Which clinic would you choose or recommend for Laser Eye Surgery?

UU

Hey,

There's been debate on this forum as to which place they'd get laser eye surgery. Certain people would prefer to pay any little as possible even though they may not get as good a service as if they spend a few hundred more and went to a more professional place. Whereas others choose places based on other's recommendations, reputation, popularity, quality.

Leaving it to you, where would you go and why? This thread would help give others lan idea into different places and help choose which one would be best. Personally, I like the one in Dundrum, Eye Laser Ireland because they seemed really good and professional and they're local to me. If there are other clinics that you may recommend, perhaps outside of Dublin, feel free to state them.

Regards

Helen2

Orbit Laser

I voted for Laservision in Leeson street as two of my family and three friends have had surgery there over the last 12 months. All of them had been debating laser eye surgery for years, were scared and unsure and kept putting it off. It was a bit of a ripple effect –once one went, they all followed suit. None had have regrets other than they should have done this years ago.
Choosing a clinic is a minefield –some offer prices very low but when you check it out they are charging by prescription so the price is not very low at all. Others have had a monopoly for years and you pay 2,000 euro plus per eye for this.
They were happy with Laservision for a number of reasons: it is possible to get top professional surgeons for a cheaper price, the surgeons there are in residence so are available for post-op and emergency aftercare, There are also clinic audits available.The laser eye surgery clinics are not regulated so it is important for us the consumers to pass on information and questions to ask when choosing a clinic. BTW notice a lot of queries on prescription, suitability, recovery time for Lasek etc on these boards. There is an ask the eye surgeon forum on www.laservision.ie where you can put your queries directly to the surgeon.

UU

Optical Express

Helen2 wrote: »

I voted for Laservision in Leeson street as two of my family and three friends have had surgery there over the last 12 months. All of them had been debating laser eye surgery for years, were scared and unsure and kept putting it off. It was a bit of a ripple effect –once one went, they all followed suit. None had have regrets other than they should have done this years ago.
Choosing a clinic is a minefield –some offer prices very low but when you check it out they are charging by prescription so the price is not very low at all. Others have had a monopoly for years and you pay 2,000 euro plus per eye for this.
They were happy with Laservision for a number of reasons: it is possible to get top professional surgeons for a cheaper price, the surgeons there are in residence so are available for post-op and emergency aftercare, There are also clinic audits available.The laser eye surgery clinics are not regulated so it is important for us the consumers to pass on information and questions to ask when choosing a clinic. BTW notice a lot of queries on prescription, suitability, recovery time for Lasek etc on these boards. There is an ask the eye surgeon forum on www.laservision.ie where you can put your queries directly to the surgeon.

Hey Helen,

Thanx for replying I really appreciate. I got my left eye done on Saturday in Dundrum Eye Clinic for LASEK Wavefront CustomVue and I have to say it's been grand. I'm happy I went with Eye Laser Ireland because like Laser Vision they too don't charge by prescription. Also, I live right down the road from Dundrum so I found it more convenient like m,y mother picked me up from the clinic. the staff were friendly, helpful, very kind and the surgeon knew what he was doing. In the whole time with tests and all there, I found out so much about my eyes I never knew. Also there's three years aftercare with Dundrum!

What treatment are you getting done? LASEK is grand tbh although this evening my eyes have been a bit dry but I'm just using the drops so it's ok. I can't wait to get my right eye done next week and await better vision!

Helen2

Orbit Laser

UU, really glad to hear this went well. Two of my friends had Lasek and the recovery time is a lot slower than Lasik. They were about 4-6 weeks adjusting, this is normal. so don’t get scared. Yes, I’ve heard lots of good reports on Eye Laser too but it is about 1,000 euro more expensive than LaserVision but as you say convenience is important.. Best of luck with eye 2 and let us know how you get on!

Sam Footer

Ultralase

I voted for Optilase. I had surgery with them 1 month ago. I have to say its the best money i have ever spent. i found the Optilase staff very professional and would recommend them to any one thinking of laser eye surgery. Also, i also chose them because i found their prices more reasonable than other places.

UU

Optical Express

Sam Footer wrote: »

I voted for Optilase. I had surgery with them 1 month ago. I have to say its the best money i have ever spent. i found the Optilase staff very professional and would recommend them to any one thinking of laser eye surgery. Also, i also chose them because i found their prices more reasonable than other places.

I'm glad Sam it went well for you I just finished getting my second eye with LASEK yesterday. Vision is ok bit blurry was a lot sorer than the second eye. Ah yeah I didn't really shop around and after I had booked everything with Dundrum and noticed I could've gotten it for a few hundred cheaper with Optilase and some other places but I liked Dundrum a lot and it is near and there's like three years aftercare which I like.

What surgery did you get done as a matter of interest?

alexiadexia

Optilase

I had my eyes done a few days ago at the Lumivision laser eye clinic in Dublin & they were excellent. I wasted €250 on a pre up assessment in the Galway Clinic. They are the rudest people I have ever had to deal with. Wasted €250 for the pre op consultation. I was hours waiting to be seen & assessed & treated like s **t by the lady there on reception anytime I called.

At Lumivision they were so much much nicer & it wasn't like a conveyor belt of people queuing & delays with the amounts of people working there falling over their charts etc.

The surgeon Dr. Jain was the surgeon in Optilase for years & Vision Express too in Scotland I think. Very nice , to the point & not completely overpriced. (he gives €1000 off for those with health insurance).

I have a heard a few bad things from an optician in Galway also about the Galway Clinic.

My eyes are almost 20:20 now & I swear I could cry with happiness..

joeblog

I have heard from some friends of mine that some clinics lure customers with a competetive price for the procedure but then charge extortionate rates for the post-op check-ups, etc. Is anyone familiar with clinics that do this so I know which ones to steer clear of?

juke

Blackrock Clinic

joeblog wrote: »

I have heard from some friends of mine that some clinics lure customers with a competetive price for the procedure but then charge extortionate rates for the post-op check-ups, etc. Is anyone familiar with clinics that do this so I know which ones to steer clear of?

Wellington fee includes all post op visits for the first year - and it covered re-enhancement surgery for one of my eyes too.

Night_Prowler

Sorry to rehash an old thread, but how much does laser eye cost approx? theres a groupon deal on today but ive no idea if its good value of not!

Faolchu

i was assessed yesterday in dublin and it cost between 2000+ depending on the procedure used

basically teh first option was 2100 teh second 2800 and then i could go for something called wave front which was and addtional 600

diarmuid79

Orbit Laser

I went to Laservision on Adelaide Road, I must say I got the Lasek treatment and so far Im delighted with the results. My eyes are still a little tender but that is to be expected with Lasek surgery. I got a deal on Groupon and I got 50% off which was great. Well worth it and the surgeon at Laservision is very experinced and highly rated:D:

marieky21

Laser Vision

I went to the mater private excellent my eyes are now perfect better than 20:20

Sheela

Lumni Vision Laser

Hi
I went to Dr Cullum in the Blackrock Clinic & couldn't recommend him highly enough.
I know its more pricy than somewhere like Optilase but its definatly worth it.

veritable

Ultralase

Sheela wrote: »

Hi
I went to Dr Cullum in the Blackrock Clinic & couldn't recommend him highly enough.
I know its more pricy than somewhere like Optilase but its definatly worth it.

Actually, i had my surgery in Optilase and I researched quite heavily before choosing. I have a few friends that went to Blackrock and they had mixed reviews to be honest. One mate specifically needs it done again and they told him he has to pay full whack again for it! if it happens to me it's covered for free with Optilase!!!! Good luck where ever you choose but make sure the clinic has the right after-surgery care/guarantee.

amber2

Laser Vision

Had mine done in 1996 by Dr Ptk Condon in Mater Private wasn't a hugh amount of choice of where to get it done back then but was well worth it.

Mousewar

Blackrock Clinic

amber2 wrote: »

Had mine done in 1996 by Dr Ptk Condon in Mater Private wasn't a hugh amount of choice of where to get it done back then but was well worth it.

1996! Wow, that's ages ago. What have the longterm effects been? What procedure was it then? PRK?

amtc

Ultralase

posted on this before - got mine done in optilase 6 months ago...perfect. done on sat. watching tv that night. also was -6 so quite bad.now better than 20/20

nino1

this poll is ridiculous. its a poll of which company has the most staff on here voting for their own company. Optilase wins that hands down!

sarah ob from this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055371647&page=5 is an obvious optilase employee.

jackdock88 is their current effort from the last few laser vision threads.

Helen2 from laservision has recently been banned for blatant advertising of their own company.

They are not even clever enough to do it subtly!

I would advise the hospital based clinics and take most other recommendations with a pinch of salt, especially from posters with very few posts who only talk about laser eye surgery and throw in a few random other posts about other stuff as a highly intelligent decoy!

I expect in the future when the penny drops with them they may wait until they have many more posts and post less frequently about it!

my advise, go to all the clinics, research it fully yourself and don't be sucked in my "testimonials"!

veritable

Ultralase

nino1 wrote: »

this poll is ridiculous. its a poll of which company has the most staff on here voting for their own company. Optilase wins that hands down!

sarah ob from this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055371647&page=5 is an obvious optilase employee.

jackdock88 is their current effort from the last few laser vision threads.

Helen2 from laservision has recently been banned for blatant advertising of their own company.

They are not even clever enough to do it subtly!

I would advise the hospital based clinics and take most other recommendations with a pinch of salt, especially from posters with very few posts who only talk about laser eye surgery and throw in a few random other posts about other stuff as a highly intelligent decoy!

I expect in the future when the penny drops with them they may wait until they have many more posts and post less frequently about it!

my advise, go to all the clinics, research it fully yourself and don't be sucked in my "testimonials"!

You are posting again, Detective Nina! :rolleyes: Have you had laser eye surgery? Then leave this to people who are interested in laser eye surgery or who have had it done. BTW you are right about sarahob and helen2. But I keep a close eye on these threads and I have noticed at one stage or another that every laser clinic has had someone posting. Even your pompous "hospital" clinics have featured themselves here too if you pay close enough attention. Don't forget, they are for profit too!

veritable

Ultralase

And I also checked out that jackdock user. He/she has recommended the wellington clinic, the mater clinic and optilase clinic. If he/she is working for optilase, why would he/she recommend two other clinics??? Doesn't make sense.

Mousewar

Blackrock Clinic

veritable wrote: »

And I also checked out that jackdock user. He/she has recommended the wellington clinic, the mater clinic and optilase clinic. If he/she is working for optilase, why would he/she recommend two other clinics??? Doesn't make sense.

Sure it does.

Seems strange that he's visited the Mater, the Wellington, presumably paid consultation fees in both which would have come off the surgery fee had he gone with either of them yet for some reason decided against both of them and went for Optilase instead.

jackdock88

Ultralase

Wow!

Am I guilty until proven innocent in this court of law?! By the way I am a She!

Even with the consultation fees for the Mater and the Wellington, Optilase worked out better value. If you really wanted to know my real decision came down to the fact that I thought their Dublin surgeon was more experienced. He was more thorough, probably has carried out more surgeries, and he made me feel more at ease.

I really am sorry that I haven't posted enough to keep the "detectives" busy. I only just joined this website! Get a life guys! :cool:

veritable

Ultralase

LOL fiesty!

jackdock88 wrote: »

Wow!

Am I guilty until proven innocent in this court of law?! By the way I am a She!

Even with the consultation fees for the Mater and the Wellington, Optilase worked out better value. If you really wanted to know my real decision came down to the fact that I thought their Dublin surgeon was more experienced. He was more thorough, probably has carried out more surgeries, and he made me feel more at ease.

I really am sorry that I haven't posted enough to keep the "detectives" busy. I only just joined this website! Get a life guys! :cool:

nino1

jackdock88 wrote: »

Wow!

Am I guilty until proven innocent in this court of law?! By the way I am a She!

thats funny, didn't use accuse Gilman9955 of working for your competitor optical express in your third post?!

nino1

veritable wrote: »

BTW you are right about sarahob and helen2.

would not not agree then that the poll is pointless then when people are recommending their own clinics?!

nino1

veritable wrote: »

And I also checked out that jackdock user. He/she has recommended the wellington clinic, the mater clinic and optilase clinic. If he/she is working for optilase, why would he/she recommend two other clinics??? Doesn't make sense.

yes it does make sense!
When 35% of all your posts are about laser eye surgery where you recommend the same clinic and throw in "the mater and wellington are good but i chose optilase" it is very suspicious especially when said poster has very few posts and started posting about laser surgery after 2 posts.

My reason in pointing this out is to make people aware of these fake "testimonials" so that they can take them with a pinch of salt and instead base their decision on their own research.

Daisies

Guys, back on topic, who you recommend and why, less of the accusations being thrown around please.

oconnot5

I have been meaning to give my view online on laser the past while.
I read a lot of forums before doing it and reading through it there are a lot of posts from people within some of the laser companies recommending their company so be wary.
It is not a nice procedure, very uncomfortable and you are feeling pretty wrecked and sore that day. Seeing stuff after laser though is amazing.

I had it done about 5 months ago, eyes were -3 and -4. I had it done with optical express by Dr. Conal Hurley. I have a combined better than 20 20 vison. One eye is stronger than other now. I am happy with the procedure. I was back in work on the Monday, had the procedure on Saturday, and worked a few shorter days that week as eyes tired.

Glare can still be bad enough and halos at night. There are a lot of risks involved and it can go wrong. You will need reading glasses quicker if you get it done.
Blackrock price is similar to others or even cheapest if you have a strong prescription (They along with others have a fixed price per eye).

My view is do not do during winter. Driving at night is difficult post surgery due to glare/ halos. If you do in winter you will be constantly driving in dark. Spring is ideal/ Autumn is probably good too. Long evenings and not to sunny is best.
You need a good pair of Polaroid sun glasses after. I am still a little dazzled when I go outside on sunny day. I know people who got it done 5 years ago who still say this.
In terms of tax back, late in year is best as you will get the 20% back quicker.
Most health insurance plans do not cover anything. However a lot of laser providers do give a discount based on who you have insurance with. This discount is purely given by laser provider though.
In terms of price, negotiation is possible. They are increasing prices by about 100 a year. Do not sign up on first day, they are likely to drop price more to entice you. I was with one insurer, said I was renewing soon so would likely change to insurer with higher discount and was told not to bother as they would give me full discount (25% I think). I got Lasik, intralase with wavefront. My starting price was 4100 which ended at 2800 after insurance discount and a few calls to me, ask for lower price after. My refer a friend got 100 Euro too. Optilase and Optical express do refer a friend programs (probably others too.) Make use of them, if you not know anyone who got it done just ask and find someone
In terms of aftercare I have had it after a day a week, a month, 3 and 6 months. Think it is yearly as well. I have had unlimited drops included (10 or more bottles now probably). I was told to come back if I wanted more last time. I am still using drops a few times a week due to dryness. I was a little unsure about my eyes given a sizeable difference in strength. I went to specsavers for a second totally unbiased opinion and to reassure myself as much as anything. This for 15 Euro was worth a lot to me. They told me one was far better than ‘perfect’ (a lot better than 20:20) and other was almost 20:20. This I feel is well worth going to your own optician if you have any doubts. Your laser provider is very biased.

Big discounts available after cancellations if surgery isn’t full on a date coming soon. If you are flexible try this.
As for which company is best, I really don’t know. They will obviously all tell you they have the mot hi-tech equipment. Obviously it is best if you meet your surgeon before the day you have surgery. This doesn’t happen with Optical Express (and also with some others I think).
Reading forums the one eye versus two eyes a time is a big grey area. I really don’t know. I had both done together. I would hate to have to go back a second day but if it goes wrong and both eyes are done you are in a worse situation.
It is meant to be cheaper up north if that would suit.
Overall I was happy with service provided. That’s my random thoughts of laser. Any questions just ask. My main things are be careful the time of year you do it and price around. Read up on it, you sign a scary disclaimer form of the 101 things that might go wrong.

Idjit

Laser Vision

Had consultation with both Optilase and Mater Private. Mater Private stood out as being far better just because they spoke to me as a patient rather than a customer which Optilase seemed to do.

Marian Moore

I am 60 years old and have had check up for Laser with Optical Express. The procedure is called Idesign Intralase - Lasik (bilateral) Wavefront Intralase
Stephan Klopper is the Laser Surgeon.
The cost is €4670 reduced to €2995 for two eyes because I have Aviva Health Insurance. I can have one corrected for short sighted (to see in distance) and one for reading which is normally half the one for distance. I can read clearly without glasses at present. If I just get one eye done for distance, it will cost €1706.

I am wondering if anyone has only got one done and would it put too much strain on eye if I use one for distance and continue to read like now with other eye.

Please let me know your experience.

Thank you.

I live in Sligo.

Mousewar

Blackrock Clinic

Marian Moore wrote: »

I am 60 years old and have had check up for Laser with Optical Express. The procedure is called Idesign Intralase - Lasik (bilateral) Wavefront Intralase
Stephan Klopper is the Laser Surgeon.
The cost is €4670 reduced to €2995 for two eyes because I have Aviva Health Insurance. I can have one corrected for short sighted (to see in distance) and one for reading which is normally half the one for distance. I can read clearly without glasses at present. If I just get one eye done for distance, it will cost €1706.

I am wondering if anyone has only got one done and would it put too much strain on eye if I use one for distance and continue to read like now with other eye.

Please let me know your experience.

Thank you.

I live in Sligo.

I have one eye done. It's not going to strain your eye in any way but some people may find it a little strange having their eyes at different strengths. It's unusual but not a big deal for me at least. If you read fine without glasses now then obviously the reading eye can be left alone and doesn't need any surgery.
If you've decided to have the surgery, I'd suggest getting one eye done and trialing it for a couple of months. If you hate it, you can always have the second eye done afterwards and accept that you'll then have to wear reading glasses.

endacreav

Hi,

I would go to The Mater or St Vincent's rather than using a high street chain - google "sasha rodoy" for more information, it pays to do a lot of research on the surgeon/procedure

Magenta

Laser Vision

endacreav wrote: »

Hi,

I would go to The Mater or St Vincent's rather than using a high street chain - google "sasha rodoy" for more information, it pays to do a lot of research on the surgeon/procedure

+1. Surgery is not the time for vouchers, bargain hunting and being a sales statistic.

lemmno

Hi all,
I got my eyes done with Optilase. I was -5.75 and -6. I got LASIK and I was very very very nervous on the day. The nurses were very nice and one stood by me the whole time reassuring me that everything was going well and counting down to when it would all be over. It didn't hurt but on one eye I definitely felt the pressure pushing down in me much more so than in the other eye...those of you who have done it will understand! Anyway, I had no problems...none. No discomfort after, no halo problems, no dry eye, no teary eye...nothing! I achieved better than 20/20 and to say I was delighted really doesn't come close to describing it. This was in 2009.
By 2013 I saw a dramatic regression and now I'm on the verge of needing glasses again. I'm wondering does anyone knows why this happened? Was I too young at 23? Had my vision not stabilised?
By the way, I'm still happy I had it done...I got a good 4/5 years out of it and as someone who likes to travel, play sports it really was amazing. But now I miss my super vision