Laser Eye Treatment

hamster

I'm basically considering LASIK treatment which will hopefully do away with the need for wearing glasses. Most experiences (95%) have been very positive and the worse case is bak to glasses. Has anyone here considered this or went ahead?

zenith

A co-worker had this done: went very well. She experienced a feeling that she said was like grit in her eye for a couple of days, and some dryness in her eye that she had to deal with with drops, but all symptoms went away in a week or two. She's now having to deal with not having to wear glasses, as she finds herself searching for them before she leaves the house without realising that she does not need them any more.

YMMV, but she's positive about it.

hamster

Yeah I bet it like waking up for the next day and you start in 110% form until you get used to only seeing clearly at a distance again. Fairly expensive though 2000 euro per eye but well worth it if you put it beside car insurance. More tangable too!

Kali

There was a very lengthy discussion on this a while ago.. try a search and you'll come up with a bit of info, and ppls experiences with lasik.

Lorax

Ive heard some bad experiences with them. like one guy on these boards said it actually worsened his vision
Theres nothin wrong with contact lens imo

Lenny

Don't tell me your car insurance goes down if yea don't wear glasses driving?

And the topic was on after hours, made by C@stor troy, AFAIK..

hamster

Ive heard some bad experiences with them. like one guy on these boards said it actually worsened his vision

Yeah that possible, they could over or uncorrect the problem but worse case in 99% of cases is that you would need further treatments to correct. Even then if it didn't work you'd be back to glasses.

In my case I had glasses for 10 years now and I'm sick of 'em and I'm am willing to go ahead with it. It's nothing to do with car insurance... just made that comparison that the cost is minor compared to the apparent waste on car insurance on a similar cost basis.

Saruman

Use the search function and check out my thread. There are a few posts in that one. I had it done and its great.

PiE

Once you get it done once, is that it? Or do you need to get it re-done every 10 years or something?

hamster

You should only need to get it corrected once (unless you need a few sessions to get it right -rare).

When you are 40+ (like most/quite a few people) you will find you will probably need reading glasses (for up close).

thedrowner

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69643

found that on the science board, and quite negative

yankinlk

a friend of mine in the states got it done, best thing he ever did. Spend $500 on a plane ticket, pay $1000 for both eyes and get it done right.

Zaphod B

I'm very short sighted, I need glasses for pretty much everything and my lenses get thicker each year, so I doubt this could do much for me (they say your sight needs to stay the same for a year). Still I was considering it as a possibility - the short-term cost seems better than the cost of upgrading lenses annually and buying expensive contacts, and my eyesight is getting worse at a pretty alarming rate. Having said that, that website put me off in a big way, and I'd want more than a 90% chance of success if the symptoms on that site are anything to go by.

Any erm, objective sources out there?

Lorax

my optician said your sight has to be the same for 4 years,

Zaphod B

lol im completely forked then

kamobe

I'm very short sighted, I need glasses for pretty much everything and my lenses get thicker each year

Choose really small frames and high index glass (Zeiss 1.9 index glass is fantastic), & unless your prescription is -8 or more, you won't have to worry about thick lenses anymore

With respect to laser surgery, you've to sign a consent form, taking all responsibility for the out come(!). In recent years I've heard of no problems with it. It *was* cheaper to have it done up north, even with the exchange rates, so look into that before ya splash out 2k per eye.

Nevyn

the thing is there is a limit to how bad your eyes sight can be even with corrective lense and if you are over that limit you will not be issued a drivers liense.

So if you have a full one already your fine but if not nad your eyes
keep getting worse you will fail the requirements to drive.

hamster

After looking up more about this, you can go for:

1) LASIK (suitable for low to moderately high corrections)

2) PDK (which is suitable for low corrections).

My own are eyes are
R Sphere -2.00, Cylinder +0.50, Axis 130
L Sphere -2.00, Cylinder +0.50, Axis 90

I'd probably fit the PDK backet but I'd prefer LASIK if possible since recovery is much quicker and results much more rapid. Rare risk of infection.

I'm quoted 2030 euro per eye and 100 euro consulation fee. 3 months waiting period. Tax deductable.

hallelujajordan

You should follow the thread link above and look at the website quoted . . . I'm thinking about laser surgery too and this has really made me think twice !

Edser

I have also considered the treatment.

A friend of mine had this done and was extremely positive about it. Quick, painless and corrected his sight but as with most surgical procedures there may be risks. Just do some research, there's plenty out there.

Some links I found :

http://www.allaboutlasik.com/

http://www.lasikdisaster.com/

unkel

hamster,

your spec ;-) is pretty much the same as I used to be (-2.25 both eyes and cylinder in one eye)

got mine done in the charlemont clinic in Ballsbridge in March 2002.

Man, it is the best thing that has happened to me. I got lucky. Most people with lenses or glasses are normally fitted with so-called perfect vision (20/20 vision). Mine has worked out to be 20/12 vision. This means (and I had no idea about this pre-op) that if somebody with 20/20 vision stands away from an object at twelve meters (with 20/20 vision) and I stand away at twenty meters (20/12 vision) we can both see the same clarity/detail. The consultant reckoned I got hawks' vision now.

It cost me €4200 gross for both eyes and I hope you are a higher rate tax payer like myself, meaning €2500 net including all checkups.

Man, go for it now and you will never look back. Every day I wake up and look into the garden and beyond towards the mountains I am most pleased. When I am in my car I am always the first person to see and read the signposts.

To comfort you further, the doctors and especially the nurses in the charlemont clinic are very professional. The only known risk at this stage is infection. The charlemont clinic has been performing this op for more than 10 years now and they claim they have not had a case of infection after a LASIK operation yet.

Good luck man

sal*

has anyone out there had it done in the Blackrock Clinic? Cost is €4200 for both eyes. Have an appointment for next mth for an initial assessment.

Steveire

That thing about your eyes being stable for 4 years is rubbish. Mine we're only stable about 1 and no one even checked, AFAIK, to confirm that, or ask me if my eyes were stable.
It's expensive, but the best money i've ever spent.

I got it done in Blackrock clinic (Dr Browne i think isn't it). Very professional. I didn't have any 3 month waiting list though, i think it was less than two months between my first query to getting it done. That was back in september.

sal*

Hi Steveire

did you have LASIK or PRK? What was your prescription before you got it done? Did you have to take long off work?

thanks
Sal

SparkyLarks

Remember that the surgeon will be cutting your eye and firing a laser into it.

If you can live with contacts/glasses then why get it done, ther is a very low risk of something going wrong and leading to blindness, maybe 1,000,000 to 1 but millions are getting this done and do you want to be the 1 in 1 million, is it worth the risk??

Ther are also serious questions over night vision. Germany the only country which insists on an night vision test for driving has found that night vision does decrease in 75% of cases post surgery.

It comes down to do you need to get Laser surgery done. Most doctors are against elective procedures due to the risks involved and ther is always a risk.

Also I have a pal who worked on the design of the lasers used in eye surgery and he wears glasses. I'm not getting it done till he does

Zillah

My sister got it done, seemed easy painless and troubleless, now have perfect vision, hasn't worn glasses or contacts in several years. I'm getting it done as soon as my eyes have stabilised.

QC

I got LASIK done last September, I was about -6 with a slight astygmatism. I now have better than 20/20 vision. Best thing I ever did. The only side effect is that my night time vision is not as good as daytime (but still better than before). I was told that this would probably be the case.
I went to Optical Express in Belfast, got it done in Newcastle, flew over and back the same day.The whole thing cost about £1200 Sterlin. They can perform most of the treatments in Belfast now, they hadn't the equipment there when I went.
I was talking to the Surgeon they use in Belfast when I was there for a check up. He's from Dublin, and he was telling me that the prices they charge here are a complete rip-off, that the big cost of doing the surgery is the capital expense of the euipment, and insurance costs. After that, each procedure costs very little. He told me that he was going to try and set up a clinic in Dublin, charging as close to UK prices as he could, I don't know if he would have gotten it up and running yet though.

BaZmO*

SparkyLarks wrote:

Also I have a pal who worked on the design of the lasers used in eye surgery and he wears glasses. I'm not getting it done till he does

LOL.

QC wrote:

He told me that he was going to try and set up a clinic in Dublin, charging as close to UK prices as he could, I don't know if he would have gotten it up and running yet though.

But aren't insurance prices much much higher here compared to the UK?

B.

seamus

I've now seen the operation performed once or twice. I don't know if I could go through with it unless I was unconscious.

RuggieBear

seamus wrote:

I've now seen the operation performed once or twice. I don't know if I could go through with it unless I was unconscious.

I had it done.....worst thing about it is thinking about what is actually being done when you hear the sawing and smell the burning..... :eek:

sal*

yes i heard that alright, that you could smell your eyes burning!! is it true that they give you valium so you don't care anyway? Or just those eye drops to numb your eyes?

Totally agree with QC, i think that the surgeons here are getting away with charging such high prices because you can get tax relief if you get it done in the republic. I heard of another person going up to belfast to get it done and apparently it was full of southerners!

John R

SparkyLarks wrote:

Remember that the surgeon will be cutting your eye and firing a laser into it.

If you can live with contacts/glasses then why get it done, ther is a very low risk of something going wrong and leading to blindness, maybe 1,000,000 to 1 but millions are getting this done and do you want to be the 1 in 1 million, is it worth the risk??

Ther are also serious questions over night vision. Germany the only country which insists on an night vision test for driving has found that night vision does decrease in 75% of cases post surgery.

It comes down to do you need to get Laser surgery done. Most doctors are against elective procedures due to the risks involved and ther is always a risk.

Also I have a pal who worked on the design of the lasers used in eye surgery and he wears glasses. I'm not getting it done till he does

Having had laser eye surgery is an instant disqualification for some jobs now, I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes commonplace soon for many areas requiring good eyesight in safety-critical roles.

seamus

John R wrote:

Having had laser eye surgery is an instant disqualification for some jobs now, I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes commonplace soon for many areas requiring good eyesight in safety-critical roles.

Wouldn't you be disqualified if you had poor eyesight anyway?

Saruman

sal* wrote:

has anyone out there had it done in the Blackrock Clinic? Cost is €4200 for both eyes. Have an appointment for next mth for an initial assessment.

Thats where i had it done a few years back but it was cheaper then.
Its class, you can see normally the next day. You just have to be careful and not play sports for 6 months.

I have no serious side effects. Only thing is my eyes are more prone to fatigue but then again i work with computers and some monitors are a killer

I find i have PERFECT vision in sunlight ( if a little photosensative) and PERFECT vision at night.. but when its starting to get dark.. at dusk etc... i cant see so well ... sort of like the dragons in Reign of Fire

My right eye had an astigmatism before and after the surgury (about 6 months or more) it came back a little. So my right eye, while having good vision.. is not quite as clear as my left. I dont need any glasses for it.. its perfectly fine.

Im glad i did it though.. no regrets.. i can see great now and its such a difference. Hell i can see better than glasses!!

sal*

Thank you Saruman, its nice to get some positive feedback, nearly everyone has or knows of some horror story!

Steveire

i had LASIK done. my eyes were -7.5, -8.5. pretty bad you'll agree. They'll give you valium if you need it, but i didn't need any. I had it done on i think the thursday, and that was fine. But had to go up to his clinic on the north-side the following day for the follow up examination. so i missed two mornings from lectures. Then i missed another morning a month later for the last check up, and now i'll never see him again (it went really well). I had to stop myself from laughing when i smelt the burning. The thought was just running through my head "I can smell my eyes burning"...

almostagassi

seek impartial advice, i reckon some of the advice on this thread is coming from people that represents the industry and only care about your money

ShinyDiscoBall

Just like to point out that it is important that no one gets their hopes up when going for their first consultation. I was considering getting it done but when i went out for my inital check up i was found to have a condition in my eye that would make me an unsuitable candidate for the treatment.

Im just saying for those interested in gettin it done go in expecting everything and you wont be disappointed.

Otherwise i would have got it done in a heart beat but thats the way the cookie crumbles as they say!!!

Victor

Be aware that if you need a specific eye-sight level for work (garda, army, pilot) that laser eye treatment may be disallowed.

Zaph

I was at my optician a few weeks ago, and while I had no intention of getting laser surgery done this time around as I don't have a couple of grand to spare right now, I asked him about it as I had considered it a possibility next time I go for an eye test. While I know quite a few people who have had the procedure done and are all delighted with it, he pointed out a couple of things to me that I'd never heard before that made me reconsider, at least given my circumstances.

Basically he pointed out to me that my head was "large", and as a result so are my eye sockets and eyeballs. This has a couple of consequences:

1. Apparently everyone has roughly the same amount of retinal tissue, and if you have bigger eyes it basically stretches thinner at the back of the eye. The surgery involves a bit of movement of the eyeball, and this can weaken the already thinner retina and lead to detached retinas in the months after surgery. To counteract this a different laser operation under general anaesthetic is required during which the retina is fused to the eyeball, thereby preventing detachment at a later stage.

2. My eyesight is -8 in both eyes, and again due to the large size of the eyeball my optician told me that it may not be possible to bring my eyesight back to 20/20. This is something to do with the focal length of my eyes, but he said that I may end up with something around -2, so I'd still have to wear glasses.

I'm not trying to put anyone off here, I'd love to be able to have the surgery myself, but it does seem that there are limitations if you've got a combination of bad eyesight and a bigger than average cranium.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

Bamboozled

My sister got it done, and so did my cousin - both are back to wearing specs. They're not as strong as they were but the eye sight did diminish considerably within 3 years of getting both eyes for both of them done. My sister got it done in CUH, Cork and my cousin in Dublin somewhere. My sister wasnt asked any questions about having her family comleted when getting it done but my cousin was. My cousin was told that it wasnt worth females getting it done until after they had all their children because something to do with body changes during pregnancy can reverse the eyesight. Check that part out if you are female and are young enough to still add to your family.

It may or may not be true.

QC

BaZmO* wrote:

But aren't insurance prices much much higher here compared to the UK?

B.

I think the point he was making is that the insurance is a once a year, capital cost, and if he could get enough patients, once that was paid off, the running costs were low. By charging a lower price, he hoped to get more patients (the ones that go to the north or england).

shaz021

hi i am going to london to get lasik on my eyes nest thursday week the 5th may, i have my consultation on the wednesday an surgery on the thursday-proviing i am eligable, then on the fri i have an aftercare appointment , then flight home,

is it costing me £1700 for both eyes thats about €2300, i calculated it will cost me just over 3000 all together, including flights(i am paying for my friend to come with me)and accomadation and spending money,

i have to get it done for the garda, my eyes are only -2.25 and -2.5 so hopefully i will get hawk eyes as well! lol
i am going to optimax in finchey, i willl fill ye in on the details if anyone wants when i get back.

re:valium, i will be taking that!!

Sleepy

I've heard a few nightmare stories about it but that said, one of the guys I work with got the surgery done over ten years ago in the states back when they were using a scalpel rather than lazers and recovery time was close to a month and he still has 20/20 over a decade later.