marbleapple Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I have been advised by a few people in the business to really reseach who will be doing the work. I am told consultant eye surgeons from hospitals are best because they are the people who fix the problems if people like Optictal Express make a mistake. I was also told that you get what you pay for. I.e. the £50 cash in hand job isn't as good as the £2,000 an eye job (there's a surprise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Can we have pics of Branners wearing glasses in order to make a proper decision, personally I think glasses might make him look even more manly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Colleague at work had it done whilst in India and she has gone from wearing glasses for the last 20 years to perfect vision. The operation didn't take long and wasn't painful, eyes were a little sore but after a day or two were fine. Planning on getting this done for the missus once her eyes settle down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lbm Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Planning on getting this done for the missus once her eyes settle down. Have you been fibbing to her about your looks again Abz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseys Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 two close friends have had it done - both around the -8 prescription. One had absolutely no problems The other had a longer laser time in one eye than normal, she said not only could she hear sizzling, but could start smelling her eyeball... (not sure if that's just BS or not, but doubtful from her). My missus is also looking to get it done but I think the main sticking point is your prescription needs to have no varience for about 24 months? Oh and also it seems if it goes wrong... some things can't be corrected, usual horror stories of people coming out with severe blurring but I suppose that's the risk you take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willson Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I had the burning eye ball smell too lol Just smells like burnt skin or hair. Mine was done at Optimax 10 years ago, best money I ever spent - by miles. I do feel that my low level light vision is not what it should be, but it very rarely affects me, and has never been a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I have been advised by a few people in the business to really reseach who will be doing the work. I am told consultant eye surgeons from hospitals are best because they are the people who fix the problems if people like Optictal Express make a mistake. I was also told that you get what you pay for. I.e. the £50 cash in hand job isn't as good as the £2,000 an eye job (there's a surprise). Yeah like any cosmetic operation, name and statistics on the team doing it - incident rates of night problems, left over prescriptions, discomfort lasting a long time. The thing to be wary about it the terminology, a lot of places won't say dry / irritates eyes for life is a complication - they expect it to an extent. Same could be argued about night vision problems. Can we have pics of Branners wearing glasses in order to make a proper decision, personally I think glasses might make him look even more manly two close friends have had it done - both around the -8 prescription. One had absolutely no problems The other had a longer laser time in one eye than normal, she said not only could she hear sizzling, but could start smelling her eyeball... (not sure if that's just BS or not, but doubtful from her). My missus is also looking to get it done but I think the main sticking point is your prescription needs to have no varience for about 24 months? Bare in mind that that's the same as going for an eye test routinely and finding no change. You'd also have to check whether it's EXACTLY the same or just no significant change. If one eye has changed by -0.25DS then more often than not we'd say no change but that is enough to drop an eye from the smaller lines to the one above it. When we were taught, it used to be 5 years of no change and no short sighed people under 25 (as they're still very likely to change). The eye ball burning smell is true, yummy Just before I get moaned at - the reason I don't like laser surgery generally is because a lot of the problems come to us, whether it be the follow up after cares or routine eye tests and people can get very abusive / unreasonable about it. Night vision for example, they expect a pair of specs or some eye drops to instantly fix it and even after explaining what the issue is, they say you can't do your job or that they don't believe it and is often becomes an argument. If i needed glasses it might be different but there's a reason a lot of opticians and ophthalmologists wear glasses still Back to the OP - Branners, what issues were you having with contact lenses? Reason for asking is that a lot of people that can be intolerant to lenses would experience more severe symptoms post laser (some wouldn't obviously, depends what the issue us) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Back to the OP - Branners, what issues were you having with contact lenses? Reason for asking is that a lot of people that can be intolerant to lenses would experience more severe symptoms post laser (some wouldn't obviously, depends what the issue us) Will read through the rest of the thread later, I expected it to be an open and shut case of Go For It, but seems things have changed a little. I have worn lenses since 1994 and never really had problems with them. But for a period of about 2 weeks my eyes would just dry out and the lenses would be impossible to wear. I used eyedrops and they helped for a few hours. I put it down to the sheer level of dust, pollen and pollution in the air in London. I tried new lenses and solutions, rinsed me eyeballs each night in Optrex and only wore them infrequently and it fixed itself. Back to working fine now, but I know I only have a limited amount of time my eyes will keep watering enough to keep lenses wet so I'm planning for the future. There are some pictures of me at Suprapod with glasses, and yes I am a different person with them on (I'm a 42 year old dinner lady from Leeds...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Have you been fibbing to her about your looks again Abz? Yep! But now she has a ring on her finger there is no going back! Muhuhahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Will read through the rest of the thread later, I expected it to be an open and shut case of Go For It, but seems things have changed a little. I have worn lenses since 1994 and never really had problems with them. But for a period of about 2 weeks my eyes would just dry out and the lenses would be impossible to wear. I used eyedrops and they helped for a few hours. I put it down to the sheer level of dust, pollen and pollution in the air in London. I tried new lenses and solutions, rinsed me eyeballs each night in Optrex and only wore them infrequently and it fixed itself. Back to working fine now, but I know I only have a limited amount of time my eyes will keep watering enough to keep lenses wet so I'm planning for the future. There are some pictures of me at Suprapod with glasses, and yes I am a different person with them on (I'm a 42 year old dinner lady from Leeds...) Air quality has a lot to do with it as does air conditioning which i mentioned earlier. I don't wear contacts or anything but i have an air con on all day in the test room and i can feel my eyes hating it too, no way i could wear lenses in that room. Usually dryness is caused by tear quality rather than quantity. Would be worth going to all of the consultations (should all be free) but pressing the problems you feel with lenses and asking them about your tear consistency (usually it's lack of the oily layer which allows evaporation). Also bare in mind you WILL need reading glasses when 43+ if they correct all of your distance vision (accommodation reduces, called Presbyopia) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 There are some pictures of me at Suprapod with glasses, and yes I am a different person with them on (I'm a 42 year old dinner lady from Leeds...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I have a friend who's had it done and she went to Optimax as she was advised against going to a more 'high street' kind of set up (i.e. the ones that normally say "from £395 per eye"). Cost her about £3000 with them but she can pay it monthly interest free, she went from about -3 to 20/20 vision. I was actually recommended by my optician to go to one at a Bupa near me as one of the consultant ophthalmologists runs a private clinic doing it, but that is around £1700 per eye. I would love to have it done but I'm going to try contacts first for a while to see how I get on with them. I'm -6 so it costs a bomb to get thinned out lenses all the time so it'd be worth it in the long run. The only thing you need to remember is that you should wait for your prescription to settle down, otherwise you can have it done and then still need to wear glasses at some point in the future. I think mine has almost settled down (after about 24 years of wearing glasses since I was 4) so I would seriously consider laser eye treatment when I'm 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 The price totally depends on what treatment you have and how bad your prescription is. There is no guarantee to any of it so but your sight wont get any worse as a result of the procedure. My treatment was well over £3k and that was 'high street' (I dont think anyone gets anything for £395 an eye other than eye drops lol); - but I opted for the top of the line treatment and how have better than 20/20 vision in both eyes, even 20/15 (and thats from a -4 astigmatism). John, if you're serious about it, just go for a consultation, it doesn't cost anything and they'll give you all the information you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Sounds like you opted for the same choices as my Dad did Bobbeh. The dissolving solution rather than the knife? Faster healing time, less discomfort etc. Also waveform rather than another one? I can't remember the exact in's and out's of it all. Not that anyone would skimp, but I would highly advise going for the absolute top of the line treatment. Less risks, less hassle and less discomfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imi Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I used to have a good friend who was an optician and he was adamant about NOT having it done. Unless wearing glasses or contact lenses REALLY irritates you, or you have some optical condition a laser treatment can cure that optical correction won't, is it worth even the slimmest chance something may go wrong? It's not like having a crooked finger straightened, it's your two eyes. He said if you must have them operated on do one at a time over at least a six month period. He had pretty poor eyesight but was happy to wear glasses and contacts. I am a great believer in not having things "fiddled with" unless really necessary My father who is a Consultant Doctor is of the same opinion which is the only reason why I havent had it done yet. I wear daily disposable soft contact lenses, have done for the past 12 years. If you really must have it done then best to go to an Eye hospital like moorfields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Yeah, well, it was a flap cut with laser (creates air bubbles underneath) - instead of a mechanical cut.. (£300 an eye cost), custom Wavefront too, so yeah, top of the line stuff. Recovery time was pretty much next day... I had some bruising in one eye which gave me no pain at all, and the only slight pain I got in one eye after (like onion in it) there was no bruising at all lol. A colleague who also had it done went for the cheaper option, but he wasn't affected with any issues either.. so its up to what you want to pay for really. His prescription was a lot lower than mine though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willson Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I paid 595 for both eyes, when Optimax had a special on lol. Most people would rather pay more money for peace of mind, but I was skint at the time, and their service was fantastic actually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I'm a 42 year old dinner lady from Leeds... Hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hot. Pot with mash and gravy, chuck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supra Gaz Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 My mum had this done a couple of years ago, it was expensive but she reckons she will save the cost of glasses in ten years and balance it out. She cant speak highly enough of the results, she used to wear glasses for everything, now she can see much further than me, which makes me think i need it doing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Pot with mash and gravy, chuck? Stop it you tease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseys Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 What I want to know is when you can have eye surgery that gives you a better optical zoom, IR and nightvision. I'd be the first in the queue for that. For some reason I'm also reminded of that Simpsons episode where Homer has the surgery and his eyes crust up when driving... that always makes me shudder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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