Would you gamble with your eyes? (LASIK Treatments)

Member Name: Hot_Pants

Product:	LASIK Treatments
Date:	07/09/04 (1448 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clear vision, No glasses

Disadvantages: Cost, Possible complications

I?ve been incredibly short sighted with a stigmatism for as long as I can remember. It wasn?t picked up until I was 7. The teachers thought I was thick because I didn?t answer any questions, but in truth, I just couldn?t see the blackboard.

After suffering taunts at school about my NHS glasses, the agony of contact lenses, I was also fed up with raindrops, being unable to swim in the pool with them, the ?ring? around your vision, the dent in the bridge of the nose, and the light reflecting off them whilst night driving to name but a few, I decided enough was enough. After extensive research on the net, and recommendations from people who have had LASIK, I decided to go ahead.

LASIK or Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis, is a procedure whereby part of the cornea is removed by excimer laser to balance up the vision.

So, what does it cost?

I paid £2100, for both eyes. BUPA guaranteed that if the treatment was not successful, they will do it again free of charge. This covers everything except the initial £50 consultation fee to see if you are suitable. Normally you have to go for appointments for 12 months after treatment, but my appointments carried on for 18 months at no extra cost.

Where do you go to have it done?

I went to BUPA in Leicester. The reason for this is that I knew someone who had undergone Lasik there, and recommended the consultant. They have always had a good reputation. There are many other places, such as Boots, Optimax etc.

What happens at the initial consultation?

A full assessment is undertaken of your eyesight to make sure that you are suitable for treatment. The nurse made sure that I had time to ask lots of questions, after all, this is my eyesight we?re talking
about! The nurse was extremely knowledgeable.

I had lots of tests, but none of them were in any way painful.

So, how is LASIK done?

It took me 4 years to get up the courage to have this done. The procedure starts with eye drops in the eyes to enlarge the pupil, This is given a few minutes to work before taking you into the theatre.

A ?retractor? is used to hold the eyelid open, and if I?m honest, I?d say that this is the worst bit. It is really difficult to keep your eye still while it is being held open by a little metal cage.

A small cut is made in the cornea, and the flap is lifted back to expose the cornea. The laser makes a clicking sound for a few seconds while it is working. For me it went on for about 30 seconds, but if your prescription isn?t quite so bad, it could be as little as 10-15 seconds. (Phew, what?s that smell? Oh, it?s just my eyeballs ? well, that?s OK then!)

The eye is then rinsed with saline to get rid of any debris (Ewww). The flap is put back over the cornea. More eye drops, and then the eye is covered with a plastic eye patch which will leave you looking like something out of The Fly!

There were several follow up visits, the first being the following morning.

So, what about the after care?

TAKE SOME PAINKILLER S WITH YOU! That is the best advice you are going to get. The grittiness will kick in pretty quickly if you are going to suffer with it. You mustn?t take anything containing Aspirin as it thins the blood, and your eyes will be bloodshot enough without looking like something out of a horror movie.
I was given a package containing drops, and information on what you can and cannot do after this type of surgery. &#
89;ou won?t be allowed to drive until after the first follow up consultation, and to be honest, my eyes were so gritty, I couldn?t have driven even if I had wanted to, so you definitely need someone with you to take you home.

I had my treatment on a Friday evening, and I was back at work on the Monday morning. You must not rub or squeeze your eyes together as this can move the flap and make it crease. You are also warned not to get soap in your eyes when washing your hair etc as this will make you screw up your eyes, and again, crease the flap.

Will I benefit from treatment?

Most people who wear glasses or contact lenses will be able to have the treatment, but the initial consultation is there to find out whether or not you are suitable. Your prescription must not have changed in the last 2 years, and at BUPA, they insist that you must be over 21.

Complications?

No surgery is ever risk free. The fact that the procedure is done under local anaesthetic, I believe reduced the risk. Complications I was informed of are:

Starburst effect (They can now test for this prior to treatment to see whether you are likely to have this)
The sight can get worse again over the first few months, which can mean you need re-treating
If the flap tears when lifting it back, the treatment can?t go ahead, and you have to wait for it to heal before they can try again.
Drooping eyelid

Another complication that I wasn?t warned about is that you can develop cataracts. I have found this information out from my husband who works with surgeons.

What do I think of the procedure?

Well, I was scared, tense, nauseas. I found it so hard to relax. After all, your sight is in their hands. The staff were lovely, and the nurse held my hand throughout.

Th
e gritty feeling kicked in straight away, and if I hadn?t been led to the car with my eyes closed, I don?t think I?d have made it home.

I dosed up with Paracetamol and Brufen, and headed straight for bed.

So, why recommend it?

The following day, when the grittiness was wearing off, I removed the eye patched. OMG. The view was fantastic. I could see! It is impossible to describe quite how I felt. This time, the tears rolling down my cheeks were tears of joy, and not from the gritty feeling.

My left eye is now as close to perfect vision as anybody. My right eye is still slightly short sighted. My left eye makes up for the right, so I don?t have any visual problems.

3 years down the line, I am not suffering from any after effects, and am amazed with every new day at how wonderful it is to be able to see.

You'll notice I've given this 5 stars. That is because, for me personally, the results deserve 5 stars.

Summary: