[cornerofsilence]

I would like to hear from anyone who has had laser eye surgery.

Did you think it worked?

Was it worth the money and pain?

Regards

:wah

[ISan]

My sister had it done here in the Netherlands a few months back. She found it all very straight forward and worth every penny. No idea what the costs are in NZ.

Ingrid

[Smiler]

Interesting

I'ved been wavering over this, heard a couple of bad reports and that's put me off.

I think I read on here glasses are pretty expensive in NZ, I think they are here too but thought about having this done as it would be the equivelant to buying glasses for the next 2-3 years.

Look forward to seeing if anyone else has had it done.

Deborah

[Radke]

I had it done last year in the US and so far its been great! :) No problems what so ever and I now have better than 20/20!

[Smiler]

Radke


May I ask the cost in the US.

(Please tell me to go away if you would prefer not to).


Thanks

Deborah

[Radke]

$3425 USD for both eyes. Thats with a 10% discount from my health care provider. I did a lot of research on this one... the company that I chose was a little on the pricey side but I think it was worth every penny. Its not worth it to settle for anything less than the best with something like this.

[Dazza]

My Wife Wendy had this done approx 6 months ago and would not look back. There were different levels of treatment, I told her to go for the very best treatment available which is called 'Wavefront'. It was £1500 per eye, but as eyes are a delicate part of the body it was worth it. The operation lasts around 2mins per eye, yes only 2mins. There was no real pain after the op, it felt like there was sand in her eyes more discomfort than pain, this lasted for around 24hrs and couldn't drive for a week.

If you need anymore info please ask and I will get my wife to help you.

[real_sunfire]

Not to scare anyone - but have any studies been done on the long term effects of laser eye surgery considering it was first developed about 15-20 years ago.

The idea of cutting a flap in my eyes doesn't fill me with confidence.

Rgds.,
Nick.

[cornerofsilence]

I would just like to hear your views.

I asked a couple weeks ago about laser surgery. Well I have just come back from my second visit and although he was willing to go ahead he could not guarantee my eyesight would be 100% and I might still needs glasses for reading sometimes.

He suggested that I try contact lenses for a few months. Mono ones like the surgery would be. I said I had never considered contacts because of putting them in. He then went on to say that he could offer me a service one a months supply and fit new contact at a cost of $60 a time. This has made me think I might as well have contacts.

The surgery could be about $5500 which I would be prepared to pay if it was guaranteed to work.

How difficult is it to get used to contact?

What is the monthly cost?

[Debbie]

Can't say what the monthly cost would be in NZ but contacts are realy easy to get the hang off. Make sure they fully explain the cleaning, storage and how to put them in the right way around and in a week you'll be wandering what you were worried about.
Debbie

[Avalon]

Ok, I got really confused - because i could have sworn that I posted an answer to this but its not on here! Then found it was in another thread. Heres the link if anyone needs it.


http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3725

Had a few glasses of savvy blank so sorry if this confuses anyone!

Im off to bed.

[Simon & Emily]

Has anyone out there in the UK used Optimax? I've got an appointment booked in a couple of weeks, and would appreciate any 'insider information'!

Thanks,

Emily

[baboonworld]

Stu and I both had our eyes zapped at Optimax in Manchester.
This was in 1998 and cost about £395-495 per eye.

We were both short sighted and back in those days the only option was PRK.

These days they carry out Lasik which is supposed to be a lot less painful (or in fact it may be painless).

PRK was very very painful and they only do one eye at a time. We live in Bradford so the drive back fromManchester after the "surgery" was a killer. Initially you dont feel any pain - but after about 1/2 hr the painkillers start to wear off and it hurts like b*gg*ry!!!!

In fact you get the a point where you are begging for your next lot of very strong painkillers and anesthetic drops.!

AS I SAY - I DONT THINK THIS IS THE PROCEDURE THEY USE NOW!!!

Our overall opinion - I would do it all again! I was about 3.75 in both eyes and i still dont wear glasses (am 33 years old now).

When i am tired i do find it hard to focus on TV etc, but I had an eye test and my eye sight has gone from 100% to .25 one eye.

Stu has got glasses as one eye is not as good as the other - however he only wears tehm for driving and tv and has only had them in the past year/ and he doesnt wear them everyday.

We both use the computer a lot at work and home - which probably tires our eyes out moreso - although we have tft screens at both home and work and this is supposed to reduce the radiation/strain.

DO IT!

How great is it to be able to read the clock in the morning - get out of the swimming baths and see everything - go swimming / walking at the beach and not have to worry that u might be miles away from where you started and not find your way back there! - walk into a pub and find your friends without having to put your glasses/contacts in???

[Simon & Emily]

Thanks for the info. I initially had an appointment booked for today, but as the branch had only opened on the day of my first consultation they had no aftercare doctors available (slightly worrying, I thought, to book surgery appointments but not have a doctor available for the aftercare?) so have re-scheduled. I can only have the 'epi' surgery, not the laser sort, as my eye lenses are not thick enough, so I'm told it's very painful and you can't see for a week! I'll let you know if it's worse than childbirth though :laugh :laugh

Emily

[baboonworld]

yes it is worse than childbirth ! The pain of childbirth only lasted 7 hrs and six weeks of discomfort.

[Simon & Emily]

Well, I have to say that a week after having my eyes done it's been great. The day of the surgery itself was a fair bit painful, but after that was fine.

To anyone who is thinking about it, I'd say go ahead and get it done. The only reason I put it off for so long was trying to justify the cost :no

Emily

[Catherine]

Hi, i had my eyes lasered in July this year. I went to optimax in Liverpool, they recommended the Epi-lasik procedure, less risky than the LAsik, it took mins, the pain after was bad and i mean bad, however with good painkillers i was ok about 4 days after. The doctor says it affects people differently, my friend had the exact same procedure and she was fine no pain. I did get it half price because i am a NHS Employee (Midwife), so it was about £680 with the consultation.

You have to use drops about 15 times a day, i am still using the Refresh drops now, the recommend these for 6 months. The only problem i have is very dry eyes in the morning, but thats it. I have 20/20 vision its great.

I would recommend it.

[baboonworld]

Oh yes - dont you just hate "dry eye" in the morning - when it feels that you have ripped your eyeball out!!!

[Catherine]

Oh yes - dont you just hate "dry eye" in the morning - when it feels that you have ripped your eyeball out!!!


Dont you just, every morning without fail my eyes are stuck together, one worse than the other, i dont mind though, no glasses, a small price to pay.

[marcia]

Not to scare anyone - but have any studies been done on the long term effects of laser eye surgery considering it was first developed about 15-20 years ago.

The idea of cutting a flap in my eyes doesn't fill me with confidence.

Rgds.,
Nick.

This is what puts me off at the moment. :(

I have friends who have had it done and they think its fantastic. But does it have any long term 'ill effects' (Like when you get to 60 will your sight be even worse than before (can you tell I'm a bit pesismistic (sp))

What advice do they give you on the future effects when you go for the consultation?

[Jaideco]

Hi Guys,

I went for a consultation with Optimax but I eventually settled on Accuvision in London (they also have a Solihull branch). Optimax were cheap and professional, however they do seem to aim for the mass market. Accuvision (and Ultralase) however cost a bit more but they use much more sophisticated equipment that can give you a much more precise treatment and supposedly reduce night vision artifacts.

In my experience of Lasik, there was NO pain at all, the hardest part was just staying relaxed and letting them do what they do best. It cost me £1700 but was worth every penny, one eye is now 20:20 and the other is not far behind. For the record I also know two people who went to Optimax and one who went to Ultralase, all of their experiences were very positive with no complications other than a bit of dry eye for one of them.

Good luck to anyone else who is planning to do this.

[Smiler]

Hi Jaideco


Welcome to the forum :clap :clap

I'm still trying to find the courage to go for a consultation. I also keep asking Santa for this pressie, but so far he hasn't coughed up.:laugh The price of glasses over here though, may soon change his/my mind.

Good to hear your experience and glad things went well. Did they say how long it is expected to 'last'.

And because I'm nosey, whats your NZ plan?;)
Deborah

[Jaideco]

Hi Deborah,

Thank you for the warm welcome.

Well, I only had the treatment about 10 days ago but I would consider myself on full form again now... it takes a few days before your vision settles down and I have been told that it can continue to improve for upto 3-4 weeks. From that point however the correction is permanent. If your prescription has been changing in recent years however it will probably continue to change slowly and this operation will not affect the long sightedness that people develop in middle age.

My NZ plan? Well... I have just yesterday been offered a job in Wellington and they want me to start end of Jan/beginning of Feb. Needless to say I have lots of questions that I shall be bombarding y'all will over the next few weeks.

PS... Go on give "Santa" a nudge... It will be worth it.

[Smiler]

Hi again J

Thanks for the info, I won't just nudge, I might kick him in the ribs. But is it really really really not painful? :exit

Good to hear you are Wellington bound, we have been here 9 weeks. What's your job offer?

If you need any help, just pm me or yell out.
D

[Jaideco]

Really, really, really not painful... I was surprised myself.

(If you are really squeemish stop reading now....)







Through the process your eyelids are held open, and they flood your eyes with all sorts of drops that moisturise the eye and act as a local anaesthetic. They also mean that you cannot see a darn thing except for the lights that you need to focus on. The process of making the flap feels more like applying suction to your eye than anything else, it was wierd but as I said, it was not painful.

I am sure you are most interested in knowing about the lasering itself but there is surprisingly little to tell you. It lasts about 10-15 seconds, during which time you want to think "oh god I hope this doesnt screw up" but are best advised to just concentrate on looking straight ahead and breathing regularly. There is a wierd smell, a little like burnt hair I think but once again no pain.

And thats it... leave your thinking head in the reception and you will be fine.

[driver]

Hi there Jaideco
My husband is going to optimax in north london on the 22nd.
It worried me at first what you were writing. I guess we are on of the mass market!
So glad you added that you knew someone who had been there and it was successful, as although "cheap" its breaking our christmas budget.

Smiler, i'll let you know how it goes so you can nudge a bit more. Everyone we've spoken to so far says they wished they'd done it ages ago and had no trouble.

OH has worn glasses since he was a kid, the optician here says he's a good candidate. I am disappointed as my eyesight is going but due to age nothing else. I won't be able to have it. boo hoo.

Good luck with the job Jaideco

[k-k]

Hi

I had the Lasik treatment in 2002 at a clinic in Glasgow (it was before the big ad campaigns by Optimax, Ultralase etc), a month before I took my first trip to New Zealand. Jaideco's description of the procedure is spot on. There is no pain, only the slightly weird feeling when they are cutting the flap and the slight burning smell is a little off-putting.

The whole thing was over in about 10 minutes and I'll never forget the feeling when I was sitting immediately afterwards thinking, 'Wow, I can read all the posters on the walls'. I did feel abit tired afterwards and had a sleep when I got home but I think that was due to worrying about it rather than the procedure itself. (the worst bit is the rather untrendy goggles you have to wear afterwards to stop you rubbing your eyes).The dry eyes didn't last very long either.

I've found no serious long term effects. I've always suffered from hayfever and I feel that now my eyes are perhaps a bit more sensitive during hayfever season than before and also when I am tired they get a bit dry and itchy. Other than that, as has been said before, it's worth every penny and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Smiler - go do it, you won't regret it.

Regards
Karen

PS Wellington bound 11th January, the countdown begins!

[Jaideco]

Hi Driver,

Ooops, well I am glad I didn't cause you unnecessary worry, I certainly didn't mean to imply that Optimax were inferior, just a different type of service.

Case in point.
When I went to Optimax they were concerned that they might not be able to satisfactorily treat my eyes because I have very wide pupils (8mm) and their lasers could only treat an area 6.5mm across. They told me this straight away and fully informed me of their recommendation that I was not a very suitable candidate for their treatment because this would have meant that in low light conditions I would have had some problems with peripheral vision and possibly some artifacts such as halos.

It is important to note that I am in the minority here, most people do not have pupils as large as mine and for everyone who has a pupil size within the specifications of the laser it shouldn't matter which company you go with.

Good luck

[willsken]

OK, I had the lasek treatment with Ultralase 3 weeks ago. I can agree with Jaideco on all he has said (mainly, and I will go into this in a mo) I used Ultralase for the same reasons as he did. Rather than a straight cut you get the cornea sculpted and this helps with night vision etc. I also have 9mm pupils which are too large for some treatments.

I'd love to know how you only paid £1700 Jaideco, I paid £3000!!!!!! :uhoh

The surgeon in the Cardiff clinic didn't like doing the lasik treatment, as he saw this as being a more commercial treatment, done because the pain was less and the recovery time shorter (all sounds good so far!! :yes ) BUT he claimed the risk of infection was greater with this procedure. (although this risk was very low) So I decided to have lesek treatment.

The differences were that you didn't have the hole cut, they scraped the top of the eye instead and the you had to wear a contact lens bandage for a week. (well a week in my case - this could be shorter) The recovery time was longer and the AFTER pain was worse (still very copeable)

I can 100% confirm that the treatment its self did NOT hurt ONE BIT. It was a strange and scary thing because it was the unknown.

I would recommend this treatment to anyone and everyone. The pleasure of waking up and being able to see is still great for me as this was the thing I hated most about glasses and contact lenses

[Jaideco]

Hi,

I did get a consultation from Ultralase and they also quoted me £3000 for my treatment. Tip number 1 to everyone I would say is that you should never have to pay the full price if you don't want to. All the major companies have some schemes or another that would allow you to get discounts. Here are some examples.

Accuvision: Seasonal promotion: £300 discount, no conditions.

Ultralase: My company has an arrangement that would offer a 20% discount
off all treatments.

Optimax: Occasional bogof promotions, bring a friend and they get theirs free.
Also once someone has had treatment, they can complete a recommendation form for their literature and get vouchers worth £250 off per eye. If you know anyone who has been treated there it would probably be well worth getting in their good books!

All the best.

[Juniper]

hubby likes the idea of me being able to see his expression from across the room...would probably improve communication haha! i admit the idea of being able to see everything all the time is attractive, but the procedure and relative newness of the tech does scare me.

i actually get complimented on my glasses, now that i have nice frames, so i can't say that i really mind them. the "look" of glasses used to be what i didn't like, but not such an issue now...it can be a hassle to keep them both close-at-hand and safe from harm though (there was a string of puppy chewing incidents...) and being able to read the alarm clock in the morning would be nice!

i don't think contacts are necessarily that easy to get used to. i tried those on and off for years, they always left my eyes dry (no matter how much oxegen was supposedly passing throught the lens) and picking them out of my eyes was never fun. disposable (new ones every day) soft lenses were the best thing i found, but the only reason i had for wearing them was that i hadn't found flattering frames for my glasses yet.

i think the thing that i like least about the whole thing is the idea of getting my eye cut into, and that it's up to me to stare straight ahead long enough for the thing to work. what if i panic under the knife, eww... i've had my eyelids held open before to get a cyst removed from the eyelid, that was no fun at all. if it's flooded with drops that should help a lot though...

can you tell i'm kind of on-the-fence about whether this would be a good thing for me? lol... the fact that my eyes don't deteriorate fast at all probably makes me a better candidate i suppose. i upgrade maybe every five years, and that's mainly because my frames wear out.

the way i understand it, your eyes will deteriorate over time (just like they would anyway!) bad habits, genes, these still matter. you just get to start over from 20/20, so it's not as bad in the long run, is that correct?

anyone have an idea whether this science is widespread and advanced in NZ at this time? i guess it's not exactly brain surgery, (far from it i guess, since they have it in the mall sometimes!) but maybe it would be better to do in the US anyway?

[driver]

Hi everyone,
Nearly a week now since OH had lasik treatment at Optimax in london. He has had no pain and it all seems to be going very well. Still using eye drops, anti biotics is what they are I think, and wearing kind of shields over each eye in bed. This will only be until thursday so only one week of wierdness.
It only took about 10mins and he was out.
To all who are thinking about it i'd put your money where your mouth is. Seems to me to be a great thing.

[Avalon]

i think the thing that i like least about the whole thing is the idea of getting my eye cut into, and that it's up to me to stare straight ahead long enough for the thing to work. what if i panic under the knife, eww...


If I remember rightly (and its a number f years now since I had my eyes done) that cant happen.

Before they start the actually proceedure to cut or abrade the eye - they attach a cup to it which holds the eyeball in place. You actually cant move your eye.

In fact the only problem I had with teh entire proceedure was that it was tricky for them to attach the suction to the second eye because my eye started tickling! However - once its on - its on. The eye is immobilised and its perfectly safe.

Doesnt stop the squemish thoughts though! :laugh

[Jaideco]

Hi Juniper,

I appreciate your dilemma, for me it was quite clear cut towards the end because I felt that my glasses were really hindering me but if you don't mind wearing them, that will take a lot of the incentive away. That said, you shouldn't understate how good it does feel to have perfect uncorrected sight.

I once read a book that talked about how energising it is when you don't have to think about the little things in your life that you don't even realise you are thinking about. It is really special not to have to turn your head to see something that is in your peripheral vision that your glasses don't correct. It is nice to know that you will never have to worry about lost, broken or chewed glasses spoiling your day. It is even better to be able to just see everything from waking up in bed in the morning to arriving home from the latest night without having to rely on anything but your own two eyes.

Having the procedure IS scary. It is bloody scary... I don't think I have ever been more afraid of a decision than I was when I found myself on that table but I wouldn't look back now. What I would say is do your research on your companies and see as many as you can, second and third opinions are priceless especially if they all give you information about their track record.

[Juniper]

thanks for the encouraging words, you guys! interesting to know about the suction cup...i guess in a couple years it might be worth some real research :-)

i could really do with fewer "little things" to keep track of... hm, it's almost a hallmark card. "happiness is never having to say 'where the **** are my glasses?' " :-D

[Jaideco]

I must admit I am not totally sure about the suction cup thing... they do apply the microketarome by suction but that is just to keep it in place, it didn't immobilise my eye.

I would just like to mention that these days the procedure has become so reliable that the vast majority of complications arise outside of the operating room. This is because of infection, problems with healing or subsequent trauma (eg sporting injury) and this is not going to change with technology.

The main reason for waiting a couple of years is because some places are starting to replace the microketarome (blade) with a laser that prepares the flap. This *should* mean that you stand a better chance of getting that perfect cut first time and remove one more possible source of infection. Currently if the flap is not cut correctly first time (which is relatively rare at the hands of a skilled surgeon ~1%) you go away without having the benefit of improved vision but with all the problems of having to recover from the op. Not the best deal but the retreatment a few months later should be in the original price.

Good luck.

[Juniper]

i guess it's the old "early adopter" problem - tech keeps getting better, and prices probably lower, so how long to wait? :-P not to mention the peace of mind you could gain by seeing how the early adopters fare later in life, before going under the knife/laser yourself...

[kateblake]

I went for optimax in London because they do so many, so I figured they have lots of practice. I was suprised at how quick it all was. I had the epi-laser(?) I think. The one where they treat the surface rather than cutting top off and treating and reattaching top. A friend had the microsurgery done a few years ago in a Harley Street clinic and it was all very calm and posh. Optimax is a bit like a bus station. Your name gets called and you go in and get zapped while the person zapping chats about their weekend. The zapping is very doctor who. Your head is in a fixed position and you look at a red light and hear a buzz noise and smell a bit of burning and then it is all over.

No complaints. Had it done in Jan. Wanted to do it before having children. So frustrating to not see anything at a distance. It hurt a lot for a few days and then for a few months afterwards it would sometimes hurt on opening if eye dry. But now, I would never know I had it done. Can drive at night, cinema, everything. It is fantastic. Best thing is that it has not affected my short vision so reading etc all fine. Never had dizziness or anything else I worried about. I have no regrets. I paid £90 a month for 11 months. Plus a small deposit.

Good luck.

[willsken]

I had surgery a few months ago now and I will say it is one of the best things I have ever done. You don't realise quite what a pain the glasses/contacts were until you don't have to bother any more. Would recommend it to anyone!

[Smiler]

Ok guys courage levels are getting higher, just need to look at the funds, if I could see that well.

BUT can anyone recommend a clinic in NZ pref wellitoon please?

D