Has anyone here had any experience of laser eye surgery. I am short sighted and have been wearing contact lenses for ages now, but recently I have started to became intolerant to them and I am having to wear my glasses (which I can't stand). So I am considering this, according to one site I have found according to my prescription, I have a  94.6% of my vision being corrected to driving standards without the need for glasses and contact's. But before I make any decision I just wondered whether anyone had any experience that they could share with me.
Cheers

I know two people for which this went badly wrong and I must admit on hearing what they've gone through I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole :(

The worst affected was my friend's son, who is in his 30's.  He seemed to meet all the criteria but afterwards suffered terrible pain and "dry eyes".  The eventual diagnosis of his full problems were that everytime he slept his inner eye lid was sticking to the eye itself and as soon as he opened his eyes, they were literally pulling a layer of skin off them :( :( :(  No amount of creams or drops has resolved the situation which has now been ongoing for over a year.  Turns out that he should never have been considered as a candidate because he suffered from acne as a teenager!

I'm sure there are many good results but with something as important as your sight is it really worth taking a risk simply for the sake of vanity? (not meant to offend you, more to put things in perspective :) )

regards, Teri 

I had it done two years ago and it was the best thing I had done.  My sister also had it done last Saturday with no problems.  I also know quite a few people and one or two have had eye infections but I haven't heard of anyone where I went who has had problems.

Like anything it pays to shop around and get information on success rates etc and be happy with the surgeon etc.  Where I went you got a percentage breakdown per prescription, per age group and per sex so you have a pretty good idea what the chances of success are and where I went were very good percentages.

Good luck

Andi

My sister had it done and she can't drive at night at all - even tho she will not admit it and she cannot have it done again...

I know of someone else that had it done and 3 yrs later has to wear glasses...

I was thinking about it but don't have the money, plus worried that I may make my eyesight worse think I will stick to contacts/glasses for now. Iam going this friday for an eye appt. and Iam getting those contacts that you wear for a month, you sleep in them as well, after a month you throw them away and put in another pair. Also going to ask about the Ortho-K but I don't think they have them here yet.

I would love to have it done, I felt great wearing contacts but got dry eyes so had to revert to glasses again :(

I have the ones that are "barely there" (forget what they are called) but it's still something on my face.

I'd be too scared to have surgery though; it's relatively new I believe, and what if something went wrong - it's your eyes!!

There is this new contact lens out now which changes the shape of your (is it retina or eyeball?) so that you don't have to wear glasses, you could maybe try that one? :)

Lindsay
x

Hiya, I haven't had laser eye surgery its sounds like too much of a risk to me.  Especially as its unecessary surgery.  I'm shortsighted and I use those Ortho-K contact lenses which i wear at night when im alseep take them out next morning and hey presto - perfect vision :D I went to the opticians the other week for a check up and I can now read the smallest letters on the chart :) They aren't too comfortable when you first start to use them but once you've closed your eyes they're fine.  I must say I've got completely used to them now, Ive been using them since January.  Feel free to ask any questions about it.

Clair

my mum had this done in august and i think there are more risks if you have to have the type of laser surgery where they cut open your eye, this is what my mum had and she still suffers from dry eyes but the eyedrops do work, also she has slight double vision which they have said it will probably not go away and when they did this they over corrected her so she now has to go back to have it done again.

There are two types of laser surgery but both sound really scary, one where they cut a flap in your cornea and laser your eye, this is, apparently, less painful but takes longer to heal and the flap is thought to never fully heal properly.  The second is instead of cutting a flap they scrap the cells back laser your eye and then put the cells back in place. This is more painfull but heals quicker and is thought to be more secure. 

I think the above is correct (apologies if ive got my facts wrong).

You are right Storm there are two types.  I had the type where they scrape the cells off then place them back again.  I had this done over two years ago and have not suffered any ill effects.

This procedure is the longest in healing, I had to take 2 weeks off work, but you are right it is supposed to be more secure.

I have 20/20 vision for now.

Good luck on what you decide.

Juliet

I want them Ortho-K ones but I don't think they are here yet :( Will find out tomorrow planning on asking the eye doctor since I go in. If not then its the ones that stay in your eye for a whole month sleep and wear and throw away a month later put in a new pair....

How long does your vision last with the Ortho-k and is there a certain time you gotta put them in at night?

Hiya, the longer you use the lenses the longer the effect last for, so now i normally just put mine in at about 10pm and they come out at about 7ish.

Thanks for the comments, mixed responses so I am still undecided. Having looked up about Ortho-k - it would appear that it won't be suitable for me, as my sight is quite bad. To those of you that are considering the contact lenses that you wear all the times, please be aware that they aren't suitable for everyone and you can also become sensitive to them. As that is what has happened to me I have worn night & day lenses for about 4 yrs, about 1yr ago i started getting itchy eyes and my lids have become inflamed from the lenses i have now tried the two types that are available and can't tolerant either for more than 2 months before the inflammation starts again. The reason I want lenses not glasses is nothing to do with vanity but more a life style issue. Being an out doors person and also camping most weekends in the summer, glasses just don't work. I think i will probably go along for a free consult and see what they say, nothing ventured nothing gained. Thanks again for all your comments, I'll let you know what I decide.

I checked into the Ortho-K and I was told that my eye's are too bad for them plus its dryer here and people have had more problems with them here. Plus they are pretty pricey and weighing the cost for long term I was told alot of people just went for the surgery :( O'well the night and day I will be getting just waiting for them to order them in. Who knows maybe when the surgery has been around longer may be something I might check into...

That definitely wouldn't work for me - I am like Mister Magoo without my lenses in :D

The ortho K can work in prescriptions up to -7.5