[wilson182]

I know this has been covered in another thread, but I am about to have surgery on my eyes so I though I would keep a bit of a diary, just in case it was of interest.

There are two laser surgeries in Christchurch - One in Fendalton and the one I have chosen which is on papanui road. On investigation they seem to be equally good and at the end of the day it came down to price. The clinic in Fendalton offers the relatively new "bladeless" surgery and came in at about $1500 more. Laservision have the Allegretto Wavelight machine and the blurb reads:- "Laservision's Allegretto Wavelight machine is the only one of its kind in the country and one of the first three in Australasia."

Cost at Laservision is $4500 for both eyes. This includes the "free" pre-assessment, pre-operative evaluation, surgery, follow-up care and "enhancement" surgery if required.

I had the pre-assessment on Weds and was quite happy with the information given. My nurse was very clear in her explantation of the surgery and in explaining all the tests and results that she had taken. I didn't really need to ask any questions as she covered it all already. So,

I have to stop wearing my contact lenses on the 30th November for the two weeks prior to my surgery. This is because contact lenses squash the eye shape slightly, and the surgeon will need to take precise measurements in the pre-op evaluation. At this stage he can still decide that I am not a candidate and cancel the surgery, if he is happy with everything my surgery is sheduled for the next day. Because I have only just started a new job and didn't want to take too much time off they have booked my pre-op for 5.10pm and my surgery the next day for 6.30pm. I have been given a pack to take home and read which covers pretty much what I was told, and explanations of all the terminology regarding the surgery.

So, thats all for now, will keep posting.

[Smiler]

Thats a thoughtful thing to do, thank you.

I'll be following this with interest, good luck and will look forward to hearing your experience. :nice1

D x

[Marie P]

I will watch this with interest too .

I'm too short sighted to have it {if I was brave enough}.

Good luck and keep us informed .

Marie x

[pinkpiggy]

I will watch this with interest too
It's something the OH and myself have often thought about having done but I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to anything to do with eyes. Also, I don't think I'm short sighted enough in one of my eyes so would probably still end up wearing glasses - so it would be pointless. OH just never seems to have the time to get it done.

[willsken]

This is a description of my surgery I posted a while ago.... I still say it was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I am a scaredy cat but it was well worth it and I recommend it to anyone.

I will be very interested to read your account wilson182. What method are you having?


Well, I had mine done at Ultralase in Cardiff and paid £3000 for both eyes (£1500 each and on interest free credit!). You can get the treatment from about £495 per eye. The treatment I had cost more because you have each eye mapped and the surgery is geared to the contours of individual eyes. This means that the side effects are less and the results better. (Not by that much I'm sure!)

You are awake for the procedure and it takes about half an hour. Although it made me feel uncomfortable, knowing what they were doing to me, there was no pain at all during the procedure. You are very light sensitive going home - you can't drive and need sunglasses. I even had to keep my eyes shut all the way home!

Once home I had to have the curtains drawn and no lights on for a couple of days - no good for the rest of the family!

Now I have to say that the pain for the first few days was quite bad. BUT this was due to the method they used on my eyes. There are 2 ways of performing the op. 1. they cut a round flap in the eye with a laser and then do the work or 2. they scrape away the top of the eye and then do it. The man doing mine preferred this method as he felt that this left less risk of infection afterwards. This method is more painful afterwards but more comfortable during. People who have the flap cut are up and around and in no pain a day or so later.

I was told that there are no problems in the future and my eyes should be fine for the rest of my life (as in the problems they corrected) I could still have to wear reading glasses as I get older in the same way most people do. I had very bad eyesight and I wore contacts all day everyday. This was starting to cause problems for me. As I said before, as life changing things go this is at the very top of my list - just in front of having my 2 boys!

[wilson182]

Hi Guys

Nicola, Im having the Lasik done, so it will be an interesting comparison. The difference with lasik is that a tiny flap is cut into the cornea and the laser works on whats underneath. This is the part that I would be most squemish about, but I am told that when the little suction machine is on the eye the vision fades so you don't actually see anything:eek: Another difference is the healing time supposedly, but I will let you know about that one.

[katandbob]

are you all short sighted?
I'm long and my eyes are getting worse since arriving here???
can't read small stuff on moisturiser/makeup/pill bottles (might be a problem when I mix up the hemoroid cream for wrinkle cream ??? JOKE I dont have any Hemoroid cream in the house hONEST!
I am having to wear my glasses more now, and have thought about doing the op route - but my old boss in the UK put me off saying How many Opticians do you see wearing glasses??? I said Lots - he said correct - they arn't doing it to their own eyes, as they have no idea what it does to their eyes...SO I will read (with my specs) how you all get on!

Kat :cool:

[willsken]

Hi Guys

Another difference is the healing time supposedly, but I will let you know about that one.

I work with a man who had the one you are planning and the healing time is a lot faster. He was driving the next day! :exit

[KerryS]

are you all short sighted?
I'm long and my eyes are getting worse since arriving here???


I'm short sighted and my sight has deteriorated since moving here. It could just be ageing (!) but I think it is primarily due to the light. I HAVE to wear sunglasses when I'm outside as otherwise I screw my eyes up and squint continuously.
I'm seriously thinking about the eye surgery - I have money ear-marked, I'm just a chicken! I contacted a clinic in Auckland and got all the info, I just haven't got as far as actually going and booking in to have the procedure done yet.

[willsken]

Kerry do it. I took a year to get the courage to do it and what a wasted year that was. It really, really changed my life. Seriously don't hesitate. It actually isn't that bad and it doesn't hurt at all at the time of having it done and after if you are lucky it will be fine to. I was in pain after but knowing what I know now I would go through it again with out the slightest hesitation. :yes :yes :yes

[Avalon]

are you all short sighted?
I'm long and my eyes are getting worse since arriving here???
:

Kat - I had laser surgery (Lasik) done about 5 years ago (at Ultralase in Cardiff funnily enough). I had short sight in 1 eye, long sight in the other and astigmatism in both (where the eye is shaped like a rugby ball instead of a football).

All went fine. One minor problem with the flap on one eye - but they dealt with it immediately by giving me a contact lens as a "bandage". That was the only discomfort I had at all after the day of surgery itself.

My eyes have been fine since. I do get dry eyes - but I was warned about this and I just use refresh eye drops when I need to. To be honest - I had dry eyes before the surgery so its not been much different.

OH has just been to see the Wellington Eye Clinic about having it done - but hes decided not to. They were recommending LASEK (slghtly different to the one I had) and it was going to cost 5K for both eyes.



Wilson -

Good luck. I can honestly say Im chuffed to bits that I had this done. I really think you wont regret it.

Hxxx

[dangermouse]

I had Lasik eye surgery about five years ago, I was really short sighted and also had the rugby ball shaped eye thing. it was quick painless and I was back at work without annoying glasses within a week. If the experts say it will work for you do it you will be amazed with the result.

[johnandbethcox]

I also had lasik surgery several years back (1998, I think). I had 20-900 vision in both eyes, so it was a monumental occasion to retire the coke-bottles!! My only complications were extreme dryness in my eyes for about three months after the surgery...which I understand is not abnormal when you've been wearing contact lenses for many years. However, I found that my halos (the blurriness around lights at night), which I had always had due to the extremely bad eyesight, actually improved because my eyesight improved and the halos became crisper.

All in all, it was probably the single best thing that I have done solely for myself. I have never regretted the expense!

[wilson182]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement guys....I have to say I'm really thrilled about it. I have been wearing bottle bottoms ( and when vanity struck - Contact lenses!!) since I was 9 years old, so I really can't wait. I find the light here really bright too, and find that I have to wear sunglasses sometimes even on the cloudy days. I thought it was perhaps the contacts that was making it worse.:confused: I also have astigmatisum (rugby ball shapped) in both eyes.

Today is the day that I have to officially stop wearing my lenses (although I did stop at the weekend). Apparently, contact lenses "squash" your eyes slightly, and in order for the surgeon to take correct measurements I have to stop wearing them for two weeks prior. Therefore, this also means that I officially only have two more weeks to my surgery:cheers

[Rabbit]

So what happend then? and how is it going?

I am thinking of doing something similar myself (don't want to loose my glasses paddling the kajak - aka blue whale).

Interested to here from people who have done Lasek in Wellington.

Long sighted, with astigmatism.

and oh yes, bottletops.

Rabbit

[dapper]

Hi congratualtions!

I have LASIK surgery back in 2002 the worst you can be for the surgery is -11 and I was -10 and -10.50. The whole procedure took 45 mins for both eyes and though straight away my sight was blurred and watery I could see better than I had done for the past 20 years. :raebanana

It's a amazing!!! Good luck

[wilson182]

It all went exceptionally well. I was given a mild sedative just to calm any nerves ( not that I had any) and the surgery itself was painless. My eyes were covered for about 20 minutes and then clear plastic sheilds were put over them. They felt gritty but no pain, and I could see straight away that my eyesight was better. I couldnt keep my eyes open though and just came home, took the other half of my sedative and went to bed, which is pretty much what they recommend. The next day it was down to the surgery for a check up and to remove the sheilds.

I have eyedrops to make sure my eyes do not dry out (a side effect for a while) and had follow up appointments - the next day, the next week, the next month and I have my last one in March (three months). My right eye over corrected very slightly, and I have the option to have enhancement surgery if I want in March.

Its wonderful to be able to see without glasses or contact lenses. To go camping without all that hassle, to even stand in the shower and not worry about washing out my lenses. Its hard for someone who doesn't have that hassle to understand just how great it is.

[Rusty]

mine done by Ultralase in London.
Best thing I have ever done - simply to go swimming and see the kids rather than listen for them.
Lots of people have asked me about it - but rarely go on and have the surgery. Is it the same with anuone else?
Oh - dry eyes, even now, 5 years later.

[speckythecky]

OH had it done at Boots in Manchester a couple of years ago. Best things she has had done. Not cheap but same as about 8 pairs of glasses. Same as others - can now see when swimming, doesn't have to put glasses on to see what time it is in the morning etc.

I am too much of a scaredy cat which is why I am still specky thecky.

She still has dry eyes but not often

[Trigirl]

i thought about this maybe 10 years ago but now that i have day and night contacts i've never considered it again. i guess if for any reason i had to stop wearing contacts then i'd have a think about it.

[willsken]

i thought about this maybe 10 years ago but now that i have day and night contacts i've never considered it again. i guess if for any reason i had to stop wearing contacts then i'd have a think about it.

I used the day/night contacts and ended up with a really bad infection in one of my eyes. I was told after that to cut down my contact lens use, that's why I ended up having the laser treatment. Best thing I have ever done in my life. Completely liberating.:D

[Rizak]

The Dragonlady would love to get this done. A huge portion of it should be covered by my insurance except that they consider laser eye surgery to be 'cosmetic' surgery. I can understand that on one level, however ... her situation is not one of cosmetics.

She wants to get lasered in one eye just so that she can use her glasses properly. She has gone in for a consult and they said that she would always need to wear glasses, but that if she had this one procedure done that it would really improve her ability to see. Her vision is pretty bad in one eye.

So, it can be proved that this particular case is not cosmetic surgery. However, there is no mechanism to appeal to the insurance board on these grounds. So, even though their ruling on the particulars doesn't match the situation, there is no way around it and we'd have to pay the whole shot. Prices are coming down so we may have to look into it again.

I mean, I'm willing to pay the whole shot if it'll help her out. See? I'm not really horrible. :laugh

Oh, BTW ... don't be fooled.
When the surgery is over YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHOOT LASERS OUT OF YOUR EYES!