess you have your eye relaxed and as static as possible but I have terrible eye reflexes. What I mean by this is do you know the test where they fire air into your eye the pressure test well I dont like it and I guess others too but its that bad I anticipate the air shot and flinch. I really have to concentrate to stop myself flinching at the last second and quite often the Optician gets annoyed. I just can't help it. Took 20 minutes once just to complete that test. So what puts me off is if they fire the laser into my eye might end up losing an ear when I flinch. Sorry that was a terrible James Bond exaggeration.

Basically what I want to know is how does it feel when the laser surgery start forgive my ignorance.
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Nah your head/eye is attached to the machine, you could deliberately not look at the green light but both the machine and the doctor would know your doing that and ask you what's up.

If you go on YouTube London vision clinic has videos of all the procedures.

Google London vision clinic relax smile.

It's from doctors, patients and by standers view.
So you can see everything the doc does, everything you'll see from your perspective and a wide shot of the room.

Your first in cation the laser has started will be "hey little green light has gone blurry" followed the doc going "and the light should be a bit bluey now that's normal" :p
 
jpod said:
Ah yes the chief executive of a corporate body offering the surgery commercially is going to give a non-biased opinion in the Telegraph newspaper. Rather a tinfoil hat than one with dunce on it. Touche.

I mean what does this even mean? In science longitudinal randomised controlled trials are the pinnacle of scientific evidence so the following is utter nonsense:

“Optical Express surgeons have treated more than a million patients worldwide. Globally they have a combined surgical experience of more than 1,000 years practising ophthalmology and more than 700 years performing refractive surgery. “Optical Express surgeons have treated more than a million patients worldwide. Globally they have a combined surgical experience of more than 1,000 years practising ophthalmology and more than 700 years performing refractive surgery.

The man should be flogged outside the Royal Society and then covered in saline.

Since you asked I have a patient who runs a group of opticians in the North West. I have spoken with others over several years includinsurgeonsns. He has glasses; has not had the surgery and advocated it primarily when folk have jam jar gigs.

Look all surgery has indications, contraindications, risks. This is relatively new surgery and we still do not know the long-term outcome. As long as patients understand the risks and there is a benefit and possibly a clinical need then it is great if you are prepared to take the risk. But in my experience of speaking with clinicians, no opticians/ophthalmic surgeons had undergone the procedure themselves to my knowledge.
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Quite a few of the staff at lvc have had it done. Irrc the surgeon I had mine done by was booked in to have his done shortly after (I remember we where alking about the pain if glasses and motorcycles)
 
jpod said:
I am sorry it is difficult to attend to such wide-ranging statements.

I disagree with you; being a surgeon provides a unique perspective into recommending therapy for patients who are relying on your integrity to recommended treatments that are safe and effective. The ones I recommend I am normally willing to undergo myself. I have already stated that this view reflects my personal experience of speaking directly with opticians and ophthalmic surgeons who are experts in this field over several years.

I have to concede that I have no idea what CT tactics are.
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Normally?

So your saying you do recommend procedures you would not consider having yourself?
 
Speaking with experts in the field is anecdotal but obviously evidence nonetheless. You are confusing the hierarchy of evidence and evidence and proof. But I will open it up to forum buddies to determine who can and cannot think clearly.

Some of the technology is obviously new, some brand new, some from the early 1990's. It is pioneer stuff considering there can't be studies longer than 20/25 years and most people use their eyes for their whole lives. I don't know about you but I plan to use my eyes for 80 years if I survive this overclockers forum.

I have to be able to see with my eyes to do my job so unless the risk was approaching zero I personally would not undergo eye surgery with my current prescription. To assume that means that I do not take risks in other aspects of life is to jump to conclusions. Good luck with that.

Some of the risks are high but they may relate to cases which were carried out but the patients were not appropriate candidates which means the percentages may not apply to you as an individual. I have listed when I personally would consider it. There is no doubt eye surgery is carried out in the UK to a very strict protocol. I would make sure the surgeon is reputable in any case for any surgery.

Telfal surprising as it may seem I do not have identical teeth/gums/anatomy to every single patient who attends and I care about my dental health rather than what my teeth look like. So yes I do regularly recommend procedures I would not necessarily have myself but rest assured they are in that individual's best interest to reach the goals they have expressed for their dental treatment. They are still things I would recommend for friends/family and have the best evidence for safety and efficacy.

Good to hear so many people have had it done and really liked the outcome. I am rather jealous - I would love to ditch my specs/lenses.
 
does LVC do free assessment? cant see anything on their on their website, I really want it done but cant decide if I can afford it.

really wish there was an easy way to see performance of each surgeon and where they worked etc.

or should I just book a free assessment with anyone to see if I can have it done(mainly astigmatism) and get an impression of what they are like?
 
Glaucus said:
does LVC do free assessment? cant see anything on their on their website, I really want it done but cant decide if I can afford it.

really wish there was an easy way to see performance of each surgeon and where they worked etc.

or should I just book a free assessment with anyone to see if I can have it done(mainly astigmatism) and get an impression of what they are like?
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The assessment LVC do is in depth and takes several hours. There is a fee involved but if you go for the surgery its removed from the cost of treatment. I believe they do a free initial part, which talks you through your concerns, what your problems are however, but if you want to find out exactly how suitable you are, its chargeable.
 
varkanoid said:
Read a few posts on here, well the ones on topic and I have considered looking into laser surgery but what puts me off is the actual process. Now I guess you have your eye relaxed and as static as possible but I have terrible eye reflexes. What I mean by this is do you know the test where they fire air into your eye the pressure test well I dont like it and I guess others too but its that bad I anticipate the air shot and flinch. I really have to concentrate to stop myself flinching at the last second and quite often the Optician gets annoyed. I just can't help it. Took 20 minutes once just to complete that test. So what puts me off is if they fire the laser into my eye might end up losing an ear when I flinch. Sorry that was a terrible James Bond exaggeration.

Basically what I want to know is how does it feel when the laser surgery start forgive my ignorance.
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I felt the same as you, I was worried i'd move, my eyes would move etc. I'm also incredibly sensitive with anything near my eyes to the point of never being able to use contact lenses as I couldn't put them in, the optician wouldn't let me leave until I could prove I could put them in and take them out. Every time I tried my eye would naturally shut and I just couldn't do it.

During the procedure you can't move, you're led down and your head is basically clamped down. The technology is advanced enough that if your eye moves during the surgery that it can track it. Feeling wise, the most uncomfortable part of the procedure is when they're putting the eyelid clamps in. I won't lie that's not very pleasant but nothing too bad. They will put numbing drops in so you don't actually feel anything through the eyes.

The procedure for Lasik is (I might be a bit sketchy here, I had it done over a year ago);

1. Lie down
2. Drops go in
3. Eyelid clamps go in
4. They move you under the first machine which cuts the flap. The machine has a suction pad on it that feels like pressure against your eye to try and keep it in place. No pain, but definitely feels a bit weird. The closest thing I can think of is if you pressed swimming goggles against your eyes.
5. The surgeon then moves the flap back, this looks weird as you can see your eye losing focus
6. They move you under the second machine and it does it's reshaping job. You feel nothing.
7. The surgeon puts the flap back in place and takes the clamps off

That's it job done, the whole process took about 5-10 minutes.
 
Glaucus said:
does LVC do free assessment? cant see anything on their on their website, I really want it done but cant decide if I can afford it.

really wish there was an easy way to see performance of each surgeon and where they worked etc.

or should I just book a free assessment with anyone to see if I can have it done(mainly astigmatism) and get an impression of what they are like?
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As kindai says there is a free part to the assessment and they were very clear with me when they were about to move to the next part so I could have called a halt to it then. After that it goes into a more in depth part which they charge for but again as said that will be deducted from the cost of surgery if you decide to go ahead - if you don't go ahead then it might be partially refundable but as it takes up a number of hours it seems reasonable to charge for. If you're declared unsuitable for surgery by them then the assessment fee is refundable I believe but that appears to be quite rare for someone to be completely unsuitable.
 
McBain said:
I felt the same as you, I was worried i'd move, my eyes would move etc. I'm also incredibly sensitive with anything near my eyes to the point of never being able to use contact lenses as I couldn't put them in, the optician wouldn't let me leave until I could prove I could put them in and take them out. Every time I tried my eye would naturally shut and I just couldn't do it.

During the procedure you can't move, you're led down and your head is basically clamped down. The technology is advanced enough that if your eye moves during the surgery that it can track it. Feeling wise, the most uncomfortable part of the procedure is when they're putting the eyelid clamps in. I won't lie that's not very pleasant but nothing too bad. They will put numbing drops in so you don't actually feel anything through the eyes.

The procedure for Lasik is (I might be a bit sketchy here, I had it done over a year ago);

1. Lie down
2. Drops go in
3. Eyelid clamps go in
4. They move you under the first machine which cuts the flap. The machine has a suction pad on it that feels like pressure against your eye to try and keep it in place. No pain, but definitely feels a bit weird. The closest thing I can think of is if you pressed swimming goggles against your eyes.
5. The surgeon then moves the flap back, this looks weird as you can see your eye losing focus
6. They move you under the second machine and it does it's reshaping job. You feel nothing.
7. The surgeon puts the flap back in place and takes the clamps off

That's it job done, the whole process took about 5-10 minutes.
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Thanks, its a lot of money for not a lot of work but I guess you pay for the results. Who was that with ?
 
The concern that I have is that being short-sighted I currently have fantastic close up vision... I can get around this by not wearing glasses / contacts when doing any fine detail work (i.e. painting / assembled models etc), however surely by having Lasik, people must see a reduction in their near sight? That would frustrate me.
 
varkanoid said:
I filled in one of their online enquiries to get postal info then got plagued with phone calls 3/4 times a day for about 6 months.
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Hmmm weird, I didn't see anything of the sort but then I didn't fill any forms out I went in to see them.

pioneer2000 said:
The concern that I have is that being short-sighted I currently have fantastic close up vision... I can get around this by not wearing glasses / contacts when doing any fine detail work (i.e. painting / assembled models etc), however surely by having Lasik, people must see a reduction in their near sight? That would frustrate me.
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My close up vision is exactly the same as it was before. My eyes do tend to get tired easier when viewing computer screens however.
 
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