Laser eye surgery
Discussion
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:
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:
968 said:
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:
It sounds like marketing jargon. iDesign is just wavefront guided LASIK, which is what other people offer. As far as I know wavefront offers no real benefit to patients other than those having retreatments, but it's a nice idea. Ask them to specify precisely what the difference is between their product and wavefront guided lasik. You'll find it's the same. You're right to query this, but you might also want to ensure that this is the most appropriate option of treatment for you, given your prescription.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:
The OE guy was talking about divets on golf balls and how the eye is like that, and their treatment laser all the divet's and others don't. I didn't buy it, it sounded like he was trying to talk me into it. He also mentioned iDesign was unique technology "contracted" to OE by the Moorfields eye hospital London and only their centres had this technology. That's why the price is higher. He said the others have different names for a lesser but similar technique.
I'm a -6.5 in one eye (also astigmatic) and a -6 in the other. Well at least I think I am!
Given the limited info on my prescription, how do I work out what's most appropriate for me?
968 said:
eltax91 said:
Thanks for the answer. I see this is your field of expertise!
The OE guy was talking about divets on golf balls and how the eye is like that, and their treatment laser all the divet's and others don't. I didn't buy it, it sounded like he was trying to talk me into it. He also mentioned iDesign was unique technology "contracted" to OE by the Moorfields eye hospital London and only their centres had this technology. That's why the price is higher. He said the others have different names for a lesser but similar technique.
I'm a -6.5 in one eye (also astigmatic) and a -6 in the other. Well at least I think I am!
Given the limited info on my prescription, how do I work out what's most appropriate for me?
He's talking bThe OE guy was talking about divets on golf balls and how the eye is like that, and their treatment laser all the divet's and others don't. I didn't buy it, it sounded like he was trying to talk me into it. He also mentioned iDesign was unique technology "contracted" to OE by the Moorfields eye hospital London and only their centres had this technology. That's why the price is higher. He said the others have different names for a lesser but similar technique.
I'm a -6.5 in one eye (also astigmatic) and a -6 in the other. Well at least I think I am!
Given the limited info on my prescription, how do I work out what's most appropriate for me?
ks. Wavefront is an established technique which is not unique to any hospital, least of all Moorfields. iLasik is just using a femtosecond laser to produce the lasik flap. This is certainly not unique to OE or Moorfields. This kind of jargonese really annoys me.
You haven't given me your age but if you're young ie <35 then I'd say LASIK or LASEK would be perfectly reasonable, and should result in a good corrected acuity and probably spectacle independence. If you're in London go and see Mr Ali Mearza.
Edited by 968 on Friday 19th June 16:50
I'm 32, contacts for 15 years, glasses for 5 before that. I'm in Leicester, so London is not an option for me sadly. Given the information you have given me, I think I will talk to some of the other providers. Its really concerning though that this can be comodotized in such a way. A medical procedure is a medical procedure and it should be defined, accurate and not sold with loads of mystery!
It's getting so complicated for me to know whats good and whats not I'm half tempted not to bother with it at all.
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