Laser eye surgery

[XJSJohn]

RobM77 said:

XJSJohn said:

another LASEK done in '07 out in Singapore.

about 30 seconds an eye and sent packing with a care pack (wash bag).

Was down the pub that night and driving to work the following morning.

eyes were itchy as buggery for a week then all good

had an eye test 6 months ago (SWMBO was getting her new bins and i was just curious as was the optician), still 20/20 distance but i am just starting to notice some strain on extra small print, but i guess thats just age catching up. so thats getting on for 12 years and still working well!

i was -3 in the left and -3.75 in the right eye.

one of the best things i have ever done.

LASIK I'm guessing, not LASEK. With LASEK I was lying in a dark room for two days in immense pain and took about a week to be functioning normally again.

Quite possibly, I couldn’t see very well when I went in, and never looked back when I left

[So]

Blackpuddin said:

harveys said:

I’m in the midlands. Any recommendations of where to go?

Neither of the places above I'd say.
Have you cast your eyes (sic) abroad?

Whilst I don’t necessarily agree with Blown2cv above about a price / quality association I don’t think I would look abroad to save money.

After any major eye procedure you want accessible aftercare. Sometimes at short notice.

I know quite a lot of people who’ve had laser or lens replacement and not had swift access to aftercare when they’ve needed it. Usually because they’ve used a “highly regarded” consultant who has been unavailable other than through his secretary once the procedure has been completed. A couple of them have had quite unpleasant problems as a consequence.

I would do lots of research and choose the provider most likely to give me a good outcome. Price would be low down my list of considerations, but it would be folly to assume that paying more will necessarily buy a better experience. But whoever did it would be close to where I live or otherwise have a good support infrastructure nearby.

[RobM77]

So said:

Blackpuddin said:

harveys said:

I’m in the midlands. Any recommendations of where to go?

Neither of the places above I'd say.
Have you cast your eyes (sic) abroad?

Whilst I don’t necessarily agree with Blown2cv above about a price / quality association I don’t think I would look abroad to save money.

After any major eye procedure you want accessible aftercare. Sometimes at short notice.

I know quite a lot of people who’ve had laser or lens replacement and not had swift access to aftercare when they’ve needed it. Usually because they’ve used a “highly regarded” consultant who has been unavailable other than through his secretary once the procedure has been completed. A couple of them have had quite unpleasant problems as a consequence.

I would do lots of research and choose the provider most likely to give me a good outcome. Price would be low down my list of considerations, but it would be folly to assume that paying more will necessarily buy a better experience.

Hmm - the opposite was true for me. I paid more for a highly regarded consultant precisely because of his superior aftercare - he was available whenever I needed him and I had very regular checkup appointments. I can't remember the exact frequency of checkups, but it was something like 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 3 months etc.

[Four Litre]

eltax91 said:

Hi all

After 15 years of wearing contacts, recently I went to optical express for an assessment on Laser Eye Surgery. After the assessment they told me i'm an "ideal" candidate for their "iDesign" LASIK service and given the prescription and other detail, I would qualify for their 20:20 vision or money back guarantee.

Now, they started out at near enough £5k for this special service, which is "unique" to them. In a follow up call they quickly came down to £3390, which is the advertised price on the web, when I decided I didn't think the benefit worth the cost, they dropped further still, to just under £3k.

So, as they were being silly with their pricing (building it up to discount and apply pressure sales technique), I decided to sound out some others. Ultralase are offering their "wavefront" technology for less money, with the same guarantee and seemingly, on the face of i, the same LASIK surgery and same scan of the eye. However, OE insist that THEY have a unique product, that they are the only one's with the "pukka" scanning capability to completely profile the eye and therefore give the safest and best results.

So not being an expert on such matters, anyone out there had it done? Was it worth it?

Anyone work in the industry and can tell me the truth behind all these names and brands? I assume it's just the same medical procedure, service and equipment, possibly even at the same clinic! But then this is my eyes i'm considering messing with, so I want to make the right choice, regardless of cost!!

HELP

Blind and confused:

Steer well clear of Optical Express. A colleague of mine (and several others I have met) have had their eyes messed up by them and now they don't water as the nerves from the cornea dont repair. I know this as I have brain tumour that gives me the same problem, hence we have met. through vairous groups. One is even an young girl at work who is now in permanent pain over a year and half later. She had the work checked by Moorefields who reported that her eyes had been to quote 'Butchered'.

As another posted mentioned there are two types, I understand the cheaper of the two and performed by OE is likely to be banned in the states due to a lot of post op problems. There was a case of a TV anchor committing suicide afterwards as it leaves you in a life of pain you cant imagine.

[So]

Four Litre said:

Steer well clear of Optical Express. A colleague of mine (and several others I have met) have had their eyes messed up by them and now they don't water as the nerves from the cornea dont repair. I know this as I have brain tumour that gives me the same problem, hence we have met. through vairous groups. One is even an young girl at work who is now in permanent pain over a year and half later. She had the work checked by Moorefields who reported that her eyes had been to quote 'Butchered'.

I’ve no experience of Optical Express with regard to laser surgery, but I would be quite surprised if they had “butchered” anyone’s eyes.

That sounds like third-hand nonsense to me. But I would qualify that by observing surgeons are a lot like builders in my experience. If I had a pound for every time a consultant had sucked his teeth and muttered, “oosh who did THAT to you” I would never need to pay for private health care again.

I had RLE surgery with OE and did a lot of research. The surgeons who could have done my op were both very experienced and well regarded. The one who actually did it is one of the best known experts in the field.

I don’t doubt that OE does cock things up from time to time, but so does every private hospital as well. I would not hesitate to use them again, but would also do my research again and make sure I knew the ins and outs of everything.

[Mr Pointy]

So said:

I’ve no experience of Optical Express with regard to laser surgery, but I would be quite surprised if they had “butchered” anyone’s eyes.

That sounds like third-hand nonsense to me. But I would qualify that by observing surgeons are a lot like builders in my experience. If I had a pound for every time a consultant had sucked his teeth and muttered, “oosh who did THAT to you” I would never need to pay for private health care again.

I had RLE surgery with OE and did a lot of research. The surgeons who could have done my op were both very experienced and well regarded. The one who actually did it is one of the best known experts in the field.

I don’t doubt that OE does cock things up from time to time, but so does every private hospital as well. I would not hesitate to use them again, but would also do my research again and make sure I knew the ins and outs of everything.

It's a great shame 968 can no longer post on this subject. He would have no difficulty disagreeing with your view.

[So]

Mr Pointy said:

It's a great shame 968 can no longer post on this subject. He would have no difficulty disagreeing with your view.

He never has, so I doubt he would start today.

I am not quite sure why he is barred, but I will limit what I offer on the subject. Suffice it to say that the commercial firms are his competition and he has never worked in one, as far as I am aware. So I wouldn’t allow his opinion to influence my treatment decision either way.

But going back to the main point. I am in the unfortunate position of having had a fair amount of private surgery in recent years and I can absolutely assure you that paying a top consultant is no guarantee of a good outcome. I would always favour an operator with very high volume in a specific discipline, and a visible reputation in that field.