Laser eye surgery

KlodaX

I'm not sure where to put this thread .. and I can't find any like it .. so here it goes...

Has anyone had laser eye surgery? Successfull or not.

I've been advised that its cheaper to get it done up north and that the laser eye clinic in Belfast is probably the best. I'd just like to hear of people that have had it done. I heard on the radio that a load of people that had it done in boots where called back cause there was something wrong with the machine.

fletch

I know a friend of mine who got it done and had to get it done again about 3yrs later and still does not have 20:20 vision. Also not everyones eyes are suitable for surgery so you have to go see if your able to get it done.

RuggieBear

KlodaX wrote:

I'm not sure where to put this thread .. and I can't find any like it .. so here it goes...

Has anyone had laser eye surgery? Successfull or not.

I've been advised that its cheaper to get it done up north and that the laser eye clinic in Belfast is probably the best. I'd just like to hear of people that have had it done. I heard on the radio that a load of people that had it done in boots where called back cause there was something wrong with the machine.

I had it done in the wellington clinic (something like that anyway) in nov 2000
I was minus 3.5 in both eyes and and my eyes are perfect(:D) now. Took 20mins and a little bit of discomfort and i went to bed straight away with a sleeping pill and when i woke up the next day....i could see without grabbing me glasses or contacts.
Very expensive but worth every penny!!!

monkeyfudge

I can't say the idea of Laser Eye Surgery appeals to me... I'm happy with my glasses... even if they do give me headaches.

Have a look at this website

It's an organization founded by people with longer-term complications from laser eye surgery.

FX Meister

I'm the same as pekelly, it's a bit sore for about 24hrs but the drops sort that out. But I don't think it's expensive, €3 for a muffin in Arnotts is expensive, €4500 for perfect eyesight is very cheap

bandraoi

I was all set to get this done but then I discovered the 30 day continuous wear contact lenses. They give me perfect eyesight without the risks of the laser surgery so now I couldn't be bothered.

FX Meister

when I heard about them I was a bit unsure, 30 days and you dont ever take them out, sounds really bad to me.

bandraoi

it's not, they're more porus than normal contacts or something. I've been using them for six months and have yet to have a problem. I had monthly disposables and daily disposables before but I rarely used them. There was too much hassle with putting them in and taking them out and washing your hands and trying to dry them ever so carefully without getting any bits of fluff on them.

Now I just have the hassle one morning a month and they are literally the equivalent of perfect eyesight.

KlodaX

I can't wear contacts ... well I can but I've dry eyes so they just irrate ...I can only wear them every so often... and I've a tendancy to break glasses and keep touching my face when I wear them.. really annoying .. just never got used to glasses..... so I'm left with no other option. I really want to be able to see. People keep saying to me that their auntys or cousins have it done and its great.... but I don't know where they are getting it done? I'm looking for recommendations of someone who has had it done successfully. I'm pretty certain I'm getting it done... I just need to find a place. Likewise if anyone has had difficulties .. where and when did you have it done?

where is the wellington clinic?

Eurorunner

I looked into having this done some months ago and ultimately, I decided against. Whilst most people on here will tell you of the positive outcome (and i'm sure its true), there is still a 5% chance of things not going to plan.

If they get this type of surgery wrong, its near to impossible to set things right again. There are many people out there who have problems with night vision as a result.

As regards price, If i were to have it done, i certainly wouldnt have it done in ireland for 3/4k. Its possible to have Lasik done in the far east for €1k for both eyes - at a specialist surgery with state of the art equipment, good reputation and western trained doctors. One drawback of this would be if its required that you go back for 'touch up' surgery, then it may not suit....in which case, belfast may be a better option for you.

In addition, this procedure can be claimed back against tax at the end of the year regardless of where you have it done - just keep your receipts, etc.

There are at least 4-5 Lasik threads on boards which will definitely be of interest to you - just do a search.

FX Meister

But you also need to go back for checkups anyway. After a week and then six months. Add the cost of those flights on to your total. It's only 4 grand, why skimp on your eyesight

Eurorunner

@FXmeister: Yeah - and thats why i said Belfast may suit him better.

The checkup after one week can be covered by the one trip. Depends on your circumstances - if your likely to travel over there quite a bit or can tie it in with a holiday, then it works...if not, then it doesnt.

As regards 'its ONLY €4k', i wish i was earning enough to convince myself of this! Furthermore, it annoys the hell out of me to be overcharged by at least 2k - out of principal alone, more people should be prepared to make every effort NOT to give in to this type of irish extortion.

is it any wonder we are ripped every which way we turn in this land of ours

FX Meister

I guess I'd just want this done in Ireland, I spent a lot of time researching getting it done and researching the doctor performing the operation. Belfast might be a good option. When I had it done I wasn't earning a lot of money but again I'm looking at value for money and for what I got it was worth every penny. Can it be claimed back if you spend the money in another country?

Sleipnir

KlodaX wrote:

where is the wellington clinic?

Wellington Road, oddly enough!
It's in Ballsbridge in Dublin.
http://www.wellingtoneyeclinic.com/


I had my eyes done there about 10 years ago. It was different back then, one eye done, in bed for a week on codeine and all sorts of junk then back for the next eye a month later. Then codeine etc again.

Best thing I ever did.

Eurorunner

Can it be claimed back if you spend the money in another country?

Yeah - i checked this out, and it can be claimed back regardless of what country it is.

Discovering

Your not 'skimping' getting it done outside Ireland as the machine does all the work and they are all very new and similar.

In fact I do not think the Zyoptix done in Ireland which it the new and much better type of Lasik.

Here is a link to the place in India which has the very latest equipment and the clinic building itself is in the shape of an eye!!

600 euro for both eyes!!!

http://www.dragarwal.com

Pity the flights make it way to expensive.

Discovering

You can claim 20% or 42% depending on your tax bracket.

rabbitinlights

Im going away for 2 years travelling and would love to not have the hassle of Contacts etc while away, Im looking around at getting it done, but would love to be able to go home afterwards (with some valium!) Im based in galway and was looking for somewhere local? Anyone have any ideas?

sliabh

Eurorunner wrote:

Whilst most people on here will tell you of the positive outcome (and i'm sure its true), there is still a 5% chance of things not going to plan.

If had it done last year in the Mater and I did a lot of reasearch beforehand on it. The failure rate is lot lower than 1%. 98% of people that have it done say that they would do it again if in the same situation. The main reason for the 2% is not that there were complications but rather that it doesn't meet their expectations. For some people and in some situations you still will need corrective lenses (though your sight will be better than it was before).

I was lucky. I ended up with better than 20/20. But that is not the norm.

As for contacts, they didn't suit me. I climb, surf and scuba dive. So contacts just were not good enough.

Saruman

Firstly read the previous posts.. yes there are loads, best way is click search and type LASIK (the most common type of procedure)
Secondly i had it done in Blackrock clinic for a little over €4000 and about €1600 or so i got back in tax! maybe less i cant remember but it was a nice but of money. Anyway it worked and my eyes were better than when i wore glasses. I ended up being slightly long sighted but dont need reading glasses, i always read with books far away from me anyway.

my eyes are perfect in the day and as good at night but in dim light they dont work so well.. So i like to have lights on if im watching a movie for instance, anyway thats better for your eyes than darkness. I would do it again if i had to. Its quick and painless. Go for it.

luckat

KlodaX wrote:

I can't wear contacts ... well I can but I've dry eyes so they just irrate ...

Klodax, I think one of the contra-indications for lasik is dry eyes, because it can make your eyes dryer.

KlodaX

I know .. but there is no harm in checking it out... they might let me do it.

Thanks for the suggestions ... apparently going private and paying the 4 grand seems to really pay off ... I'll search the other threads

Sandy2004

A friend of mine got it done. She says it is the best thing she has done in her life. She was like a new person after she got it done. She spent a fortune on designer specs in d past so she has well made her money back. She has hers done 4 years now and her vision hasn't deterioated!

luckat

Zyoptix sounds good, but the only place in Ireland that does it seems to be the Waterford Eye Clinic (?whassat?)

My main worries about sight correction surgery would relate to later complications - I've heard, though I don't know if it's true or not, that there are numbers of people whose eyes are reverting to the same short sight they had or worse some years later. Has anyone else heard this?

Blisterman

Someone I know had it done and went from being far sighted to being near sighted and still have to wear glasses> Could be the other way around.

sliabh

the surgery leaves your eyesight pretty much fixed (they only will perform it if your perscription is stable to begin with). However as you get older your eyesight declines with age anyway. This is a different mechanism that caused the original problem.

So laser surgery will cure shortsightedness until your 50's or 60's but you are very likely to become longsighted then anyway.

luckat

It seems the Mater Private does zyoptix:

http://www.materprivate.ie/NS/PatientInfo/OutPatient/eyelaser.asp

Yeah, you're supposed to get long-sighted in your middle years all right, but in my case that would mean I'd only be semi-blind, not blind as a bat!

It's tempting... the wonderful thought of being able to swim without a machine on my face, of talking to people without them seeing me as some stern teacher type, of waking up at midnight and not having to grope around for the specs (which I've probably used as a bookmark in whatever I was reading).

The statistics I'd really like to see, though, are on whether doctors themselves get their myopia corrected by surgery.

Blisterman

It was right afterwards, though.

luckat

Ah, 500th post.

Am I right in thinking VHI and Bupa don't cover this?

Discovering

They consider it cosmetic surgery (IE not essential) therefore you are correct in your assumption

luckat

What about Bupa in the UK?

Discovering

I very much doubt they cover it either.

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

My mam had it done last Saturday week in the Roseville clinic in Terenure... she didn't get Lasik as her eyes weren't suitable she got another (the?) other kind. Anyway, she was in and out in an hour and she had to wear sunglasses for the first few days but now her near vision is perfect and her distance vision is improving daily... her doctor says three months is when she will have certifiable 20/20 vision again. Overall she's had a great experience and has told me she doesn't regret it for a second.

bagocans

So, has anyone tried zyoptix since all this was posted?
If it takes a while for your vision to correct itself how soon can you work again (on computer), would the strain be bad for your eyes?
Just curious as to how it would work if your vision wasn't perfect and you had to get a new lower perscription!, have take more time off work.

joedublinka

ive spoken to an eye surgeon in the states whos a friend of the family. lasik is a bad idea. in a few years the front of ur eye might start lifting off, as its flapped.

prk is much safer but a little painful. do not even consider lasik it is way to invasive and there are no long term studies as of yet.

Blitzkrieger

joedublinka wrote:

ive spoken to an eye surgeon in the states whos a friend of the family. lasik is a bad idea. in a few years the front of ur eye might start lifting off, as its flapped.

Does he dribble a lot? I have never heard of that before in all the horror stories on the net about lasik. My sister had it done 5 years ago and has had no lasting side effects. I also had it done in the same place (Wellington Clinic) and had no side effects at all.

joedublinka

Blitzkrieger wrote:

Does he dribble a lot? I have never heard of that before in all the horror stories on the net about lasik. My sister had it done 5 years ago and has had no lasting side effects. I also had it done in the same place (Wellington Clinic) and had no side effects at all.

flapped being medical jargon for elevation of ur cornea, and a small flap made. this can then lift at any point and become unbonded. the reason lasik took off was it was a painless way to have it done, and generally people dont like pain. prk has more clinical data, and frankly yer man said if he was getting it done he would avoid lasik as if it was manure. having said this he does it to other people but thats life for u.
incidentally he still wears glasses himself for shortsight, makes u wonder. this is not bull**** its the truth.

also 5 years is nothing from a long term study point of view. time will tell in 15 or 20 years. nothing can take from the fact that lasik is very very invasive. i would avoid it. edit~ i should say lasik is still the treatment of choose in severe myopia. however the majority of people are safer with prk MUCH SAFER
here are a few possibilities- he also mention weak cornea being a problem

11. CORNEAL ECTASIA. - Cutting a corneal flap for LASIK can cause structural weakening of the cornea. Although LASIK has been performed since 1996 in the USA, the cutting of corneal flaps has been performed worldwide since 1959 for treating corneal diseases and refractive errors. I have learned that if I cut too deep of a flap or remove too much corneal tissue with LASIK, I can structurally compromise corneal integrity, resulting in a "weakened" cornea that may "bulge" months to years after LASIK. This is called "ectasia" and can cause significant regression of the LASIK treatment, resulting in the recurrence of significant nearsightedness and/or astigmatism. Retreatment is not possible and would even make the regression worse. In the rare case of extreme ectasia, a corneal transplant would be necessary to regain useful vision. I have a 1/1000 incidence of corneal ectasia and I have had one patient require a corneal transplant after LASIK. To minimize the risk of ectasia, I do corneal topography and measure the corneal thickness (pachymetry) of every LASIK patient prior to LASIK to identify patients that are at risk for developing ectasia. I will not perform LASIK on any patient that I think is at risk for developing ectasia. Approximately 2% of LASIK candidates that I examine are at risk for ectasia and cannot be safely treated.

. PERMANENT UNCORRECTABLE BLURRY VISION OR "GHOST IMAGES" - Rarely, a patient may have corneal irregularity after LASIK that causes blurry vision or "ghost images". "Ghost images" are similar to a TV picture with poor reception; overlapping the main image is an identical, but dim second image. A retreatment may not be able to treat a post-LASIK corneal irregularity.

DISLOCATED CORNEAL FLAP - The corneal flap is remarkably stable after LASIK, but I have had one patient's flap dislocate after surgery. The patient had an uneventful LASIK procedure. However, when I saw her the day after surgery, her flap had come loose, and was tucked up under the upper eye lid. It was still attached at its base to the cornea. The patient had experienced significant non-LASIK emotional distress three hours after her LASIK procedure, and had sobbed heavily for approximately five minutes. This probably caused the flap to dislocate. I brought the patient back to the Laser Center and easily repositioned the flap. Fortunately, the flap remained in position and the patient had 20/20 vision 48 hours after the flap was repositioned.

EPITHELIAL INGROWTH - Small cells from the corneal epithelium, the "clear skin" that covers the cornea, can become embedded under the LASIK flap. This occurs in less than 1% of LASIK cases. The cells can start to grow and form a thin sheet of epithelium under the flap. This will affect the vision. The epithelial cells are usually easy to remove by anesthetizing the eye with eye drops, painlessly lifting the flap, and irrigating or mechanically removing the aberrant epithelial cells. I have had two patients with epithelial ingrowth; both were very successfully treated and have had no further problems.

FLAP WRINKLES - When I replace the corneal flap after performing the LASIK procedure, small folds in the flap are common, and are easy to identify and remove at the time of the LASIK by simply refloating the flap. However, small folds can occur rarely in the flap in the first few hours following the procedure. Wrinkles probably occur when the patient inadvertently squeezes the eye tightly shut. Visually significant wrinkles occur in less than 1% of cases. If wrinkles occur, I take the patient back to the Laser Center, anesthetize the eye with an eye drop, relift the flap and smooth out the flap to remove the wrinkles. This usually removes the wrinkles successfully. If this does not, I repeat the retreatment procedure a second time.

THIN FLAP - When we use the Microkeratome to cut the LASIK flap, there is less than a 1% chance of a thin flap occurring. If the flap is too thin, I cannot perform LASIK. If I did Laser over a thin LASIK flap, visually threatening corneal irregularities and haze would occur. Fortunately, it is easy to identify a thin flap. If one occurs, I reposition the flap immediately, and do nothing more. Within 2 to 3 days, the patient will have usually regained his or her original vision, and can see again with their original glasses or contact lenses. We can then repeat the LASIK procedure in 3 months.

hshortt

I had Lasik in the Wellington last November. Excellent staff and very helpful. The procedure while not painful is not comfortable, and the sound of the laser can be un-nerving. My prescription was -8 and -7. My eyes are still healing and I occasionally need the drops for some additional lubrication, however I see much better than I have ever done. I see some fuzziness around lights at night time but it's not uncomfortable.

My left eye did not heal as quickly as my right, and in fact it may have been overcorrected which is a common thing with this type of surgery, I've been advised by the clinic that if it's not perfect by my next appointment (May) then they'll re-do the left eye.

Total cost 4,200.00, expensive but clearly (!) worth it.

Cheers

joedublinka

the problem is people think of lasik like buying a bigmac. the reality is that they use a micro buzzsaw to cut a wafer thin flap-this is the bit i have the problem with not the next bit which is the nukingbit with the laser.
anything this invasive cannot be good. however if one has poor sight then this can still be the best option ie more than -6.

JaneyMackers

I had this done about 4 years ago in the mater private.

I would strongly suggest the following.

If you thinking about go and get assessed by a consultant. At least you will know if you are a candidate. Do not get both eyes done at once. Just in case.

I had about -4.5 in both eyes and my eyes have been perfect ever since. I notice they take longer then they used to to get refocused after reading etc. But who cares about that.

One thing is on-coming lights in traffic esp on country roads at night are brighter and I try to avoid that where possible.

However, I would ultimatly recommend it. The money is steep. But how much would you spend on glasses, lenses and solutions etc in 4 to 5 years? Let alone 10.

JM

JaneyMackers

KlodaX wrote:

I can't wear contacts ... well I can but I've dry eyes so they just irrate ...I can only wear them every so often... and I've a tendancy to break glasses and keep touching my face when I wear them.. really annoying .. just never got used to glasses..... so I'm left with no other option. I really want to be able to see. People keep saying to me that their auntys or cousins have it done and its great.... but I don't know where they are getting it done? I'm looking for recommendations of someone who has had it done successfully. I'm pretty certain I'm getting it done... I just need to find a place. Likewise if anyone has had difficulties .. where and when did you have it done?

where is the wellington clinic?

Klodax if you have dry eyes you'll likely not be allowed get the surgery. I'd advise against it.

FX Meister

It is rad dude, you should get it done, I did and it's the best money I've ever spent. So many people here think it's expensive but it's not. Do you really expect to get your vision corrected and it to be cheap? It cost me over €4000 and it was worth every penny, and it's only last December I got around to claiming my tax back on it, €800. I'm going to spend it on trendy glasses with plain glass lenses.

bagocans

joedublinka wrote:

flapped being medical jargon for elevation of ur cornea, and a small flap made. this can then lift at any point and become unbonded.

I would presume the eye like any other part of the body will heal, thats like saying scars from any operation/accident could burst open at anytime.

joedublinka

bagocans wrote:

I would presume the eye like any other part of the body will heal, thats like saying scars from any operation/accident could burst open at anytime.

yes but, the eye is very unique in that nutrients diffuse thru it, it has very few/ no blood vessels in the cornea. no other part of the body lacks a blood supply so your analogy isnt correct although good thinking . from what he was saying the flap is never really 'stuck down' and is only lightly reattached by epithelium not by a connective tissue attachment hence the weak cornea issue as well as it coming 'undone in the future'

this is why prk is the treatment of choice for mil/moderate myopia. avoid lasik like the plague imho.

bagocans

Suppose so. Would your ability to heal have any bearing on this?, some people heal faster after operations than others for example!
What about Zyoptix, still the same amount of cutting involved?

bang_bang_rosie

ok from someone who actually knows what PRK is don't do it, PRK involves making radial sutures across the cornea, which works brill during the day, however in dim lighting and nighttime your pupils dilate and you tend to suffer from a lot of glare, esp when driving at night. The severity of this will vary from person to person, but the younger you are and if you are myopic (short-sighted) the more your pupils will dilate.

LASIK so far has been pretty successful, the main side effects/consequences being; 1 your prescription may regress a bit towards your original presciption,
2 you may suffer from dry eye after the surgery because your corneal surface has been disrupted, ie not as smooth.
3 you will still have to wear glasses when you reach your 40's for reading, and maybe later on for distance.
4 you may have to go back for a "top up". good clinics should not charge you for this if they didnt correct it fully at the time.
there has been some instances of the 'flap' coming away but i've yet to know of anyone this has happened to.
5 as said before, it hasn't been around long enough to determine long term consequences.
most cases i have seen have been excellent. i am not trying to put you off.

go for a good reputable clinic not for a price.

wavefront laser surgery is one of the best.

don't pay attention to the press.

nospamjl

Was very interested in the views of people who have had lasik surgery.

My problem is that my eye sight suffers from astigmatism (-3.5 in left
eye and -5.5 in right eye) which unforuntately causes me to wear glasses like the bottom of coke bottles(well not quite) and is aparently the least successful with surgery.

I attened Blackrock and Wellington clinics for asessments - Blackrock advised against my prescription whereas the surgeon at wellington said they could do it but I was at the edge of what they could do.

Anyone had lasik to fix astigmatism?

Hugh Hefner

I knew someone who had laser eye surgery and they seem pretty happy with the result.

That is all.

KlodaX

For anyone who is curious... I've given up on Optiliase in Dublin. I've been waiting since Jan and they where supposed to call me last week with dates and never did. They are so unorganised they have actually put me off the procedure. I wasn't nervous before but now I am! I've heard of 2 people who got it done in the Mater hospital and didn't have to go back for corrections but 1 or 2 stories of people going back to Optiliase.. granted they didn't have to pay for the post surgery treatment ... I'd rather it go well the first time without messing. For peace of mind I'm gonna save the extra cash and get it done in the Mater. Time to head to specsavers!

JohnK

Have you tried calling them since January? I rang them for the first time in January and had it done in June.

I would love to get it done but probably can't. I want to eventually become a train driver and in the UK you will immediately fail your aptitude test if they find you've had laser surgery. I don't know if that's the case over here but I won't take the chance.

Apparently its to do with evidence that it can potentially make night vision worse. (like bang bang rosie said above)