Laser eye surgery

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Hellhound
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Joined: 19 May 2021, 7:39am

Laser eye surgery

Post by Hellhound »

I have been thinking about this now for quite a while and have an appointment for initial scans/tests for suitability next week.Has anyone had this procedure?
I am weighing up the costs compared to glasses and my age etc as it is now much cheaper and the procedures are much more reliable than they were when I last enquired about 10 or so years ago.
I have been given a rough quote of around £1500 per eye based on my prescription.I've spent that on glasses/riding glasses over the last four prescriptions.
Any first hand experiences?
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geomannie
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by geomannie »

Sorry no, but my neice had it done aged about 22. She has never regretted it. As I understand, however, experiences can differ and nothing is is risk-free but if I were younger I would not hesitate to have it done. At my age, I can't be bothered.
geomannie
Godzy89
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Joined: 10 Apr 2021, 3:00pm

Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Godzy89 »

I had it done years ago and its one of the best decisions i have ever made
I go to a lot of gigs and hated wearing glasses at them or putting contacts in for them
The benefits far outweighed the cost but at the time i was paying £27 a month for contacts and the surgery cost me £32 a month interest free over 3 years so after it was paid off i eventually, sort of, got the money back
15 seconds for each eye and a day of gritty feeling was all i suffered
It doesnt last forever though and i now have to wear glasses if my eyes are straining or tired
Last edited by Godzy89 on 20 Jun 2021, 3:26pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Hellhound
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Hellhound »

Well I'm approaching 55.I was thinking if the procedure sees me out or at least into my 70s it will be worth it.
I'll know more Wednesday but there's also the possibility of some sort of implant over the eye?
nosmarbaj
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Location: West Berks

Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by nosmarbaj »

I had LASIK surgery aged 50 in 2001. For the next 5 years or so I had no need for sight correction; since then I've needed reading glasses but distance vision has been fine up until very recently, which for me is the main thing, as I can do outdoor activities including cycling without the hassle of specs. I may need glasses again within a year or two, but if I had my time again I wouldn't hesitate to have surgery again.
The main downside was that the equipment used to aim the laser, which rests in the eye socket, was very uncomfortable/borderline painful for a few minutes (they commented that my unusually deep eye sockets were the reason); and the smell of burning was a bit unpleasant, as I realised it was my eyeball being scorched! The procedures may well have been refined since then.
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Cowsham
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Cowsham »

Can it be done for normal age related sight correction -- I took it that it only helped people with short sight ie can't see far away.
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Jdsk
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Jdsk »

Cowsham wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 5:21pm Can it be done for normal age related sight correction -- I took it that it only helped people with short sight ie can't see far away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia#Surgery

Jonathan
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Cowsham
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Cowsham »

Jdsk wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 6:26pm
Cowsham wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 5:21pm Can it be done for normal age related sight correction -- I took it that it only helped people with short sight ie can't see far away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia#Surgery

Jonathan
Don't think I'd go for that!
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Hellhound
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Hellhound »

nosmarbaj wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 3:38pm I had LASIK surgery aged 50 in 2001. For the next 5 years or so I had no need for sight correction; since then I've needed reading glasses but distance vision has been fine up until very recently, which for me is the main thing, as I can do outdoor activities including cycling without the hassle of specs. I may need glasses again within a year or two, but if I had my time again I wouldn't hesitate to have surgery again.
The main downside was that the equipment used to aim the laser, which rests in the eye socket, was very uncomfortable/borderline painful for a few minutes (they commented that my unusually deep eye sockets were the reason); and the smell of burning was a bit unpleasant, as I realised it was my eyeball being scorched! The procedures may well have been refined since then.
I enquired about my reading prescription and was told this can also be corrected.To be honest I wouldn't mind if I still needed reading glasses!
I think it's come a long way since I last enquired.It's still my eyes though so I'll have to be 100% convinced it's for me before I take the plunge.
Thanks everyone!
Tangled Metal
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Tangled Metal »

My partner had it done years ago. It causes dry eyes apparently. Now when hayfever kicks in she has to buy special eye gel to moisten her eyes? It's a gel you kind of put onto your finger then rub it into your eye like putting on contacts I suppose. You can buy it in chemists. BTW the dry eye thing seemed to get by worse in the last 10 years that I've known her.

So it's not without problems.

My partner got it done by a top clinic in a south American country when living out there. Apparently it was very common to have it done so there was a lot of quality practitioners as good as the good ones in the UK. It was also a lot cheaper than the UK. I'd not do it but when you know a lot of locals who had it done successfully who knows whether I'd change my mind. My partner does get to convince me but I then tell her how much it is here and "perhaps not" comes out from her. I'm also very high prescription so possibly not be possible to do mine without still needing glasses which defeats the object of it.
fastpedaller
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by fastpedaller »

nosmarbaj wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 3:38pm
The main downside was that the equipment used to aim the laser, which rests in the eye socket, was very uncomfortable/borderline painful for a few minutes (they commented that my unusually deep eye sockets were the reason); and the smell of burning was a bit unpleasant, as I realised it was my eyeball being scorched! The procedures may well have been refined since then.
Small fry (no pun intended) compared to surgery which I had for detatched retinas 27 years ago........ The examination before surgery was in a dark room with a 'car headlight' (I could feel the heat!) shining into my eye whilst the consultant put a 3 inch 'thimble' between my eyeball and its socket - the discomfort cannot be described. This was followed later in the day by a 3.5 hr operation involving cryosurgery (liquid nitrogen injected into the eye to float the retina into position and freeze-burn it into place) and an elastan band around the eye and a gold clamp. I don't know how the clamp 'works' but there is a tiny, visible gold 'stud' on the white of my eye. The next day they did my other eye!(but no clamp). There then followed 3 months of no glasses so the eyes could 'settle' during which I could only see the first 2 inches in focus. More recently I tried to understand full details of what they'd done, but it would appear it's not on my records - maybe best that they concentrated on the operation rather than writing notes :D I have no doubt the surgeons saved my eyesight, and the NHS is a fantastic organisation - it was a very humbling experience.
nosmarbaj
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by nosmarbaj »

Tangled Metal wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 10:35pm My partner had it done years ago. It causes dry eyes apparently.
Yes, it made my eyes a bit dryer than they had been, but as my eyes used to be unusually watery, they are now more or less average in that respect, so not a problem for me. (I did need eye drops for a week or two after the procedure.)
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by Jdsk »

fastpedaller wrote: 20 Jun 2021, 10:36pmSmall fry (no pun intended) compared to surgery which I had for detatched retinas 27 years ago........ The examination before surgery was in a dark room with a 'car headlight' (I could feel the heat!) shining into my eye whilst the consultant put a 3 inch 'thimble' between my eyeball and its socket - the discomfort cannot be described. This was followed later in the day by a 3.5 hr operation involving cryosurgery (liquid nitrogen injected into the eye to float the retina into position and freeze-burn it into place) and an elastan band around the eye and a gold clamp. I don't know how the clamp 'works' but there is a tiny, visible gold 'stud' on the white of my eye. The next day they did my other eye!(but no clamp). There then followed 3 months of no glasses so the eyes could 'settle' during which I could only see the first 2 inches in focus. More recently I tried to understand full details of what they'd done, but it would appear it's not on my records - maybe best that they concentrated on the operation rather than writing notes :D I have no doubt the surgeons saved my eyesight, and the NHS is a fantastic organisation - it was a very humbling experience.
I think that what you're describing is "scleral buckling". I suggest that you pursue your enquiries into what was done, and what metal is still there. That's because it might affect future investigation with MRI, and it wouldn't be great to have to work that out in a rush.

Jonathan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scleral_buckle
richardfm
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by richardfm »

I went for a consultation years ago to see if I was a suitable candidate for laser surgery to correct my short sight. I was told that it was so bad they could improve it but not get it to a point where I wouldn't need glasses as my eye sight is so bad they would have to remove too much tissue.
Even if they had been able to do it I'm not sure that I would have gone ahead, there was no guarantee that I wouldn't have to wear glasses after and it was fairly likely that I would have to in later years.

They did suggest corneal implants, but I have stuck with glasses.
Richard M
Cardiff
yostumpy
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Re: Laser eye surgery

Post by yostumpy »

My OH had it done about 15 + years ago now. when she saw the consultant, (she is shortsighted), and told him she only wanted one eye done, the consultant was amazed, as it was , and probably still is, quite a secret that you only need to have one eye done. Then you will have nearly perfect vision,as one eye will be shortsight the other std, and the brain , for the most part, works it all out.
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