[Closed] Anyone had laser eye surgery? How are you now?

I'd love to skip the glasses stage and go straight to the surgery bit (im avoiding the glasses stage) so also keen to hear feedback.

Tho the procedure looks offputting..

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Yep, I'd thoroughly recommend it based on my own experience.

I underwent Lasik surgery about 12 years ago, having -2.50 vision which isn't that short sighted to 6:6 or 20:20 vision.

Some don't because 1. it's expensive 2. it's scary.

I had mine done ~4 years ago.

I wasn't able to have LASIK as my somethings were too something so I had PRK. PRK has a slightly longer recovery period but gets the same results.

I wasn't anesthetised,, instead given valium, a blanket and a lazy boy and then, when you're floating and smiling like a dimwit, you're led into the theatre and they do what they do.

I suffered a lot for three days after the op. I was [b]very[/b] sensitive to light. I wore sunglasses in a dark room and still felt uncomfortable. The surgeon said it was a much worse reaction than most people had. I was given 3 types of drops to use 3 times a day. One of them felt like a vinegar/chilli/lemon juice concoction!

For the 2nd and 3rd days, I had to wear an 'eye bandage' - a slightly cloudy contact lens. It wasn't as bad as it sounds.

I had awful eyesight. It's now pretty much perfect.

My eyes are drier than they used to be so I occasionally use those lubricating drops, but haven't for a couple of years.

I'd certainly have it done again. No more dropped, steamy, broken specs. Proper sunglasses, sports are easier...

I've had it done, think it was lasik, the one that uses lazers to open up the lense instead of a scalpel. Vision was -2.50, and is now perfect. As above occasionally get dry eyes when staring at screens too long, and/or very tired but not much. Like many I got fed up with endless grit under contacts... had mine done in 2008.

What about night vision vs Pre surgery? Compromised or as before?

A little compromised. There can be a small halo around lights. Nothing that remotely causes a problem or would stop me having the procedure again.

Struggled with lenses and dry eyes, a physical job and expensive scratched glasses for too long.

Planning on getting lasered this summer. Only heard good things with the exception of minor dryness/night vision.

My partner had hers done about 12 years ago. Previously blind as a bat without glasses, couldn't find the exit at swimming baths, etc. Had to put her specs on as soon as she woke up. As predicted she only needs glasses for work now. No reduced night vision, or dry eye. Money well spent.

I thought about it and it does work for some people for some of the time. My optician told me that peoples sight changes in phases. Once you have whichever procedure you choose there is nothing to say that as you go through another physical change or age range your eyes won't change and need correction again. The two friends that have had it done got about 4 to 6 years before they had to go back to wearing glasses pretty well full time. They did have good surgery experiences and were in their early/mid forties. It was the limited life span of their operations that put me off doing it.

Had PRK with Optimax 21 years ago. Still have perfect vision. Best money I ever spent.

If you don't have an active lifestyle then glasses are not a problem. If you just drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home and watch TV, then why spend the cash to get rid of your glasses? For me, mountaineering, ice climbing, mountain biking, skiing, motorbike riding were an absolute nightmare with glasses or contacts.

No reason why you cant have a second dose of treatment if your eye sight changes (although many anti laser treatment opticians will tell you otherwise). Be aware though that laser surgery won't correct long sight (so you may still need reading specs). If your short sight prescription is stable then you should be fine but if its not then that's nothing to do with laser surgery. Just think of it as a permanent set of glasses, if your eyes change then you'll need new ones!
Had mine done three years ago, no issues at all and I drove home the same day (oops!).

My eyes has different grade prescription...forgot the technical term.. And i got sphere (i think this is something to do my oeft eye..not looking in a straightline like my right eye, so the left glass is thickier on the side to correct this.. Like a horse in a carriage . If i dont have glasses..i cannot focus properly in an object.. Or a trail for example (this is actually why i am scared of long boardwalks even with glasses, mentality that i cannot focus digs in) 😐

Well i'm lucky in that i've enjoyed perfect eyesight all my life and only now as I'm getting into my 40's is it starting to noticeably deteriorate. However my dad had laser surgery about 20yrs ago when it was in its infancy. Back then it was a painful and uncomfortable process, he could only have one eye done at a time with a couple of months inbetween, so was wearing his glasses with one lens removed for a while. But 20yrs on in his early 60's he's still glasses free (apart from reading glasses) and never looked back.

My wife, who was practically as blind as a bat, had hers done with the latest bells and whistles Lazek process (I think it was that). She had both eyes zapped at the same time and for me, it was like taking her to the dentist. I saw her off from the waiting room, was about halfway through an article in a Classic Car mag and was called in to collect her. I couldn't believe it - I was settling in for an hours wait and the whole prcess took a handful of minutes. After 15 mins or so in a dark room for initial recovery and a last checkup she was free to go with better eyesight, though somewhat blurred by watering eyes, than she came with. A few days later they tested her eyes - it was 20:20 in one and better than that in the other - they even offered to zap her 20:20 eye again to see if they could get it upto where the other eye was.

Other than that I know of about 5 or 6 other friends/colleagues/aquaintences who've had it done and not a bad report or experience amongst them. Apart from people being squeemish, I really see no reason not to get it done. My wife is very squeemish, so if she can go through with it anyone can.

As my eyes deteriorate i'll be looking to get them zapped as early as is appropriate. Life is too short to faff around with glasses if you don't need to.

I had LASIK with Optimax in Liverpool around 10 years ago and it's been spot on ever since , probably the best thing I've done in years . I hated wearing glasses . It's a daunting thought but just go for it !

A good friend had it done, is now almost blind in one eye (he describes it as being like he is looking underwater). He spent a whole week in hospital having eye drops administered every hour, 24 hours a day - by the end he was a mental wreck.

Had Lasik in 2004 to correct a -5 ish prescription that had been stable for years. Cost about £3.3k. The procedure is odd but not at all painful (although I did jump when the laser started clicking and ended up with a huge bruise on my eye which took ages to fade--probably not a good idea to have a double espresso before eye surgery :-)) and is very quick--no more gruesome or uncomfortable than a contact lens 'fitting'. The effects lasted about two years and then my vision deteriorated at an alarming rate of knots. Have to wear glasses now for everything I had to wear glasses for before Lasik. I can't wear contacts now because my eyes are too dry and my corrected vision isn't as good as it was before Lasik. I did make enquiries about having a repeat treatment but step one involves paying for an expensive assessment and I can't really afford to start down that road again. If I had the cash I'd give it another go.

Ive been tempted a number of times and only heard good things about it but the cost puts me off, Id have to wear contacts every day of every month for 8 years before breaking even and find that contacts give me everything I need without any of the risk of surgery. If my eyes change, I just put in a different prescription without having to shell out again for more surgery. They dont stop me doing anything I want, unlike glasses which stopped me doing nearly everything I enjoyed. I swim, surf, windsurf, climb, mtb, road ride, wear normal sunglasses etc. The only slight downside is having to wear glasses to walk from the bedroom to the bathroom each morning to put them in. I can live with that.

I'm very tempted by this too (-2) in each eye for the last 10-15 years, but am mid 40's so is it likely to be a short term fix or does short sightedness tend to stay pretty stable?

I was 46 when I had mine done, three years later its still the same (although near vision is getting worse - as expected).
It all depends on your own eyes - if you haven't needed new glasses in the past few years then happy days!

Had mine done at Optimax about 15 years ago. Don't remember which procedure it was but recovery was painful and in those days they would only do one eye at a time. I don't regret it at all. Apparently it's much easier now.