Laser Eye Treatment

[sweetheart]

Hi peeps. Has anyone as yet undergone laser treatment to improve eyesight? Did it work? How much did it cost? Who did it? Would you recommend it?

[gianfranco25]

i had the surgery 5 years ago by ULTRALASE and my sister had hers done 1 year ago by OPTIMAX we would both highly recommend the surgery as the results were instant, although a little cloudy i could read the 20/20 vision line on the eye chart and when fully healed 1 week later i could read the bottom line on the test. fairlyu painless recovery as well. it cost me �875 per eye my sister paid �1ooo for both. hope this helps

[Marsh]

It�s a bit late to join in but the topic is still on the Home page.
I can see why a young person whose glasses are interfering with activities or producing adverse social reaction (Men never make passes, etc) might well think it worth taking the risk. Lots of upside, small chance of a downside. For me there would be little upside � at 65, I can see to drive, recognize friends across a room and read books (or AnswerBank postings, especially Quizmonster's). I occasionally windsurf (with a Croaky to stop the glasses falling off) and I'm happy with the girl I married. The downside doesn't seem worth risking.
However, even if I were young and single, I don't think I would do what sft4 did and have both done at once. I think I'd have the worst eye done first and wait till that had settled down before risking the other one. And before I agreed to surgery, I'd ask my doctor if he could refer me for a consultant opinion.

[sweetheart]

Hey everyone! You've all been very helpful, so thanks heaps guys. I've since visited the Eye Clinic, who have made it all more clear and I now feel more confident. Luckily theres a special offer on at the moment, �600 per eye, that's half the usual price. So, yep, i'm going for it. Being a student surgical technician, contacts are not really an option anymore, due to shift work etc. And like alot of you guys, I also find it annoying at the gym, whether its contacts or specs! I'm going in for another chat with the opthalmic surgeon next week, and then i'll book myself in. One prob - that'll be in Jan 2005 cuz I turn 21 end of December this year!! Ahhhhhggghh!!

[sarahdaly]

I had laser treatment in April and am extremely pleased with the results. I now have 20/20 vision, and am bordering on having better than normal vision. I carefully thought through the risks involved and realised that as I was a contact lense wearer I was damaging my eyes by not having it done. If you are a contacts wearer have a good look in the mirror and notice how many red veins you;ve got creeping across your eye. You'll also be increasing your chances of infection every time you stick that piece of plastic in your eye.

[sarahthelion]

Boots (the one that's now shut!) put me through their tests and sent me away immediately because they said I wasn't suitable and it would cause problems for me with night vision.  It would have been �900 an eye, I think.  So I've not have it done myself, but I think that shows (well, case study of 1) that if you go with a reputable establishment they will only operate if it's safe.  I've since heard about the next big thing that's coming, where they insert a perspex lens (i.e. removable if it goes wrong) rather than the current procedure of shaving away cells to alter the shape of the lens.  That's about four grand, I think.   

[jencom]

I had laser surgery 3 years ago and it has been great. I was wearing tri-focal eye glasses. Now I just need reading glasses.....but that is because of age.

[Ragweed]

I had Lasix (mono vision which is for people who need bifocals) when it first came out (early 90's) & definitely loved it! It lasted until just recently when I developed cataracts (getting old). Two weeks ago I had laser surgery for catract removel & lens implantation on 1 eye & will have the other one done in Dec. I wore glasses and/or contacts for about 40 yrs. & was feed up with'em. I had the 1st surgery done in Nashville & the last ones done in Bowling Green, KY. I, personnally, have not heard any complaints & have referred several friends.

[ghostly]

Shouldn't 'Laser Eye Treatment' be called 'Eye Laser Treatment'? 'Laser Eye Treatment' sounds like something Superman would give to the bad guys.

[Ickerboo]

I had laser surgery 4 years ago, my perscription was -2.75. At first it was brilliant, but now my eyesight is deterioating. I am currently -1.25 and fading. I'm not sure if I have the option to wear contacts either now I've had them zapped. I wish I had not had it done.

[sazzra]

I had my left eye done in 1993 and my right in 1994 under a clinical trial of the Excimer laser at St Thmas' hospital in London. I had my eyes tested a mnth ago, and still have extremely good vision (2 lines above the bottom) compared with my couldn't see a thing before. However, I kno that the surgeons who performed mine were qualified, and I had 2 years of follow up appointments. If you go for it, research the clinic/surgeon properly - it's evidently perfectly legal to buy one of these machines and start lasering people's eyes! And I was told by my surgeon that there is no guarantee of the surgery remaining stable after 10 years (the limit of their trial at the time), so it is a risk - you just have to decide if it's worth it. I haven't regretted it, but the people with corneal scarring might well be!

[Medusa1ca]

My Husband had the surgery not once but twice (the tissue grew back--this happens in one out of one hundred cases) he is glad he did it becasue the cost of his glasses was getting steadly higher.  His eyes were done in Windsor Ontario at the Lasik Vision Center and cost 1500 (cdn) total but I think US residents pay a little more.

[Marsh]

The February 2005 edition of Which? has an article on laser eye surgery providers.  I think anyone considering eye surgery should read this article and ask the clinic questions before making a final decision.  Your local public library should have a copy.

[Shellywba]

Can I just say this... My boyfriend had eye-laser-treatment three years ago or something like that, and it worked for him. I think it was a private hospital or something, I dunno. I'm sure each eye cost him about �500 pound, or �800. Cannot remember which one.