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Laser Eye Surgery
Published 03/12/2008 |
Positive Health and Wellbeing
| Rating:
Laser Eye Surgery
I recently requested readers to email me with their experiences with laser eye surgery. Here are some of the replys.......... I've just read the postings about laser eye surgery, and would like to add mine. I had surgery in August 2005, at Ultralase in Chelmsford. I was mildly short-sighted in the left eye, and more strongly short-sighted in the right eye, and was recommended Lasik with Waveform to the right eye, the £1500 jobbie. I was promised the best results, after thorough testing and history-taking, expecting 20/20 vision in the right eye, and a complete correction of astigmatism in that eye. The surgery experience was, as in the case of your other contributors, not at all unpleasant, virtually painless, and very quick. The staff and doctors were fabulous, and within a few hours I could see everything with crystal clarity. However I did have a problem with haloes and blurring, which I was assured would go away. At my follow-up I mentioned I was having trouble with blurring of vision and double edges to everything, and was told it was the healing process. My vision was tested again, and it had deteriorated slightly. I was told it was unstable, and would correct itself. I had strange symptoms, flashing lights and a dark spot to one side, so I went to a Consultant Ophthalmologist privately who diagnosed tears in my retina, and performed cryosurgery to repair this in the November of that year. He was not impressed!! He said traction within the eye had caused the tears, as my retina was degenerating anyway. I think this should have been obvious to Ultralase when they first examined my eyes with the slit-lamp microscope, and maybe I should not have been recommended to go ahead. Ultralase were most concerned at what had happened to me, and promised me extra follow-ups to check progress. Over the following months my vision in the treated eye got worse, and I became long-sighted, with new astigmatism, and they made me two pairs of glasses free. Every time I was followed up my eyesight had deteriorated further, and they said it was still unstable, and might remain so for up to 2 years. Finally, last year, they agreed it would not improve any further, and that I was the one in 10,000 or whatever on whom the surgery failed. I never got my picture in their hall of fame!!! I am now left with a short-sighted eye and a long-sighted eye, which has taken me years to get used to, and I have to wear different glasses for reading, computer work, watching TV and distances. 5 pairs of glasses! And I need a magnifying glass as well to see small detail! I now have problems seeing things while out shopping, I cannot enjoy the cinema or theatre, and I suffer headaches whatever glasses I wear, there is always an area I cannot see properly. We only hear of the success stories, so I guess I'm just unlucky, but £1500 is a lot of money to part with in exchange for vision which is far, far, worse than before. Ultralase have offered me "lifetime care", and have provided me with free specs, but they are metal, heavy and uncomfortable, and UGLY! They do not refund your money if it does not work! So, if anyone is thinking of having this done, please be aware it MIGHT NOT WORK! I did think about suing them, but you have to do it within two years of the surgery, and they told me to wait 2 years for my vision to stabilise......I don't want to sound cynical, but I do think I have been had! Caveat emptor, as they say..... Thanks for the chance to have a rant, anyway. Chris my colleague has literally just had laser eye treatment. She is pleased with the results. She had to have a week off work, the actual laser treatment took seconds per eye, although she had to have the various drops etc to prepare her eyes for treatment. She was conscious throughout. She mentioned the horrendous smell of burning that she likened to the burning smell of sparklers, when doing the actual lasering on each eye. They gave her painkillers for the pain that would be expected, which she experienced for the first couple of days along with weeping of the eyes. She had to go back a couple of days later for a routine check up. But she remarked how quickly she was able to see and how pleased she is now (1week later) with the results. On looking at her eyes, she looks perfectly normal. So a positive result here. Joanna I had laser surgery on my eyes on 31st I went to Ultralase in The results are amazing, when I went back the day after the treatment, I had 95% 20/20 vision and the following week had 99% 20/20 vision in both eyes. I can read the smallest of small print and it is a joy not to have to put on my glasses every two minutes! I go back to Ultralase this Thursday for another routine check up and then again in a few months time. I think Ultralase are near the top end of the scale as far as prices are concerned but your eyesight is such a precious thing, it is definitely worth paying the extra and getting the best treatment. Also I took up the offer with Ultralase of pay nothing for a year and then interest free monthly payments after that!! I would recommend the surgery with Ultralase to anyone considering it – two of my friends have already had it done following my success and they are just as pleased – and another three are considering it. It feels like I have had a magic wand waved over my head!! Julia
Both my husband and I have both had eye laser surgery with Ultralase
I worked in an Opticians in
My prescription prior to treatment was about -6.5 in both eyes, the treatment was extremely quick and almost painless and all over in less than 10 mins. I did have an eye infection in one eye which set back the healing process by about 10 days, but I could see fine in the other eye after only a day. 18 months down the line I would highly recommend it and Optical Express at Bluewater, the only slight catch is the price they quote in TV ads is wrong as it is based on prescription and mine ending up costing £900 per eye but worth every penny. Go for it1 Any other questions please e-mail me John (Anyone who wants to contact John can email me and I will pass your email on). I had laser surgery at Optical Express in Bluewater in June 06. Generally I am happy with the experience but chose the cheap option at around £2,200. For another £1,000 I could have gone to another clinic in Bluewater is at the back of a busy opticians shop in the centre and you are treated politely but it is a bit of a cattle market. The treatment is sensational. I went in shortsighted to -5 and walked out of the shop 30 mins after the operation seeing well enough to drive home (but didn’t). Their follow-ups are a bit chaotic due to their inadequate bookings computer but I got them all done and it took a while for my eyes to settle down. Unfortunately they settled down a bit too far and my vision is now -.5 in one eye and -.75 in the other which is a disappointment as I still now need glasses for driving in the dark. But for most of the time its fine. They offered (eventually) to redo the worse one for free but I decided not to risk another operation (there is still a risk). The operation itself is almost totally painless, very quick and no worse than a hygiene session at the dentist. Recovery is several weeks and being carfeful when sleeping and showering is a bit of a pain but it soon goes and I have no regrets at all, except I think the extra £1000 would probably have been worth it with the Chelmsfor lot. I know someone else who went there and it was very good. At the end of the day the who;le thing is computer controlled and they all use the same or similar machinery so it practical terms I don’t think there’s much difference but Bluewater are very busy and it shows in their lack of the niceties of their customer care. Hope that’s a help to anyone else.
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