Laser Eye Surgery
Out of context: Reply #17
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- Daithi0
I had it done myself about 5/6 years ago. I can highly recommend it based on my own experience.
I could have had it done in a high-street optician, under my insurance I would have been able to get it for about €500. I looked into that and it didn't fill me with confidence. I ended up getting it done in a private hospital, and the final cost was close to €3,600. The hospital presented the procedure as what it is: a surgery that should be taken seriously, and where there is no 100% guarantee of results. They had a slew of research studies and papers that they had conducted too. If a man is going to shoot a laser at my face, I want to be able to trust him, so that's why I ended up going with them.
There was some preparatory work done that I can't remember too well, and then they conducted the surgeries a week apart, first one eye, then the other. The surgery itself took about 10 minutes, and while not pleasant wasn't that bad either. I'd equate it to getting a filling (a bit further up your face) in terms of discomfort.
The most discombobulating part of the entire process was the week in the middle between surgeries. Your glasses are no longer any use, so you are operating on one newly-working eye and one dud (I was minus 5). It took a bit of getting used to and I think I wasn't able to cycle or drive.
Anyway I went in and got the second eye done a week later and that also went fine. About two days after that the bandage came off and my vision was spot on.
I had to use eye drops for 6 months (as far as I can remember) which was standard and without them my eyes did get dry. But with them it was no problem. The hospital had a follow up programme of one year, starting off with weekly visits, then monthly, then bi-monthly, one at 6 months and one at the year mark.
The follow up included an eye examination and sight test. After the first couple of months, one of my eyes started to perform less well in the tests. I had noticed this myself, and I was a little freaked out but I was reassured that some ‘slipping’ is not uncommon as part of the healing process. They monitored it over the next few weeks, and it got to the point where it had settled, but I no longer had perfect vision. They offered me the option of having that eye redone (at no cost to me) so I did that and there was no slippage that time.
I'd totally recommend it, as my experience was great. One last thing I should mention is that I later learned that my cousin had her eyes done in the same hospital with the same surgeon, and she ended up having to use the drops for 3 or 4 years afterwards. That said she was still glad she'd had it done.
Hope that helps!
- oh i though you'd have both eyes done at the same time.BabySnakes