TheBlades Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 As the title reads. I'm thinking of having it done after nearly 35 years of glasses. Mixed reviews on line and from 2 optometrist. 1 said sure you'll get 20/20 vision. The other said at your age (46) I wouldn't bother as you'll need it doing again in less than 5yrs as your eyes have already started to degenerate. I'm currently short sighted so don't require glasses for reading, but I can't see a barn door more than 50 metres away. I would never be able to drive without glasses at the moment. Please feel free to PM me if you don't want your details displayed on the thread. Thanks in advance for any replays. P.S. This is not a vanity issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Had mine done in 2000 as was massively shortsighted. Vision restored to more than perfect 20/20 and has been since. Long sight due to age has begun and my right eye has started to become slightly shortsighted again but very slightly - not enough that the laser guys will correct it. In my opinion it is by far and away the best money I've ever spent. I've had 15 years of perfect vision and may need to get my right eye done again in a year or so but I knew that at the time. Plus, laser surgery has come a long way since mine in 2000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendo11 Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Something I've always wanted done although I've read several horror stories about the larger chains that has put me off in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I know Kopite on here is an optician, and IIRC has in the past advised against laser eye surgery. I also know one member on here had a particularly horrible experience with laser eye surgery. The risks might be small, but they can be significant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Massey Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 My dad had his done at 55, and went in for another op at 57 due to a different problem with his eye. He needed glasses for quite a lot really, one eye was better than the other but due to one eye being quite bad, it created lazy eye. Had a few complications due to the lazy eye, but all is fine now. He's glad he went through with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter richards Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 im 53 and never had glasses but now its time , should this be something for me to consider , as im not used to wereing glasses , hope you dont mind me adding to your thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jord Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Had mine done in 2000 as was massively shortsighted. Vision restored to more than perfect 20/20 and has been since. Long sight due to age has begun and my right eye has started to become slightly shortsighted again but very slightly - not enough that the laser guys will correct it. In my opinion it is by far and away the best money I've ever spent. I've had 15 years of perfect vision and may need to get my right eye done again in a year or so but I knew that at the time. Plus, laser surgery has come a long way since mine in 2000. I can only echo this really. I had mine done around 6 years ago when I was 21. I was also short sighted and had always worn glasses. It was like seeing everything in HD after I had it done, some of the best money you can spend in my opinion. I was told my eyesight would start to degenerate again and around 40ish I may need reading glasses but that's not biggy to have perfect eyesight during my 20s/30s. One of my eyes which was always "lazier than the other" has started to get a little worse but only noticeable when I close my left eye. I didn't feel unsafe or uncomfortable at all while having it done really. Due to my age I'm not sure how helpful this is to you, but it's massively improved my quality of life not having to think about putting contacts in every day or having to wear glasses all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_s-TT-Supra Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I had mine done last year and I wish I had it done sooner. I had a - 4.5 prescription and now it's better than 20/20. The op itself is over so quickly it's crazy and to be fair although the recovery for the first few days after can be uncomfortable, that goes by quickly and then it's HD vision with no more glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Drop Supragal a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheefa Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Hi mate Both of my parents have had eye surgery but lense replacement rather than laser. Cost was approx £5k each. They honestly feel it's the best money they have EVER spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I had it done last year. I was only slightly short sighted (I was still road legal) but I wanted perfect vision as it had been annoying me for years that I couldn't read things at fairly short distances etc. Went through the more expensive laser option and it was definitely worthwhile. My vision is now WAY better than 20/20 (I can read the smallest letters on the chart with confidence) and the recovery time was minimal. Going through the surgery itself is OK. It's not a nice experience by any means, you feel claustrophobic and it's never nice having something prodding about your eyes.... but the proceedure is pretty much pain free, just uncomfortable. After the surgery my eyes watered lots and I could barely see a thing thanks to the drops they put in (your pupils no longer work lol). I went home, popped into bed and woke up a couple of hours later feeling absolutely spot on. My eyes watered for a day but that was it, no pain at all. Total recovery time until everything was 100% again was around 3 months for me IIRC. By that time I could full on rub my eyes at will without feeling anything at all. Previously stuff felt "loose" Most people will need glasses once into their 40s due to the deteriation of the muscles for short distance reading. I believe this can be corrected with lens replacement but this is not something I would go for unless I REALLY needed it. I'm happy to wear reading glasses when the time comes, as long as my distance vision is OK I'll be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Soooooo, let me just wade in here with a MASSIVE warning. The chances are, that you'll be one of the people as per above comments who had a good and successful outcome, however you should give some serious thought about how badly this will affect the rest of your life if you are in the smaller percentage that do not have a good result, like me. Surgery date 24th Jan 2014. I'm going to copy and paste the content of a letter I already have, I've edited it a bit to remove issues that I don't think would be relevant to you/things I don't really want on a public forum, but just so you know why it's written formally. I'm happy to expand on any points further if you, or anyone else wishes. I understand that all surgery comes with risks, but it was not made clear to me that the outcome could be anywhere near THIS bad. The first few months were horrendous. I was unable to work and signed off, unable to have my eyes open for any sensible amount of time (sometimes even a few hours maximum), and the pain and discomfort was barely tolerable. My vision was blurred and hazy at any distance and I was highly light sensitivity. Although I saw some improvement in the severe pain and discomfort and light sensitivity between the surgery date around the 6 month mark, the only discernible changes since then have been a further regression in vision and very slow improvement in pain levels. Biggest change is that I've got better at managing it, and I make the effort not to bang on about it all the time, because that doesn't help. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here I will list the main problems: 1) The vision correction outcome is a way off what was expected and “sold” to me (I was expecting to be free of glasses/contacts and at worst have maybe -0.50 prescription. I am -2.50 currently, post surgery) 2) I have had many complications following the procedure which are far worse than I understood was possible and I have been left unable to live normally 3) My job/career is in question. I am unable to work in an office environment due to the A/C; heating; artificial lights; travel to and from the office. Although my employer has been very good to me and allowed me work from home the majority of the time, it has been made clear that this is cannot be a long term arrangement. Use of screens is one of the things that makes my eyes worse, my job is 95% using a screen. 4) Lack of sleep. I have not slept a full night since the surgery due to the discomfort waking me at least twice during the night. 5) My eyes sting, itch, burn and ache. My vision can be misty and hazy. I get frequent severe headaches. 6) I spend £100 a time on artificial tears just to get through the day. I didn’t even spend this much on contact lenses and glasses before. I don’t have this kind of expendable income. Equally, I now take Omega supplements at £30+ a month, and also am trialing a heat eye-mask, again at my own expense - both on advice of the hospital as suggestions on things that might help. 7) Socialising has become an issue – watching TV or going to the cinema for example is sometimes impossible. Pubs often have low lighting which I struggle with and now avoid. In dark environments I am unable to even see the floor/stairs that I am walking on, or see people clearly in the lighting conditions. On top of this, I use eye drops as frequently as every 15 minutes which people perceive as strange (they are right). Restaurants also pose similar problems – A/C; lighting etc. If a meal out is planned, I have to go there in advance and check whether I will be OK or not, and often have to not go out with friends and family, or find myself having to leave within minutes of arriving. 8) I am now unable to wear contact lenses which means that I am never free from glasses. At least before I could wear lenses to enable me to do sport or socialize. 9) [removed as about make up so suspect irrelevant here] 10) In certain lighting conditions I am unable to see even large objects, such as people. I have walked straight into people because I just did not see them. I have also ended up with scratches to my face where I was unable to see branches alongside a pavement in failing light. 11) I have to manage my environment to an extreme level, checking that where I am going does not have A/C; fans; heating; lots of artificial lighting; low lighting for example. I have needed to fly on airplanes and this is just horrendous. 12) Driving is very difficult, especially at night due to my visual acuity in the dark and the extreme glare/halo/starburst from lights and the need to regularly stop to use eye drops. 13) I have to plan my day considering everything that I need to do that day – for example if I know I have to use a screen all day (work) then I know I cannot plan activities for the evening because it is likely I will be in too much pain by then. If I am due to go out in the evening then I have to make sure I don’t so anything in the day that uses my eyes much. (I use my eyes for most things as I’m sure you can appreciate.) [Note: there has been improvement with this in the last year] 14) I still often have to just stop doing whatever I am in the middle of and try to sleep because having my eyes doused with drops and then closing my eyes for an extended time is the only option. [Again, now some improvement here] 15) Some days are worse than others, this is difficult to predict and therefore means planning my life is further complicated. ------------------------------------------------------- Additionally: be careful of the statistics - my surgery was recorded as a success. Personally, I disagree with that. Bottom line is, no-one can really explain why I've had this outcome, and I've sought several different opinions. The main issues were - high eye pressure; severe, chronic dry-eye; thickened (almost like callousing) on my cornea due to extended period of being in trauma which is partly what causes the regression and poor vision in general. I deliberately went to a specialist eye hospital, rather than a "high street" option, as although they were more expensive I felt they were a better option having heard bad stories about the others. Every "second" opinion I've sought just results in them saying that the next steps would have been for them to refer me onto the place that did my surgery as they are already the best with eye stuff. Need to do some work now, but I'll add to this if I think of anything else I've forgotten. Feel free to ask anything. Oh - the procedure itself I found to be quite stressful, of course there is an element of hindsight to this ,as in I associate the issues with the event. It's not overly nice being pinned down under a machine with your eyes taped open while they burn parts of your cornea away.... which, for the record, you can't get back. AND it's one of the reasons I've not really pushed to get another Supra, because on a good day I can drive just fine, but on a bad day driving is not sensible. Do NOT underestimate how much you use your eyes, I know that sounds amusing, but trust me, right now you're taking them for granted. I'd take my myopia and glasses/lenses back in a heartbeat to be free of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendo11 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Mind sharing how much you paid Scott? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendo11 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Wow Supragal that's awful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATT RR Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 As said there is always a risk with any surgery, but I had mine done 3 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did, I didn’t even realise how bad my long vision was or how much it was affecting me until I had the surgery, they corrected it to better than 20/20, personally I had no issues at all and recovered super quick, I would recommend it to anyone but of course be aware there are risks. I went with Optical Express, fantastic aftercare too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Mind sharing how much you paid Scott? I went with Optical Express. I believe it was the Lasik surgery and I also had the "wavefront" option too. Total cost IIRC was around £3k. The original quote was £4k but they can be VERY easily brought down in price. I found out after that I could have held on and perhaps even got it down to not much more than £2k but you learn these things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfett Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 i would advise against it, my partner is a optician, and is thus offered it for free, no one she works with or ever has will have it done. It will give you brilliant vision for now! however in later life if you develop cataracts, the surgery to do a cataract op, on already scarred tissue is un proven. Spend life wearing contacts / glasses or spend the later part of your life pretty much blind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendo11 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I went with Optical Express. I believe it was the Lasik surgery and I also had the "wavefront" option too. Total cost IIRC was around £3k. The original quote was £4k but they can be VERY easily brought down in price. I found out after that I could have held on and perhaps even got it down to not much more than £2k but you learn these things I think it was Optical Express that I've read loads of horror stories about. Good to hear some positive ones too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 i would advise against it, my partner is a optician, and is thus offered it for free, no one she works with or ever has will have it done. It will give you brilliant vision for now! however in later life if you develop cataracts, the surgery to do a cataract op, on already scarred tissue is un proven. Spend life wearing contacts / glasses or spend the later part of your life pretty much blind. This is an interesting point - I realised afterwards, that almost everyone in the clinic wore glasses, including the surgeons. Only 1 has had it done themselves. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobUK Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 This is an interesting point - I realised afterwards, that almost everyone in the clinic wore glasses, including the surgeons. Only 1 has had it done themselves. Why? Sadly I think you found out why As you know I wear glasses and hate anyone near my eyes so I personally would never consider thinking about this type of procedure.... Eyesight is a luxury that you can never get back so I'd encourage anyone to be 100% sure they understand not only the good points but also the bad, which in Rosie's case is life changing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedrosixfour Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Had it done about seven years ago, back wearing glasses full time now about two years. I'll be 37 next birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Sadly I think you found out why As you know I wear glasses and hate anyone near my eyes so I personally would never consider thinking about this type of procedure.... Eyesight is a luxury that you can never get back so I'd encourage anyone to be 100% sure they understand not only the good points but also the bad, which in Rosie's case is life changing.... People never think it'll happen to them (although I did, but was convinced I was being over dramatic, fatalistic and negative). Equally most people will happily get on a plane, knowing the risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobUK Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 People never think it'll happen to them (although I did, but was convinced I was being over dramatic, fatalistic and negative). Equally most people will happily get on a plane, knowing the risks. Plane = Sun the risks are obviously worth it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burna Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 12) Driving is very difficult, especially at night due to my visual acuity in the dark and the extreme glare/halo/starburst from lights and the need to regularly stop to use eye drops. You're always welcome to drive my car again, as I can't see for shit anyway! lol I get extreme glare/halo/starburst from lights at night too, but I know I need glasses, I'm just to vain to be honest :/ I was seriously considering laser eye surgery in the past, but seeing you after your op it really made me think twice. There is was bonus to your fucked up eyes, I look even better now you can only see me blurred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 You're always welcome to drive my car again, as I can't see for shit anyway! lol I get extreme glare/halo/starburst from lights at night too, but I know I need glasses, I'm just to vain to be honest :/ I was seriously considering laser eye surgery in the past, but seeing you after your op it really made me think twice. There is was bonus to your fucked up eyes, I look even better now you can only see me blurred Dragonball daytime driving is about as good as it gets for me - what I call "blue driving" i,e, sky is clear and blue, so maximum light = best vision conditions. Don't even start me on how blind you are!! Awww you're always beautiful to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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