Laser eye surgery ?

[J4CKO]

Just saw it mentioned on something on TV and realised I had never considered it.

Am 50 this year, -5 ish in the right eye, - 3.75 ish in the left, am finding as well I am taking my glasses off to look at anything close up.

Worth a try ? Best avoided ? How much should it cost ?

[the cueball]

Don’t go to optical express is all I’ll say.



https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-scottish-mail-o...

[Mr MXT]

I’ve gone from -16 in both eyes to not needing glasses. You get what you pay for vs the pile them high laser them cheap brigade imo. After service has been excellent.

https://www.oclvision.com/

[J4CKO]

Mr MXT said:

I’ve gone from -16 in both eyes to not needing glasses. You get what you pay for vs the pile them high laser them cheap brigade imo. After service has been excellent.

https://www.oclvision.com/

-16 ?

Whats the prescription for that, a nice Labrador ?

Thats pretty impressive though to get that much improvement.

Whats the ball park sort of cost ?

[Mr MXT]

I was well outside the laser range, so had two ops - implantable contact lens and then LASEK afterwards.

https://www.oclvision.com/prices/

[bompey]

I went to Moorfields about 10 years when I was early 40s. Pricey but you’re paying for the best. Best thing I did.

[CharlieH89]

As you are in the North West I’m sure I’ve seen Royal Manchester eye hospital mentioned on here before.

[coach]

Do not ever risk the high street eye cutters. Ever.
If you have to have it then go to one of the recommended private and reassuringly expensive specialist eye hospitals.
Personal recommendation is the Centre for Sight run by Shiraz Dyer.

We had a long court battle with one of them one of the cheap high street outfits.

[drmike37]

I considered this last year. In the end I went to see a consultant ophthalmologist privately for an assessment.
We came to the conclusion that at 40 I wouldn’t get a long period of benefit before reading glasses start, and if it were to go wrong my career would be ruined (people seem to appreciate good eyesight in their surgeons).
Helped me put the idea to bed.

[RobM77]

I had laser surgery aged 30 and it changed my life. I was so short sighted that I couldn't do anything without glasses; even showering and shaving was difficult. I'm very active, and glasses and contact lenses were either interfering with sports, or preventing me doing them altogether. I'm now a bit better than 6/6 (20/20 in old money) in both eyes, although aged 43 I'm starting to go long-sighted now...

[croyde]

I nearly had it done in my 40s but I was told that I would need reading glasses.

I thought if I have to carry glasses all the time, I might as well continue wearing them and just use the one day contact lenses when swimming, holidays etc.

I probably get through less than 30 pairs of contact lenses a year. Thus cheap.

I'm now late 50s. I tried various varifocal contact lenses a few years back but couldn't get on with them. Would quite often be able to see the speedo but not signs 30m away. Not safe.

Have things changed? I'm about -5.75 in both eyes and need 1.5 strength glasses if I am wearing my contact lenses, in order to look at anything within 30cms.

[Mr Pointy]

J4CKO said:

Just saw it mentioned on something on TV and realised I had never considered it.

Am 50 this year, -5 ish in the right eye, - 3.75 ish in the left, am finding as well I am taking my glasses off to look at anything close up.

Worth a try ? Best avoided ? How much should it cost?

If you had been 15 years younger then maybe but at your age it's likley you will soon start to see age-related changes which will mean need you need reading glasses. It's probably false economy to spend £5k & find out your vision deteriorates so you need glasses anyway. There's also the issue of if/when you develop cataracts. Having had laser surgery can cause some issues with the lens replacement surgery.

I'd venture that 50 is borderline too old to be considering laser surgery. You could look at RLE surgery though.

Just a note: every opthalmic surgeon & consultant I've seen over the last three years has worn glasses. That should tell you something.

[RobM77]

croyde said:

I nearly had it done in my 40s but I was told that I would need reading glasses.

I thought if I have to carry glasses all the time, I might as well continue wearing them and just use the one day contact lenses when swimming, holidays etc.

I probably get through less than 30 pairs of contact lenses a year. Thus cheap.

I'm now late 50s. I tried various varifocal contact lenses a few years back but couldn't get on with them. Would quite often be able to see the speedo but not signs 30m away. Not safe.

Have things changed? I'm about -5.75 in both eyes and need 1.5 strength glasses if I am wearing my contact lenses, in order to look at anything within 30cms.

Long-sightedness is age related and happens to anyone sadly. My distance vision is still pin sharp, 13 years after laser treatment, but I'm starting to struggle when reading small print.

[Mr Pointy]

croyde said:

I'm now late 50s. I tried various varifocal contact lenses a few years back but couldn't get on with them. Would quite often be able to see the speedo but not signs 30m away. Not safe.

Have things changed? I'm about -5.75 in both eyes and need 1.5 strength glasses if I am wearing my contact lenses, in order to look at anything within 30cms.

Again, you're probably too old to get much benefit for the cost of laser surgery. It's quite possible you'll need cataract surgery in the next 10 years anyway.

I was -7.5 in both eyes & had worn contact lenses & glasses for 30 years. Folowing cataract surgery I don't use glasses for anything other than reading my iPad. One eye handles distance vision (TV to infinity) & the other covers food packet labels to the PC screen.

[J4CKO]

Hmm, food for thought, I am going to need reading glasses anyway, or bifocals.

I did wear lenses for ages but maybe 18 months ago I have up on that and since then I have noticed reading small print has got harder so will no doubt end up with Bifocals/Varifocals which will probably cost quite a bit anyway, the wife spent the best part of a grand on some.

Was sort of thinking get the distance vision sorted and then just have reading glasses for close up stuff.

But was also thinking that 2 to 3 grand would get it done, not 5, that is a bit too spendy for me. Didnt realise the big names were so badly thought of, not heard of them routinely ruining peoples sight but not something you want to take chances with.

Did those who hasve it doen have both done on the same day, my wife kept saying just get one done, see how it goes then get the other done but dont think it works like that does it ?

[Aletank]

Whats the thoughts on going abroad for eye surgery ? I've seen this place mentioned on forums for £600 per eye in Poland .... http://lasik.lagunamedical.pl/cennik/

[Mr Pointy]

J4CKO said:

Did those who hasve it doen have both done on the same day, my wife kept saying just get one done, see how it goes then get the other done but dont think it works like that does it ?

I think most places only do one eye at a time in case it goes wrong or you end up with a infection. Having said that my friend had both eyes operated on for cataracts on the same day, but it's not what I would do.

[Mr Pointy]

Aletank said:

Whats the thoughts on going abroad for eye surgery ? I've seen this place mentioned on forums for £600 per eye in Poland .... http://lasik.lagunamedical.pl/cennik/

I think you'd have to be incredibly brave to have any eye procedure done abroad as a medical tourist.

[RobM77]

Mr Pointy said:

Aletank said:

Whats the thoughts on going abroad for eye surgery ? I've seen this place mentioned on forums for £600 per eye in Poland .... http://lasik.lagunamedical.pl/cennik/

I think you'd have to be incredibly brave to have any eye procedure done abroad as a medical tourist.

Especially when the procedure itself is so routine now. I'm fairly sure a high street provider in the UK would be a safer bet. Yes, it's safer to pay a full blown ophthalmic surgeon, but it's still pretty safe from any one of the many certified UK providers, who charge a very reasonable fee. Most complications occur in the aftercare, notably with patients not following instructions.

[Mr Pointy]

RobM77 said:

Mr Pointy said:

Aletank said:

Whats the thoughts on going abroad for eye surgery ? I've seen this place mentioned on forums for £600 per eye in Poland .... http://lasik.lagunamedical.pl/cennik/

I think you'd have to be incredibly brave to have any eye procedure done abroad as a medical tourist.

Especially when the procedure itself is so routine now. I'm fairly sure a high street provider in the UK would be a safer bet. Yes, it's safer to pay a full blown ophthalmic surgeon, but it's still pretty safe from any one of the many certified UK providers, who charge a very reasonable fee. Most complications occur in the aftercare, notably with patients not following instructions.

There's a distingused consultant member on here who would strongly disagree with you about the safety of high street organisations. Sadly he no longer posts on the subject.

Laser treatment & other eye procedures are an unregulated minefield. If you want to do a bit of research look up Bobby Qureshi & I know of at least one Moorfields consultant who was obliged to stop practising.