Porky1978 Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Yeah, the drive home was horrendous. TWO pairs of sunglasses on, a sweater wrapped around my head and still the sunlight was making my eyes water. Add a nervous wife whos never driven on the M6 before and you have the makings of an 'interesting' journey. Perhaps it was best that i couldn't see!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Rendar Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 I had the consultation with UltraLase yesterday, and the outcome was very interesting. I had always thought I was short-sighted, but it turns out I was misreading my prescription all along... I'm marginally long-sighted, but not sufficiently so to make me eligible for laser surgery. However, I'm mildly astigmatic in one eye and moderately astigmatic in the other, and it's the astigmatism that is almost totally responsible for my poor eyesight and my need to wear glasses. I always knew I had astigmatism, but didn't realise it was the dominant issue. Anyway, in summary, my right eye is nearly 20:20 already, and I'm basically only wearing glasses to correct the left. I didnt' know that either! And I am eligible for surgery on the left eye to fix my astigmatism (and the minor long-sightedness would be corrected too). So, that's good news as I only have to have one eye done... So only half as long in the operating theatre (10 minutes!) and only half as much to pay... Which is still a horrendous amount of money, since I'm having UltraLase's Lasik 'Elite' surgery. I'm booked in to have it done in a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I'd love to have lasers in my eyes! Pew pew. Seriously though I'd be scared stiff of some major f**k-up and winding up blind. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n boost Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I'd love to have lasers in my eyes! Pew pew. Seriously though I'd be scared stiff of some major f**k-up and winding up blind. Good luck. Same here and also the pain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I had no choice, I had lost vision in both my eyes and had invasive and laser surgery (NHS) - a few hours of being uncomfortable, a few of moderate pain. But now I can see - still require glasses but I can see ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benkei Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 How long does the actual surgery take? Is it uncomfortable? I watched it being done on a video on youtube, and I felt quite giddy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 My laser surgery took less than 5 minutes per eye - but I suppose it depends on the case EDIT: The intrusive surgery took 40 mins for one eye and an hour for the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky1978 Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Took me about 15 mins for both. No discomfort at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I had the consultation with UltraLase yesterday, and the outcome was very interesting. I had always thought I was short-sighted, but it turns out I was misreading my prescription all along... I'm marginally long-sighted, but not sufficiently so to make me eligible for laser surgery. However, I'm mildly astigmatic in one eye and moderately astigmatic in the other, and it's the astigmatism that is almost totally responsible for my poor eyesight and my need to wear glasses. I always knew I had astigmatism, but didn't realise it was the dominant issue. Anyway, in summary, my right eye is nearly 20:20 already, and I'm basically only wearing glasses to correct the left. I didnt' know that either! And I am eligible for surgery on the left eye to fix my astigmatism (and the minor long-sightedness would be corrected too). So, that's good news as I only have to have one eye done... So only half as long in the operating theatre (10 minutes!) and only half as much to pay... Which is still a horrendous amount of money, since I'm having UltraLase's Lasik 'Elite' surgery. I'm booked in to have it done in a couple of weeks. Astigmatism can blur people quite a lot mate, especially if it's oblique astigmatism where the "axis" is more like 45/135. How old are you dude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Rendar Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 31. I'm quite excited about the whole thing. Not quite as stressed as I thought I'd be. BTW, for those worrying about going blind, I'm told this can only happen if you can an infection. Apparently, about 1 in 10000 get an infection, and this is usually due to poor aftercare and/or not following proper advice for recovery. Obviously, not all of these go blind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Rendar Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 Well, I've had it done. The consent form small print and the final 30 minute consultation was horrendously scary. They tell you about all the sh1t stuff that can happen that you hadn't read about anywhere else... like the 1 in 2000 chance that your cornea could collapse, leaving you needing a corneal transplant. I was such a wuss that by the time I went into the operating theatre, my teeth were chattering 'cause I was so scared! The procedure was uncomfortable, but not painful. I was in quite a lot of pain that evening and the following day. By the second day afterwards, it was just discomfort. Unfortunately, my eyesight is not quite as good right now as I'd hoped it would be. Today I was back to work, and really struggling to read what was on the screen. (I'm a developer and spend my life looking at the screen.) I'm hoping it will improve over the next few days, because if it doesn't get any better than today, I'll be needing glasses and that would be a huge bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I was told it would improve over a period of a few days, and that if you still didn't have 20/20 vision afterwards there would be a follow up procedure all included in the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Wow, you don't hang about! My missus is wanting to have it done, but has to wait until her eyes stabilize on her eyesight. Yesterday she was really tired on the way back from Leicester so I told her to put her glasses on and I have a feeling wearing the contacts makes the eyes more sore\tired than someone not wearing them. Colleague at work had it done while in India 5 years ago and she says its the best thing she has ever done. She has 20\20 vision and all she had to do after the operation was to stay out of light for 48 hours after Operation. So this thread is quite good advice, I'll point her to this once she is planning to have it done. Let us know how you get on with it in about a weeks time, hopefully by then you will have some better results once your eyes adjust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 like the 1 in 2000 chance that your cornea could collapse, leaving you needing a corneal transplant. I'll stick with glasses until I find a couple of people that's happened to and increased my chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I'm thinking about getting it done also.. thanks for putting this thread together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Am I the only weirdo that laughed when Dash spoke of the "small print" prior to surgery? I mean, small print for someone needing eye sight correction.... "The consent form small print and the final 30 minute consultation was horrendously scary." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewen Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I've thought about it, but don't really feel the need. The possible problems aren't worth the risk to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I was told it would improve over a period of a few days, and that if you still didn't have 20/20 vision afterwards there would be a follow up procedure all included in the price. Try not to get hooked up on the 20/20 vision side of it. The equivalent here is 6/6 which isn't all that great - usually the 2nd to bottom or 3rd to bottom line on most charts used. Most people with specs on will hit 6/5 or sometimes 6/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benkei Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 What do the numbers mean, like 20/20, 6/6, or whatever...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 It's the size of the line but the real definition is to do with visual acuity - the distance at which test is made / distance at which the smallest letter identified subtends an angle of 5 arcminutes. For 20 /20 (feet in the US), the chart is placed at twenty feet. At this distance, the symbols on the line representing "normal" acuity subtend an angle of five minutes of arc, and the thickness of the lines and of the spaces between the lines subtends one minute of arc. This line, designated 20/20, is the smallest line that a person with normal acuity can read at a distance of twenty feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_have Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 It's the size of the line but the real definition is to do with visual acuity - the distance at which test is made / distance at which the smallest letter identified subtends an angle of 5 arcminutes. For 20 /20 (feet in the US), the chart is placed at twenty feet. At this distance, the symbols on the line representing "normal" acuity subtend an angle of five minutes of arc, and the thickness of the lines and of the spaces between the lines subtends one minute of arc. This line, designated 20/20, is the smallest line that a person with normal acuity can read at a distance of twenty feet. Blimey (not literally!) You sound like an optician Is there any laser treatment for short sight? I've just started to need 1.5 lenses for close work, never worn glasses before and hate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Blimey (not literally!) You sound like an optician Is there any laser treatment for short sight? I've just started to need 1.5 lenses for close work, never worn glasses before and hate it Nothin concrete yet dude, some people have monovision which is 1 eye for distance and 1 for near, doesn't work for everyone and obviously not great for long periods of time where precision is required. I was on a course last week where they were saying they are working on this kind of thing but it would be through lens replacement (much kinder and better op than laser surgery, same as what they do in a cataract op). The problem with needing reading glasses is that the prescription increases gradually as your lens dehydrates - nothing stops this so even monovision or any form of corneal laser at the minute will only correct it until the lens changes, the laser can't stop this at all. It's why lens replacement is the next phase as if they can make focussing lens implants work better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lbm Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Only just seen this. It may be getting added to my wish-list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Rendar Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Am I the only weirdo that laughed when Dash spoke of the "small print" prior to surgery? I mean, small print for someone needing eye sight correction.... "The consent form small print and the final 30 minute consultation was horrendously scary." Well spotted! The irony didn't escape me while I was reading it prior to the surgery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy-No-Knee Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I had mine done in the early 90's when I was in my early 20's, back then it was called PRK - Photoreactive katerotomy ...I think (try saying that when your drunk) and it was the old style where they basically lazer off the front of your eye to re-adjust the focal length of the cornera. With out a doubt the best thing I have ever done. I had to wait 6 months between each eye, so as to watch how the eye healed and to see it it 'overhealed'. All that is changed now and the pain factor is suposed to me much better too. I was -6 and -7 with a slight astygmatism. Now I'm 20/20! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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