[hilift]

as title has anyone on here had this ??
how effective is it and cost ??
I have had to wear specs for reading and close up for years .
I started off with + 1 both eyes for reading now I'm on + 2.5 and it's getting a real bind , glasses on , glasses off !! , where are my glasses ?? all the time I have about 6 pairs and it's sutch a pain in the backside as I now can't be without them and can do little without them .

need some advice from somebody who's had the corrective eye surgery done before I take the plunge !!
any usefully advice would be appreciated .

[Bryans69]

I had it done years ago, about 15 I'd guess. At the time you could only get it done for short sightedness, not long sighted, although not sure if that has changed.

I can't remember my exact prescription, I think around -2.5, but used glasses or contact lenses pretty much all the time. Surgery was a complete revelation, and I'd thoroughly recommend.

I've needed glasses for reading for about the last five, years, but that's just a sign of getting older

[Pentland]

I had laser surgery done back in 96 to cure shortsightedness and it was one of the best things I’ve spent money on.
However, now that I’ve reached the age where my arms aren’t long enough to allow me to read a menu without reading glasses, I believe the only solution is lens replacement (which would solve both long and shortsightedness) My brother had this done 2 years ago and again, he raves about the results. I’m led to believe that lease replacement is similar (same?) to a cateract procedure and they do millions of those worldwide.

[JustChris]

Great subject and I'm following with interest....

[SantaEugence]

I believe you need a stable prescription for 1-2 years before they'd do it, so if your eyesight is still getting worse it won't be suitable.

[Scoobyd]

Yup. One of the best things I've ever done. Life changing to have the freedom from contact lenses and glasses.

I researched this thoroughly though as when it came to my eyesight I was taking no chances and the 'cheapest' can often be a false economy.

I had mine done by Professor Dan Reinstein who's known for being one of, if not the, leading laser eye surgeons in the world. He's at the London Vision Clinic on Harley Street. The thorough testing they carry out pre surgery, the surgery itself, and the aftercare are all superb.

As for the procedure itself... over in minutes and completely painless. More stress involved in having a check up at the dentist. You'll feel some scratchiness in your eyes for a few days as they heal but that's about it.

A few years after I had mine done my dad went and got his done too. He had what's called blended laser surgery. Amazing really. As he needed reading glasses as well as being short sighted they were able to adjust the vision in each eye meaning he can now see near and far without any glasses. Verifocals were driving him crazy especially when driving.

Anyway, do it! You'll have no regrets!

[cramsnik]

What sort of costs are we looking at for this, does it vary by patient? I've worn specs for around ten years now and its becoming a real faff.

[Tengocity]

As a contact lens wearer for the last 25 years, following with interest. I've considered it a few times, but never quite got around to doing it.

[JNW1]

I had lasik surgery just over 20 years ago to correct short sight (around -4.5 in each eye) and it's without doubt some of the best money I've ever spent. The convenience of not having to mess around with things like contact lenses is massive and, while I didn't do it for cost saving reasons, a bonus has been the surgery's paid for itself many times over by not having to buy daily disposable contact lenses! I reached a stage of needing reading glasses a few years ago but I always knew that would be the case and it would have happened even without the surgery.

The only slightly thing negative thing I'd say is I think my distance vision has gone off ever so slightly in the last couple of years - it's still 20/20 and more than good enough for things like driving but if I do something like play tennis indoors where the lighting isn't brilliant I do notice the vision isn't quite as sharp as it was. I could correct that by wearing contact lenses when I play but the problem's so marginal I'm not convinced it would be worth the messing about!

I imagine the laser technology will have improved significantly since I had mine done - which means the correction will be even more precise - so, providing you have a stable prescription, I'd definitely recommend it!

[Wolverine]

I had it done in September 2012. I'll echo the 'best money I ever spent' sentiment.

I had it done at Vision Express in a large shopping centre. It was straightforward, painless and easy. All told, I was done inside a couple of hours. My only regret was going first thing in the morning as all I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep afterwards to lose the discomfort. Instead I sat in a darkened room and all was OK. The next morning was fine and I woke up, amazed at my new found ability to read my clock without my glasses.

As said above, do it!

I paid £3950 for mine in 2012. It is stupidly good value for the quality of life improvement I have had from it, though IU was only a +2.50/+2.75 prescription (and some astigmatism). I was 23 when I had it done and I think it paid for itself in September 2020, according to my man-maths.

[MY340i]

Spent several months researching laser eye surgery before going ahead with it 2 years ago. In the end I went with moorfields private and picked David Gartry as my surgeon. Plain sailing and great aftercare.

Didn't want to risk high street opticians - google "optical express ruined my life" for all the stories.

High street opticians offer various cost based options, with some options being "more accurate" than others, i.e wavefront/iDesign etc etc. Moorfields only offer the best option, no cut price options, why would you want anything less than the best for your eyes?

Cost was around £5.5k in 2019.

[Pentland]

Just to be clear, people are describing different treatments for different sight scenarios short / long sightedness.
Laser surgery tends to be for shortsightedness and is a fairly cheap procedure (my laser surgery was £1200)
Lens replacement, which I would recommend investigating, solves both long and shortsightedness (privately this is a £10-15k procedure)

Keep in mind, shortsightedness tends to worsen up to around the age of 25 where it will remain pretty much stable. Then when you start getting into your late forties, your lens hardens and you’ll need reading glasses.

I don’t know if you can get lens replacement after you’ve had laser surgery but that’s what I’d be looking at.

[TouringPleb]

I had it done 13 years ago because at the time my unassisted vision was too bad to joint the police (-4.5 and -4.75).

It was about £3500 which was worth it to me. It meant I could join the police but it was little things like being able to see the alarm clock when I woke up in the night or going swimming and not worrying about loosing a contact lens.

However it was certainly uncomfortable immediately after. I'd describe it as someone rubbing sand in your eyes and using washing up liquid to wash it out. Then there was the pain off all the eyes drops for the next month or so.

I also found air conditioned rooms and in the car uncomfortable for a long time after as the dry air would dry my eyes out.

Despite that I'd definitely recommend it.

[hilift]

some interesting and useful info , very encouraging .
I think I need to consult my optician first ( not a high street chain ) and see how the land lies .
my eye sight has been very slowly deteriorating over the past ten years and not as bad as some people I know of a similar age ( 61) .
as I stated previously wearing specs is just a faff .
many thanks for all replies .

[zofinger]

I had it in c.2006. Best money I spent. Was -4.5-ish and came away with 20/20 which i still have.

The main point I remember was that a successful procedure will spend on the individual e.g.: prescription, pupil size and any astigmatism. When I say a successful procedure I mean to the degree you no longer need glasses and whether you will suffer any short or long term side effects (such as glare and/or dry eyes).

I was fortunate in that I was an ideal candidate and, I think, as a result had zero side effects and perfect vision. So I tell everyone: if you’re thinking about it, have a consult with the relevant optician (normally free) and go from there because you may not be an ideal candidate (in which case you can stop thinking about it and move on) or be informed of the likely success.

[MY340i]

Originally Posted by zofinger

I had it in c.2006. Best money I spent. Was -4.5-ish and came away with 20/20 which i still have.

The main point I remember was that a successful procedure will spend on the individual e.g.: prescription, pupil size and any astigmatism. When I say a successful procedure I mean to the degree you no longer need glasses and whether you will suffer any short or long term side effects (such as glare and/or dry eyes).

I was fortunate in that I was an ideal candidate and, I think, as a result had zero side effects and perfect vision. So I tell everyone: if you’re thinking about it, have a consult with the relevant optician (normally free) and go from there because you may not be an ideal candidate (in which case you can stop thinking about it and move on) or be informed of the likely success.

nearly everyone is termed an "ideal candidate". If things go wrong after surgery and you are termed a "complex case".

[Somebloke]

You don't see (haha) ophthalmologists have these laser procedures themselves. Just saying....

[Pentland]

Originally Posted by Somebloke

You don't see (haha) ophthalmologists have these laser procedures themselves. Just saying....

Yes you do.
When I had my surgery, the procedure was fairly new in the UK.
However, in the US it was far more established. I have a relative in the US who works performs the surgeries so naturally he was the go to for advice.
He and all his family had laser surgery.

I asked him what the highest prescription he’d successfully treated was. -6.5 he said.
“They’d be almost blind” I said. “Yes”, he replied, “that’s why they had surgery”

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by Pentland

I asked him what the highest prescription he’d successfully treated was. -6.5 he said.
“They’d be almost blind” I said. “Yes”, he replied, “that’s why they had surgery”

When I went to Ultralase in Leeds for my surgery they had loads of "thank-you" cards on the walls from patients who'd been treated. Pretty much all had the before and after prescriptions and I can remember being astonished at how bad some of the before prescriptions were; I thought my eyes were bad at minus 4.5 but quite a few were double that - prior to surgery they must have needed a white stick and a dog, never mind contact lenses or glasses!