Laser eye surgery tomorrow!

lcstress2012

Getting the LASEK procedure done tomorrow with Prof O'Keeffe in the Mater Private hospital. Been wearing glasses since I was 1 and I'm 22 now. A bit nervous now about the whole procedure, sure at least its all over in a few minutes.

Anyone who's got it done what happens before the procedure and how were your eyes/experiences the days after getting the surgery done?

eye.spy

Hey, best of luck tomorrow. Im booked in with Prof. O Keeffe in 2 weeks time so i can't give you any guidance on how it will go, But if you give 'Lasek' or 'O keeffe' a quick search on here it brings back quite a few results where people talk about their experience. I found this blog very good - https:// dublinlasek.wordpress.com - hopefully will give you some indication of how it will go!

As a side note, does anyone know if the Mater offers a lifetime guarantee on their work?

Best of luck tomorrow and keep us informed of how it goes any your recovery!!

eye.spy

How did you get on Lcstrees12? Happy with results so far?

lcstress2012

eye.spy wrote: »

How did you get on Lcstrees12? Happy with results so far?

Yes and no. I can see way better than I did without glasses but everything still no 100 % when I look at text its blurry. Spoke to surgeon and he says they'll heal in a few weeks as lasek takes a longer healing time up to 8 weeks he said. It's only been 2 weeks since surgery so hopefully will have better results by then ?

Fordpefect

lcstress2012 wrote: »

Yes and no. I can see way better than I did without glasses but everything still no 100 % when I look at text its blurry. Spoke to surgeon and he says they'll heal in a few weeks as lasek takes a longer healing time up to 8 weeks he said. It's only been 2 weeks since surgery so hopefully will have better results by then ?

Hi were you treated for shortsightedness or longsightedness, I have both and I am considering treatment,

ucd.1985

lcstress2012 wrote: »

Yes and no. I can see way better than I did without glasses but everything still no 100 % when I look at text its blurry. Spoke to surgeon and he says they'll heal in a few weeks as lasek takes a longer healing time up to 8 weeks he said. It's only been 2 weeks since surgery so hopefully will have better results by then ?

How much was the treatment if you dont mind me asking.

Thanks

NIMAN

Any update from the OP as to final result?

DOD555

Hi all, just though I would share my experience with laser eye surgery. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I underwent the Lasik surgery about 6 weeks ago.

Summary
Go for it! As someone who was wearing either glasses or contact lenses for the last 15 years, I find it so much easier. No more hassle of having to put in lenses when rushing for football or the gym or a night out. Shop around and get a few assessments just to ensure you are suitable, this is your eyes after all. The technology has never been more advanced so there has never been a safer time to do it (my brother and sister also got it done this year and highly recommend it). Everybody is different but I found the surgery fine, yes it was uncomfortable but only for around 20 seconds in each eye. My eyes were sore for around 2-3 hours after the surgery but after that it was fine once I put my drops in regularly (I got the Lasik treatment). It’s 6 weeks on now and no issues. Negotiate with the clinic, I got over €400 off the initial asking price. I went with Optilase who I found to be helpful and professional throughout. Please feel free to us me as a referral and you can get an additional €100 off (private mail me for details). Please read on for abit more detail (hope I don’t bore you!).

The Decision
I probably debated it for around 6 months before I finally decided to start booking consultations. It was always something I was planning on doing but I was worried my eyes hadn’t stabilised enough – my vision had changed slightly on my last 2 eye examination. But once you hit 25ish your eyes shouldn’t really change that much (I’m 31) so once you are older than 24/25 most clinics are happy to go ahead with it. Optilase gives a lifetime guarantee (and most clinics do give some form of guarantee) so if my eyes do get worse, they will give them another quick zap to fix them!

In terms of the surgery, there are 2 main types. Lasik and Lasek. You can google the difference but basically Lasik is the quick recovery option (they cut a circular flap on the eye surface first, then zap it and replace the flap) and most people get it (it’s also generally more expensive as they use 2 machines instead of one) unless there is some reason why you can’t get it (e.g. your cornea isn’t thick enough). I got my surgery done on a Friday around 4pm and was back to work on the Monday with no issues (I also have 4 computer screens and work 12 hours per day which I was worried about but no issues thankfully). I did have to turn the brightness down on my screens though.

In terms of clinic options, the ones who give free assessments (that I could find) are Optilase (who I went with), Optical Express and the Laser Vision Eye Clinic. All are in Dublin but I think most of them branches throughout the country. Then there is the private hospitals, Wellington at the Beacon and Blackrock clinic were the two I looked into but they were €100/€125 for the assessment (which does come off the cost of surgery if you do decide to go with them) and the actually costs of the surgery was quite expensive (around €3.5k/€4k). I would recommend to go for the free assessment with all 3 if possible. Just to get the differing opinions. Optilase actually said the cornea in one of my eyes was not thick enough for the Lasik initially but then they consulted with the surgeon and he was happy to go ahead with it. I went for a consultation at the Laser Vision Eye Clinic also. They were actually the cheapest (€2.5k for either type of surgery) but I just thought Optilase were abit more modern and also seemed to used several new technologies (e.g. idesign). They worked out slightly more expensive (around €2,700 after I negotiated them down from around €3,100 (which was the initial price they gave me including a 25% discount for having my health insurance with Irish Life). I also done the surgery at short notice which was one of the reasons they gave me a discount. How bad your eyes are also effects the cost (I was short-sighted, around -3.5 in both). I actually couldn’t get an appointment with Optical express, I couldn’t do Monday-Friday with work and they seemed to have very very limited availability on Saturdays – as in you have to book 2 months in advance! I had an appointment with them but had to cancel and the next Saturday appointment was 2 months down the line. From my other consultations I knew what type of surgery I needed so I asked them for a price and was quoted something ridiculous (including my health insurance discount) so I figured there was no point in waiting for the consultation. I would highly recommend Optilase, they were very professional from the outset, all their technology was very modern and new and the people working in the clinic were extremely nice and professional.

The Surgery
I was in the clinic for around 2.5 hours but spend the majority of that waiting around. They basically do all the tests again that they completed as part of the initial assessment (to make sure there have been no changes). The Lasik surgery consists of 2 parts, the first is the cutting of the flap with a laser (you don’t even feel this). The second part is the actual surgery when they burn away (reshape) some of your cornea. This is a little more uncomfortable, they place a suction ring over your eye so you can’t close it or move it. They ask you to stare at a red target and then start the sending laser pulses to reshape the cornea. The worse your eyesight, the longer this takes. Mine was around 20 seconds in one eye and 24 in the other (I have a stigma in one of my eyes). You really just feel pressure on your eye, like somebody pressing their finger against it, but it’s not really sore, just uncomfortable. After the surgery, they give your eyes a check to make sure everything is ok and you’re done. Should have also mentioned, they put numbing eye drops into your eyes before the surgery so you don’t feel the pain as much. This wore off when I got home (around 20 minutes after the surgery) and my eyes were sore for about a 2-3 hour period (this was the worst part). I basically lay in my bed with the curtains closes and lights off but my eyes felt really watery and it was quick uncomfortable. But after the initial 2-3 hours period I got out of bed and they were still a little sore but not that bad. The following day, they were a lot better and my vision was perfect which is the main thing.

The Aftercare
I had 3 different types of drops which I had to use for the first week (I was basically putting drops in every 2 hours) and then just one of the drops 4 times a day for the next 3 weeks. I’m around 6 weeks on from my surgery now and I still find my eyes abit dry in the morning so I put drops in every morning and then maybe twice more during the day depending on how my eyes feel. I still find bridge lights sometimes a little hard to look at, for example when I’m in bed some nights, I have to turn the brightness right down on my phone. I’ve done 2 follow up checks already (one the following day after the surgery and one after 4 weeks) – they check the flap is healing correctly and also do an eyesight test. There is a 3 month check also.

So that was my experience with laser eye vision, hope it was helpful. My eyesight has never been better and apart from abit of dryness in the mornings, I have had no issues. Obviously every person is different so this is just my experience.

Also if you decide to go with Optilase, you can use me a referral and you get an additional €100 off and I also get a €100 (Private mail me for details).

More than happy to answer any questions anybody who is considering the surgery may have.

Ms January

Hi Just wondering does anyone know waiting times for the Mater between consultation and surgery?

vigos

Ms January wrote: »

Hi Just wondering does anyone know waiting times for the Mater between consultation and surgery?

Depends how busy they are and when it suits you but could be as quick a couple of weeks, or at least I think that's what is was for me

mcgiggles

DOD555 wrote: »

Hi all, just though I would share my experience with laser eye surgery. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I underwent the Lasik surgery about 6 weeks ago.

Summary
Go for it! As someone who was wearing either glasses or contact lenses for the last 15 years, I find it so much easier. No more hassle of having to put in lenses when rushing for football or the gym or a night out. Shop around and get a few assessments just to ensure you are suitable, this is your eyes after all. The technology has never been more advanced so there has never been a safer time to do it (my brother and sister also got it done this year and highly recommend it). Everybody is different but I found the surgery fine, yes it was uncomfortable but only for around 20 seconds in each eye. My eyes were sore for around 2-3 hours after the surgery but after that it was fine once I put my drops in regularly (I got the Lasik treatment). It’s 6 weeks on now and no issues. Negotiate with the clinic, I got over €400 off the initial asking price. I went with Optilase who I found to be helpful and professional throughout. Please feel free to us me as a referral and you can get an additional €100 off (private mail me for details). Please read on for abit more detail (hope I don’t bore you!).

The Decision
I probably debated it for around 6 months before I finally decided to start booking consultations. It was always something I was planning on doing but I was worried my eyes hadn’t stabilised enough – my vision had changed slightly on my last 2 eye examination. But once you hit 25ish your eyes shouldn’t really change that much (I’m 31) so once you are older than 24/25 most clinics are happy to go ahead with it. Optilase gives a lifetime guarantee (and most clinics do give some form of guarantee) so if my eyes do get worse, they will give them another quick zap to fix them!

In terms of the surgery, there are 2 main types. Lasik and Lasek. You can google the difference but basically Lasik is the quick recovery option (they cut a circular flap on the eye surface first, then zap it and replace the flap) and most people get it (it’s also generally more expensive as they use 2 machines instead of one) unless there is some reason why you can’t get it (e.g. your cornea isn’t thick enough). I got my surgery done on a Friday around 4pm and was back to work on the Monday with no issues (I also have 4 computer screens and work 12 hours per day which I was worried about but no issues thankfully). I did have to turn the brightness down on my screens though.

In terms of clinic options, the ones who give free assessments (that I could find) are Optilase (who I went with), Optical Express and the Laser Vision Eye Clinic. All are in Dublin but I think most of them branches throughout the country. Then there is the private hospitals, Wellington at the Beacon and Blackrock clinic were the two I looked into but they were €100/€125 for the assessment (which does come off the cost of surgery if you do decide to go with them) and the actually costs of the surgery was quite expensive (around €3.5k/€4k). I would recommend to go for the free assessment with all 3 if possible. Just to get the differing opinions. Optilase actually said the cornea in one of my eyes was not thick enough for the Lasik initially but then they consulted with the surgeon and he was happy to go ahead with it. I went for a consultation at the Laser Vision Eye Clinic also. They were actually the cheapest (€2.5k for either type of surgery) but I just thought Optilase were abit more modern and also seemed to used several new technologies (e.g. idesign). They worked out slightly more expensive (around €2,700 after I negotiated them down from around €3,100 (which was the initial price they gave me including a 25% discount for having my health insurance with Irish Life). I also done the surgery at short notice which was one of the reasons they gave me a discount. How bad your eyes are also effects the cost (I was short-sighted, around -3.5 in both). I actually couldn’t get an appointment with Optical express, I couldn’t do Monday-Friday with work and they seemed to have very very limited availability on Saturdays – as in you have to book 2 months in advance! I had an appointment with them but had to cancel and the next Saturday appointment was 2 months down the line. From my other consultations I knew what type of surgery I needed so I asked them for a price and was quoted something ridiculous (including my health insurance discount) so I figured there was no point in waiting for the consultation. I would highly recommend Optilase, they were very professional from the outset, all their technology was very modern and new and the people working in the clinic were extremely nice and professional.

The Surgery
I was in the clinic for around 2.5 hours but spend the majority of that waiting around. They basically do all the tests again that they completed as part of the initial assessment (to make sure there have been no changes). The Lasik surgery consists of 2 parts, the first is the cutting of the flap with a laser (you don’t even feel this). The second part is the actual surgery when they burn away (reshape) some of your cornea. This is a little more uncomfortable, they place a suction ring over your eye so you can’t close it or move it. They ask you to stare at a red target and then start the sending laser pulses to reshape the cornea. The worse your eyesight, the longer this takes. Mine was around 20 seconds in one eye and 24 in the other (I have a stigma in one of my eyes). You really just feel pressure on your eye, like somebody pressing their finger against it, but it’s not really sore, just uncomfortable. After the surgery, they give your eyes a check to make sure everything is ok and you’re done. Should have also mentioned, they put numbing eye drops into your eyes before the surgery so you don’t feel the pain as much. This wore off when I got home (around 20 minutes after the surgery) and my eyes were sore for about a 2-3 hour period (this was the worst part). I basically lay in my bed with the curtains closes and lights off but my eyes felt really watery and it was quick uncomfortable. But after the initial 2-3 hours period I got out of bed and they were still a little sore but not that bad. The following day, they were a lot better and my vision was perfect which is the main thing.

The Aftercare
I had 3 different types of drops which I had to use for the first week (I was basically putting drops in every 2 hours) and then just one of the drops 4 times a day for the next 3 weeks. I’m around 6 weeks on from my surgery now and I still find my eyes abit dry in the morning so I put drops in every morning and then maybe twice more during the day depending on how my eyes feel. I still find bridge lights sometimes a little hard to look at, for example when I’m in bed some nights, I have to turn the brightness right down on my phone. I’ve done 2 follow up checks already (one the following day after the surgery and one after 4 weeks) – they check the flap is healing correctly and also do an eyesight test. There is a 3 month check also.

So that was my experience with laser eye vision, hope it was helpful. My eyesight has never been better and apart from abit of dryness in the mornings, I have had no issues. Obviously every person is different so this is just my experience.

Also if you decide to go with Optilase, you can use me a referral and you get an additional €100 off and I also get a €100 (Private mail me for details).

More than happy to answer any questions anybody who is considering the surgery may have.

Who did your surgery in Optilase? I am short sighted and its costing 2700 after Therapie discount and Laya discount, this seems to be the going rate for it, I have my apt Friday I've to get the PRK surgery and Eamonn Hynes is doing it..

DOD555

mcgiggles wrote: »

Who did your surgery in Optilase? I am short sighted and its costing 2700 after Therapie discount and Laya discount, this seems to be the going rate for it, I have my apt Friday I've to get the PRK surgery and Eamonn Hynes is doing it..

I got mine done with Dr Wayne Crewe-brown, he was very good although your only with the surgeon very briefly!

mcgiggles

Day 5 after PRK with Eamonn Hynes in Optilase Dublin! Happy so far any questions just PM me!

cornygall

mcgiggles wrote: »

Day 5 after PRK with Eamonn Hynes in Optilase Dublin! Happy so far any questions just PM me!

Hi how is your eyes now 8 weeks on?? How long did you take off work after surgery? Am contemplating going for PKR in April have a appointment with prof O keeve on Thursday!!

mcgiggles

cornygall wrote:

Hi how is your eyes now 8 weeks on?? How long did you take off work after surgery? Am contemplating going for PKR in April have a appointment with prof O keeve on Thursday!!

Hey cornygal, they are great! A little bit sensitive if I get something in them but that's to be expected! No issue with them at all the last few weeks. Just under 20:20 after my first eye test from just over -4.5 and -5.5. They get a bit dry the odd time but I work in pharma so there's a/c, computers and bright lights to deal with daily so that'd be a big factor. I booked it for the week before Christmas so I had 2 weeks off work. You will definitely need a week anyways to get the lenses out after 5 days. Doc will give you cert! The first few weeks they were dry enough but not until I went back to work for the reasons above. Do you work on computers? The first week back was sucky enough from the dryness and brightness and looking at comps all day my eyes physically got tired! Oddest feeling haha.. I'd have no qualms recommending it! The freedom is unreal! Day 2 after surgery sucked but the rest was fine! They tell you that though cos that's when the cells are actually growing back over the cornea! It's not sore as such it just feels like you've been chopping onions all day! I only used the numbing drops that day and after that day was grand again! Any questions or if you want to use my name as a referral you can pm me.. that gives you 100 off the surgery and they send me the same :-)

cornygall

Nah man I drive for a living but am thinking that maybe driving in the dark for the first few months I might have problems!! How do you find driving in the dark?? If I decide to go with laser surgery it will be with Mr O Keeve in the Mater so I'm afraid I can't get you a 100 sheets����!!

mcgiggles

Oh yeah no worries! :-) I couldn't drive at night at the first week if the roads were busy it was too glarey.. the second week or 2 I wore sunglasses driving at night.. looked like a tool but it stopped the glare so much! Car lights nearly looked pixelated and like starbursts.. It's all grand now though! I always had glarey night vision so any improvement at all would have been good.. Sometimes now when I've had a long day at work and my eyes are tired, signs can be a bit glarey but nothing major!