Thinking of having this done in the next few months.

Has anyone had it done? Comments?

Any recommendations as to which clinic?

Good or bad stories?

Personally thinking of going to Ultralase in Leeds as they seem the most professional & established, albeit the most expensive.

All help greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

There is some general info on laser eye surgery here (http://www.guidetolasereyesurgery.com/).

My sister Anj1364 had the operation done at Ultralase and her comments are posted in this (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58556&highlight=Ultralase)thread.

my dad and sister have had it done... my sister cried about putting in contacts so im suprised she went thru with it... had no problems since.

although she did say she was glad its done in one go now...no way should would have gone back to get another eye done if it was one at a time!.

Thinking of having this done in the next few months.

Has anyone had it done? Comments?

Any recommendations as to which clinic?

Good or bad stories?

Personally thinking of going to Ultralase in Leeds as they seem the most professional & established, albeit the most expensive.

All help greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

i understand NOW why u support SWFC.. u cant see

Thinking of having this done in the next few months.

Has anyone had it done? Comments?

Any recommendations as to which clinic?

Good or bad stories?

Personally thinking of going to Ultralase in Leeds as they seem the most professional & established, albeit the most expensive.

All help greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

Believe it or not, the leeds company acutally advertise on ebay!! you'll get both eyes done for about £800ish!! you'll save yourself min £400.00

my work collegue rang them, got the price, then saw them on ebay and got the discount!! HAVE A LOOK

speak to your GP first, not just for health advice but they will be able to assist in poiting you in the right direction.

Link is here!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Laser-Eye-Surgery-Treatment-from-395-or-12-pm-x36mths_W0QQitemZ110093680876QQihZ001QQcategoryZ75 084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 110093680876

same clinic!! but cheaper???

My missus got hers done in Manchester about 8 years ago. Went to the optician 3 weeks ago (she still goes every 1 to 2 years for an eye test)and he said he was very impressed with the quality of the work.
Company were called Optimax.
She says it's the best couple of hundred quid she ever spent (think it was about £800 for both, but I can't really remember, and she's not here to ask!!).

Thinking of having this done in the next few months.

Has anyone had it done? Comments?

Any recommendations as to which clinic?

Good or bad stories?

Personally thinking of going to Ultralase in Leeds as they seem the most professional & established, albeit the most expensive.

All help greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. :thumbsup:


I know a couple of eye surgeons and was talking to them about this surgery, and they told me that they would not have it done. A lot of people lost their eyes when the eye collapsed completely when this technique was developed in Russia. Its improved of course, but no eye surgeons or opticians get it done which speaks volumes to me.

Well I've been told that ladies in specs are very attractive..

There was an article in The Guardian last month. The general concensus is that it is very good, but about 5% of people who have it done have some blurriness that cannot ever be corrected.

If you have any concerns you should give the monthly contact lenses a try. You can't feel that you're wearing them and keep them in continuously for a month, then just throw them away and pop in a new set.

I had it done in Leeds and it was the best thing i ever did. Saying that you need to make an individual choice about wether you can live with it if it goes wrong.

Do plenty of research. People talk about laser eye surgery like its one prcedure. There are a number of ways to do it. Lasik is the quickest and most popular but also the most invasive. I had PRK which is alot less invasive but does take longer to heal (you need to take good care of yourself and follow the instructions) It depends on your life style.

I know a couple of eye surgeons and was talking to them about this surgery, and they told me that they would not have it done. A lot of people lost their eyes when the eye collapsed completely when this technique was developed in Russia. Its improved of course, but no eye surgeons or opticians get it done which speaks volumes to me.

That is not true. I know an ophthalmologist who recommended laser surgery for his wife as she was so short sighted (-7 or 8). She had the treatment done and is well pleased with the results. I can understand why opticians wouldn't recommend it though! :cool:

That is not true. I know an ophthalmologist who recommended laser surgery for his wife as she was so short sighted (-7 or 8). She had the treatment done and is well pleased with the results.

They burn off bits of your eyeball to reshape it to correct long and short sight....of course it goes wrong occasionally. Its very important to understand the risks before any surgery. Risk of not having it done for most people is limited to minor inconvenience. The risk of having the surgery is small but devastating - total sight loss ultimately.

They burn off bits of your eyeball to reshape it to correct long and short sight....of course it goes wrong occasionally. Its very important to understand the risks before any surgery. Risk of not having it done for most people is limited to minor inconvenience. The risk of having the surgery is small but devastating - total sight loss ultimately.

Everyone knows that with all surgery there are risks. That's why it is up to the individual to make the decision to go ahead with the treatment. I also thought about having it done but, as I am only slightly short sighted (-1), I decided against it. They probably wouldn't have let me have the treatment anyway, I don't know.

All I am saying is, that of the people I know who have had laser surgery, they have not regretted it for one minute.

I am short sighted,and had one eye lasered 2 years ago by Otimax in Liverpool.
I was advised to see how I got along with it before deciding whether to have the other eye done.
The reason was because if I had both eyes done I would probably need reading glasses.I think this was something to do with being older.
Although I was pleased with the improved vision
long distance,I wasn"t able to see to read as clearly as before the laser treatment,so I decided not to have the other done.
I can still see to read without specs,and am able to see much better long distance.
Yes, I would recommend it.
Optimax explained everything fully to me,and they tailor their advice/treatment to the individual.

Everyone knows that with all surgery there are risks. That's why it is up to the individual to make the decision to go ahead with the treatment. I also thought about having it done but, as I am only slightly short sighted (-1), I decided against it. They probably wouldn't have let me have the treatment anyway, I don't know.

All I am saying is, that of the people I know who have had laser surgery, they have not regretted it for one minute.

Fair comment, and I also know a number of people that have had it done and are very happy. On the whole, people I've heard talking about it don't seem to have considered what actually happens or what the risks are. I'd certainly not be taking the risk.

Fair comment, and I also know a number of people that have had it done and are very happy. On the whole, people I've heard talking about it don't seem to have considered what actually happens or what the risks are. I'd certainly not be taking the risk.

Given that it's possible to correct the problem with glasses and/or contacts without there being ANY risk, it'd be hard to justify the procedure for anybody on logical grounds. That said, some people just don't like wearing glasses (or contacts - or possibly can't wear contacts like me). It's only for them to decide if a small (tiny) percentage chance of permanent sight damage is worth the benefit of not wearing them. I wouldn't take that risk, but that's easy for me to say as I can't afford the treatment anyway.

my g/f had her eyes done and she said it was single best thing she has EVER done in her life, the change is immense and well worth the tiny risk that you run.

Given that it's possible to correct the problem with glasses and/or contacts without there being ANY risk, it'd be hard to justify the procedure for anybody on logical grounds. That said, some people just don't like wearing glasses (or contacts - or possibly can't wear contacts like me). It's only for them to decide if a small (tiny) percentage chance of permanent sight damage is worth the benefit of not wearing them. I wouldn't take that risk, but that's easy for me to say as I can't afford the treatment anyway.


I can't see me doing it either, even if I was like Mr McGoo...the phrase "burning eyeballs" puts me off to be honest !

there is still a risk you will need glasses.
opticians state 30,30 and 50 as times for eye changes.
so you could have short sightedness rectified and then find that @ 40 you need reading glasses anyway.
by the time i'm 50 i'll need varifocals or bifocals or two sets of specs.if i had laser surgery i'd still need one pair for reading.

my g/f had her eyes done and she said it was single best thing she has EVER done in her life, the change is immense and well worth the tiny risk that you run.

I agree with her, it's a bit daunting beforehand but the difference it makes is untold.

I had mine done quite a few years ago, I only needed the one eye done. well worth it.
I had mine done at maxivision in manchester.
had to have a week off work after.
I recommend, not had any problems since.

I looked into a year ago but decided against it as none of the surgeons or specialists had had it done... They only really get one chance to get it right and the chance of loosing the level of sight I have currently wasn't worth the risk. I require correction of -6.5 and -6.75, I would love nothing more than to one day wake up and not need glasses or contacts but until they can give me better odds of total correction, I'll put up with them.

At the end of the day it's your choice, remember even though they can now do this in a lunch break it's still surgery and as it's on your eyes best to consider it as major surgery when thinking about it.

I once filled in some internet questionnare for a free draw, and now I get MOUNTAINS of Junk Mail ( real mail in the post ) from Ultralase almost one a day, they must be making a fortune if they can afford to send out all this rubbish to everyone who has expressed an interest. there are online forums about it, and I read a few posts and some people's eyesight was worse afterwards. There may only be a small risk, but I'm not prepared to take it.

FOR EXAMPLE :

posted on 12-2-2007 at 11:34 AM

Anxious time

I had lasek/wavefront on 18 Jan 07. No pain. Sight in right eye at the check the day after was amazing. Since removal of contacts sight in left eye is good but right eye is blurred. Its been over 3 weeks now. Hanging onto the fact that sight was good in right eye on day 1 so hoping that this will come back but still worried. Presumably laser work was effective as I could see well the day after and this has deteriorated but will come back or maybe this is just wishful thinking?

Working along the optics industry - personally I would not have it done. A friend of mine did have it done, and he doesn't regret it now but says it was very painful afterwards and he felt sick, was extremly sensitive to light (even sunglasses weren't dark enough - had to have curtains closed all day). I've also worked with customers who have had it done and been a success, and also customers that have had it done and still need glasses, or it's made it worse.

As everyone says, it's your decision at the end of the day. They're your eyes - you only have one pair and you can't get a new pair if they break!

my friend had it done 2 years ago in leeds ,she says her eyes are now very sensitive to light ,but is still glad she had it done.
not so sure i would though as her eyes look very squinty sometimes.

I agree with her, it's a bit daunting beforehand but the difference it makes is untold.

I switched to continuous wear (i.e. all day-all night) contact lenses last year and to me they have made as much difference as I feel surgery would. I totally forget I'm wearing them apart from when it comes to changing them once a month.

It also gives me the option of wearing glasses when I want to and means I don't lose my capability of seeing things in extreme close up - which can really be very useful, both in my work and for things like removing splinters!.

Before my wife had hers done, she went to a couple of open days/seminars. These were advertised in national and local papers. Not one person came and complained at any one of these. There was an open mike session where they asked members of the audience to get up and give their views(:gag: ) on the procedure and their experience.
The fact that no-one got up and said anything negative meant a lot. It was the perfect place to vent your ire at companies if you had a problem.
As a footnote, I know 3 people (one of whom is my wife) who have ended up with eye infections due to contact lenses. She always followed the cleaning procedures (in fact was a bit annoyingly anal about it). Her optician told her it was a lot more common than people realise.

I recall a TV advert with (I think) olympic veteran Johnathan Edwards talking about the joys of his laser eye surgery, yet a few days ago on BBC News he was being interviewed about the benefits of being tall in sport and he was wearing spectacles!

As I have said before, I had laser eye surgery almost 2 years ago now. The procedure wasn't painful, maybe a bit uncomfortable but the results were well worth the 2 minutes of feeling like this. My eyes were sensitive to the light immediately afterwards, which I was told was possible as my eyes are pale and this was common in people with pale coloured eyes. I know how it can be a difficult decision to make - my brother lost most of his sight to diabetes. I didn't hesitate when the chance came up - mainly thanks to him and I still consider it one of the best decisions I have made.

As a footnote, I know 3 people (one of whom is my wife) who have ended up with eye infections due to contact lenses. She always followed the cleaning procedures (in fact was a bit annoyingly anal about it). Her optician told her it was a lot more common than people realise.

Eye infections are a lot more common in contact lens wearers - you have a foreign body in your eye, simple as. You can be anal about cleaning them, but as you have something in your eye, you can get a bit of an infection, that your eye would normally wash away, but with a contact lens it would live on the lens and when you put it back in - you get the infection. That's why with eye infections you need to throw the lens away, throw the case away and start with a fresh pair and fresh case once it's completely cleared up.

Eye infections are a lot more common in contact lens wearers - you have a foreign body in your eye, simple as. You can be anal about cleaning them, but as you have something in your eye, you can get a bit of an infection, that your eye would normally wash away, but with a contact lens it would live on the lens and when you put it back in - you get the infection. That's why with eye infections you need to throw the lens away, throw the case away and start with a fresh pair and fresh case once it's completely cleared up.

I agree. The point I was trying to make is that there is a risk with eye surgery, but there is also a risk with lenses. I do notice that no-one who has actually had the surgery done has come on to say they regretted it and that their vision was worse.
I can't have it done because my employer doesn't allow it. If I could, and my vision was bad enough (luckily I've got good non-aided vision) I'd have it done in a shot.

I'm looking to get this done soon.. but I'm put off by the 'from' £395 per eye.

I just have a funny feeling that my eyes require 'extra'/'intensive' treatment or some other medical jargon that will make it more than 800..

BC: 8.6
DIA: 14.2
PWR: -2.25

does that mean anything to anyone? as that is my prescrip.

Thanks

That's a basic contact lense prescription, nothing strange about it, power isn't extreme, no astigmatism. About as simple as it gets.

Zimplistic,

I had a quote from Optical Express ("from" 395/eye) and the actual cost based on my pretty simple prescription was a LOT more than that.

Then I tried Optimax (again, "from" 395/eye), and what I paid was exactly that: it doesn't go up based on your prescription.

You pay a little more if you have Lasik treatment (much quicker recovery time but can only be applied up to -5 PWR so you'll be fine), the 395/eye is for Epi-Lasek which is a safer procedure but involves a long recovery time (I had to spend about 4 days hiding in a dark room).

An additional (and expensive) option is Wavefront, which they'll tell you about at the clinic - this is supposed to give better night vision but the actual benefits vary. Optical Express tried to sell this HARD, whilst Optimax said "your decision" and they didn't care when I said no.

http://www.optimax.co.uk/ (I have no connection with them, I'm just generally pleased with it a year on - drop me a PM if you want to know any more).

I've booked a consultation but the woman on phone said she can't tell me how much it's gonna be..So it means I'm wasting my time and theirs, if it's more than 395 per eye... it's in Leeds aswell..

Anyone used Optimax before? my prescription is -2.50, what am I likely to need, the 395 costing laser or the more expensive one?

Zimplistic,

Yes, I should have mentioned, Optimax don't do Sheffield - I too went to Leeds. (they were good).

I think with that prescription you'll be given a choice.

Lasik - more expensive but quick and not painful. However, it is surgical (ie they cut) so slightly more risk.

Epi - the cheaper one but you need more recovery time and you'll feel uncomfortable for a few days. Non surgical so less risky.

There are some factors such as the thickness of your cornea which they'll measure, but if I remember correctly if there was a problem there you'd be forced to go for the cheaper option (surprisingly!)

I have my eyes zapped in November last year.
Although I can see very clearly, my night vision is rubbish, I see halos around lights, which is very interesting at 70+ miles an hour driving on the motorway.

7 months on and still going to the clinic once a month for a check up, it maybe freedom from glasses but not quite the freedom as advertised or expected.

All I recommend is wait, shop around, think carefully about it. In retrospect I may have not bothered and saved a bundle.

Oh and dont believe the £399 per eye.

It seems you get what you pay for. Mine cost me well over £1500.

I had very poor vision (any worse and I couldn't have laser surgery done), but it's now perfect - including my night vision, with no halos, light sensitivity, etc. I had mine done at Sheffield Vision Centre at the Hallamshire, and can't praise them highly enough. I saw both Optimax and Ultralase before, and their consultations were absolutely rubbish compared to SVC.

(and no, I don't work for them or get commission.. I just felt my peepers were far too precious to trust to just the cheapest, or the ones with the flashest ad :)