Key Post: Laser Eye Surgery

I had it done at the Wellington Clinic five and a half years ago. Best £2600 I ever spent. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

No problems with night vision, either.
 
What about the russian ship.They were providing this service before it was available here or in the u.k.
 
"I reconsidered having my eyes lasered after my sister in law who is an opthamologist (eye surgeon type) told me what the risks are."

"My brother in law is an eye surgeon, is short sighted, and has not had the op done. I will follow when he has it done."

Just to add to that, a close friend, who is a consultant medical ophthalmologist wouldn't advise having the procedure carried out due to all the problems she sees with follow-ups (from well-known, established ophthalmic surgeons in both Dublin and London and in some of the clinics mentioned above). In one case a top surgeon operated on his sister's kid and unfortunately the results were not good to say the least. Of course we all know people who are delighted with the results and there's no denying it is fantastic in the majority of cases, but just to be aware that it's not a decision to be taken without serious consideration.
 
There are a number of experiences and opinions posted here:
[broken link removed]

I went for it but wasn't eligible. On the expense, I know Optilase is cheaper than other clinics but I don't believe they have the latest in equipment like the Wellington or others have. Doing my research at the time (a year ago) I happened upon the make of laser used by the Wellington and it was the newest and best on the market that I could see. I also didn't like not being able to find any information on the Optilase clinic or doctors online. I personally felt that while the Optilase was probably fine for most prescriptions, I was on the fringe of what can be lasered and wanted the latest available.

At the end of the day each individual is going to weigh up pros and cons for their own circumstances. There's a wealth of info on the web on all aspects of the surgery so inform yourself as best you can.
 

I've also seen a lot of dentists with really bad looking teeth so this doesnt have to mean anything.

KalEl said:
Isn't discussion of medical issues banned now?
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Yes I thought so too and I would say the same about some other threads which have popped up maybe a month or so ago but I guess worrying about that is the mods job and not ours



But since this thread has been left up, my two cents is the following :

I got both of my eyes done at www.optimax.co.uk in 2004

I'd highly recommend it but you need to read up and feel comfortable about your decision so as to approach the operation with a positive attitude on the day . Even factoring in the cost of 2 flights to London (because I had each eye done separately and 6 months apart) and factoring in the cost of accomodation there it was still cheaper than having it done in Ireland. In fact it was so much cheaper at the time that I could have brought over a few friends and paid for their trip etc and still saved money. Since then I've saved a fortune in contact lenses alone!

I now have 20 20 perfect vision in both eyes with no haze or after effects. I can swim and I can importantly be a loose head prop in Rugby without any worries. I am extremely happy and could see straight away after leaving the operating theatre. I had the 'epi lasik' procedure done which doesnt cut into the eye but instead uses a laser to 'sand' the surface of the lens. This procedure means the structure of the eye is a lot stronger and impact resistant in future for sports etc. After the procedure, a 'bandage lens' was placed on my eye to be removed a day or 2 later. I knew straight away that the operation had been a success and was glad I had gotten it done.

The thing which impressed me is despite whatever propaganda the expensive home grown outfits may fling at us about ocular safety , they still dont have the experience an organisation like Optimax has. Optimax has lasered about 250,000 pairs of eyes. Probably more since I researched them in 2004. So the view I arrived at was not only were they cheaper but they were also safer and more experienced than our crowd. I dont imagine any clinic in Ireland has done that many eyes.

The main piece of advice I d have is only have one eye done at a time because the eye surgeon can learn a lot from how the first eye heals.
Also note not all eyes are the same or behave the same way so while my operation was successful this doesnt mean all operations are successful. I was short sighted to about -2.5 and some people with worse eyesight than mine was may approach the whole thing with unrealistic expectations.

*Note: the only connection I have with Optimax is that of a satisfied customer. There are other competitors of Optimax in the Uk but for one reason or another Optimax was the one I ended up with*
 

How come one can claim tax relief on dental procedures done outside Ireland then?
 
joanmul said:
How come one can claim tax relief on dental procedures done outside Ireland then?
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That's still the subject of debate in this thread

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=47793&highlight=dental

I had a partial root canal done in Australia and was advised by Revenue that I couldn't claim tax relief. Revenue's advice that you can't claim tax relief on procedures done abroad but available in Ireland would seem to tally with my experience.
It also makes these "cheap" treatments people talk about getting abroad not quite as cheap.
 
KalEl said:
Isn't discussion of medical issues banned now?
Click to expand...

Discussion of availability, pricing, taxation and insurance is allowed.

Discussion of suitability, safety, outcomes and quality of various practioners is banned and such posts will be removed.
 
Around €4,000...personally I would steer clear of any of the "discount" clinics for reasons I've given in other threads on this subject.
 
I had been dancing around having the laser surgery for about 6 or 7 years, and finally went for the consult, only to be told that I wasn't eligable To be honest I'm happier now, as I can just forget about it.

Its back to contact lense perhaps (never had any trouble with them in the first place).

I was eligable for the new(er) Phakic Implants. Its like a permanent contact lense, implanted in your eye, in front of the pupil. First Irish Op was 8 years ago, and only 160 had been done in the Private Hospital I went to for the consult, but have it on mainstream this year and are scheduling about 3 per week.
 
PaddyD
Do you mind me asking what reasons they gave you for not being eligible?
 
Optalise clinic in Ely place in Dublin charges around €3000 for both eyes (including some procedure for anti glare) If you join Vivas health you would get €1000 back. Net Cost therefore €2000. If you are on higher rate of tax you would get over €800 back. Through in about €200 or more a year that you pay on glasses and contact lenses. It would have paid for itself in about 5 years. Dont know what age you are but they told me there that everybody needed reading glasses when they hit the fortys or fifties. Alot of people suffer from dry eyes after this, feeling like they have dust in there eyes all the time. Great if it goes well but you have to be prepared to take this chance. i wasnt
 
Lorrie said:
PaddyD
Do you mind me asking what reasons they gave you for not being eligible?
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Sure, in short there was nothing whatsoever wrong with my eyes, perfectly healthy and all that, but, because of my level of refraction (-6 and -6.25), I needed thicker cornea's in order to be able to cut a flap, and then laser away enough of the cornea for 20:20(ish).

as it happened I 'only' have a normal thickness cornea
 
Um, nobody should ever put a price on their own health. If you read up on Lasik, you should consider what's necessary (as in, what you have to do to ensure that you're getting a quality operation). Don't walk into any place and pay the cheapest price. There's no peace of mind in that. And in the medical world, peace of mind goes a long way.
 
KalEl - "I'd recommend William Power in the Blackrock Clinic without hesitation and would be wary of these discount eye places for reasons I've outlined before"

You keep referring to the reasons you didn't select one of the commercial clinics for your eyes but yet in the 4 pages of posts on this topic, not one person who has either travelled to the UK or used one of the lower priced commercial companies in ireland has noted any problems or issues. I appreciate your opinion but would be more interested to hear from someone with factual evidence against these clinics.
 
Hi

I had mine done in optilase 3 weeks ago. I had the lasek with wavefront done and so far I'm very happy with the results and aftercare I've received. Reason I choose optilase was because I knew a number of people who also had the procedure done there and are happy with the results.
 
Sorry to bring up such an old post. Just want to give my two cents on laser

I have been meaning to give my view online on laser the past while.
I read a lot of forums before doing it and reading through it there are a lot of posts from people within some of the laser companies recommending their company so be wary.
It is not a nice procedure, very uncomfortable and you are feeling pretty sore that day. Seeing stuff after laser though is amazing.

I had it done about 5 months ago, eyes were -3 and -4. I had it done with optical express. I have a combined better than 20:20 vison. One eye is considerably stronger than other though. I am happy with the procedure. I was back in work on the Monday, had the procedure on Saturday, and worked a few shorter days that week as eyes tired.

Glare can still be bad enough and halos at night. There are a lot of risks involved and it can go wrong. You will need reading glasses quicker if you get it done.
Blackrock price is similar to others or even cheapest if you have a strong prescription (They have a fixed price per eye).

My view is do not do during winter. Driving at night is difficult post surgery due to glare/ halos. If you do in winter you will be constantly driving in dark. Spring is ideal/ Autumn is probably good too. Long evenings and not to sunny is best.
You need a good pair of Polaroid sun glasses after. I am still a little dazzled when I go outside on sunny day.
In terms of tax back, late in year is best as you will get the 20% back quicker.
Most health insurance plans do not cover anything (some do). However a lot of laser providers do give a discount based on who you have insurance with. This discount is purely given by laser provider though.
In terms of price, push them on it. They are increasing prices by about 100 a year. Do not sign up on first day, they are likely to drop price more to entice you. I was with one insurer, said I was renewing soon so would change to insurer with higher discount and was told not to bother as they would give me full discount (25% I think). I got Lasik, intralase with wavefront. My starting price was 4100, with insurance discount about 3100, ended at 2800 after a few calls to me. My refer a friend got 100 Euro too. Optilase and Optical express do refer a friend programs (probably others too.) Make use of them, if you not know anyone find someone who has got it done.
In terms of aftercare I have had it after a day a week, a month, 3 and 6 months. Think it is yearly as well. I have had unlimited drops included (10 or more bottles now probably). I was told to come back if I wanted more last time. I am still using drops a few times a week due to dryness. I was a little unsure about my eyes given a sizeable difference in strength. I went to specsavers for a second totally unbiased opinion and to reassure myself as much as anything. This for 15 Euro was worth a lot to me. They told me one was far better than ‘perfect’ (a lot better than 20:20) and other was almost 20:20. This I feel is well worth going to your own optician if you have any doubts. Your laser provider is biased.

Big discounts available after cancellations if surgery isn’t full on a date coming soon. If you are flexible try this.
As for which company is best, I really don’t know. They will obviously all tell you they have the most hi-tech equipment. Obviously it is best if you meet your surgeon before the day you have surgery. This doesn’t happen with Optical Express (and also with some others I think).
Reading forums and sites the one eye versus two eyes at a time is a big grey area. I really don’t know. I had both done together. I would hate to have to go back a second day but if it goes wrong and both eyes are done you are in a far worse situation.
It is meant to be cheaper up north if that would suit.
Overall I was happy with service provided. That’s my random thoughts of laser. Any questions just ask. My main things are be careful the time of year you do it. Read up on it, you sign a scary disclaimer form of the 101 things that might go wrong. And good luck if you do it
 
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