Laser Eye Surgery Forum / Laser Eye Surgery at Optimax / Blogs - your experiences at Optimax

Astigmatism healing after LASIK

Niall_ — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:37:05 GMT

I just had my LASIK surgery 5 days ago. Before I had extremely poor vision with -6.50 -2.25 astig in my left eye and -7.00 -2.25 astig in my right eye. From the surgery my left eye is quite clear but my right eye is still blurry. At my check up this morning I was told I still had a slight bit of astigmatism left in both eyes, -0.75 in my left and -1.25 in my right. They told me that astigmatism takes the longest to heal after surgery and it should correct itself over time. Although I believe especially in my right eye that it is quite a bit off being perfect and that it is hard to believe that it will just sort itself out over time. Has anyone else had a slight bit of astigmatism left after surgery and did it eventually clear? I am aware I am being impatient but would appreciate if any others had similar experience.Thanks

my experience of lasik at Manchester

anwen — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:28:37 GMT

I had my lasik treatment at Manchester in October 2011 and I'm overall very pleased with the result. I can see better than I ever could with glasses or contact lenses and it has set me free. No longer do I have to carry fluids and cases and spare glasses around. My eyes feel altogether healthier as I must say I used my contacts a lot longer then I should (12-16 hours some days) and some days they felt starved of oxygen. However, eight weeks later I've developed a floater in my right eye which is rather annoying but having said that I don't regret having it done and the positives more than outweigh this negative.Just wondered if anyone had any tips/remedies for this pesky floater.[

Has anyone gone back to contact lenses?

PaulManning — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:02:03 GMT

Hello all,I had LASIK with wavefront treatment back in August 2011 for short sightedness and astigmatism in both eyes. My left eye was great from day one and still is, but my right eye has always lagged behind and following my latest check-up last Friday it's getting worse. The astigmatism in my right eye seems to be getting worse. I used to be able to handle the difference in vision between my eyes, but recently I've been getting headaches and noticing the difference even more.The optician I saw did mention retreatment through the LASEK process. I'm not sure I fancy going through that process if there is a risk of the vision in my right eye getting even worse.I'm at the point where I would happily go back to contact lenses. I have read on a few sites that it is possible to wear contact lenses again after LASIK surgery. Has anyone had experience of going back to contacts?Thanks...Paul

Lasek re-treatment in one eye - would you bother?

rachndan2011 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:21:52 GMT

Hi allIn October 2004 I had epi-lasek (no wavefront) in both eyes. I was 21 at the time, I am now 28.I had perfect 20/20 vision for years following the treatment however in the last year or so I have noticed my vision has deteriorated somewhat, especially in my right eye. My prescription is approx -0.75 in my left and -1.25 in my right.I have been told I am suitable for retreatment on my right eye, and I am scheduled in to have it done in 3 weeks but I am very worried about having it done again - one for going through the pain and discomfort and two because there is little out there in relation to retreatment experiences.I dont need to wear glasses or contact lenses, I can see my computer screen and colleagues perfectly fine at work, I can watch TV at home - the only time I would say I slightly struggle is with reading sign posts when driving at night until I am about 1-2 cars away from it. I am unsure whether this is normal with night driving for most people?I am being charged for having the treatment done - so really my question is - would you have it done again, going through all of that and paying to have your eye sight in one eye slightly improved? First time round we all get major benefits making it worth doing - going from aided to unaided vision. I still have unaided vision, just not 100% perfect. It would be nice to have perfect 20/20 vision again - but I am sure there are lots of people who wear glasses would be delighted to have the eyesight I currently have. Is it worth the risk of ending up with problems such as poor(er) night vision, an overcorrection or even star bursts and halo problems none of which I have at the moment.I am 50/50 as whether to have it done or not. If it was pain free (recovery wise) there would be not a lot stopping me other than the possible side effects.Please remember it is Lasek I will need, not Lasik, so longer and more painful recovery.Would love some feedback before actually committing myself to this.Thanks

Mitomycin C

MEPHIBOSETH — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:52:58 GMT

HiI am booked in to have Lasek treatment for a -6.75 perscription and the surgeon said he wants to use mitomycin C. I understand there is some caution about using this product due to long term effects. Does anyone have any information or advise about this?Jason

My Experience at Finchley Road on Saturday 10th July 2010

terryjackson — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:03:32 GMT

Well it was the day i had been waiting for, then again, the day i had been dreading. i couldnt tell if i was more excited or nervous about what i was about to do. Going back, for years and years, laser eye surgery was something i always thought id do one day, never thought i would actually be in a position when i was actually going to do it.Since i was young, or for as long as i can remember, I have always worn glasses, up until i was 21, i decided to go for contact lenses as i no longer felt comfortable or confident wearing glasses. i could never find a pair that suited me, the lenses looked stupid because they were so thick, and because of this, it made my eyes look tiny, i hated it!My eyesite is (left eye 5.5, right eye 5) so as you can imagine, life without contacts or glasses is pretty much impossible.after wearing contacts for a few years, all of a sudden, i developed an eye infection. becuase of this, it caused me to have 2 tiny scars on my right eye, and since then, contacts were difficult and i no longer got along with them as well as i used to. i would have to take them out earler, they'd get dry, and make me feel really tired.Fast forward to a couple of months ago. My friend had a consultation with Optimax, and luckily for him there was a cancellation that week for treatment. before i knew it, he'd had it done and couldnt be more happy, claiming it was the best money he had ever spent!This persuaded me and after a while, and after speaking to a helpful online advisor, i plucked up the courage to go ahead and book myself in for a consultation.The consulatation was straight forward and pretty much an eye test, i was told there and then how much it would be, and all the options available to me for the treatment.I decided to go all out, with the Lasik, Intralase and Wavefront. After all, you only get 1 set of eyes, and its going to change my life.I booked myself in for the 24th july as i can only make it on a saturday, i was hoping to get it earlier but saturdays were very busy as expected.After looking online, i noticed that optimax did a Standby appointment service, where you can pick a date, and if someone cancels an appoinment, you will be called and you appoinment changed. i spoke to an online advisor, asking if he could put my name down incase a saturday pops up any earlier. Luckily for me, someone had cancelled the evening before and managed to get a booking for the following satuday. i was more than pleased!The 10th had a arrived, i woke up excited and nervous and soon arrived at the Finchley road clini at 8.45am. it wasnt long before i was taken to a room to have a check on my eyes. It was the usual "look at the airballoon, you'll see some red flashes. look into the blue dot etc..." the usual..afetr filling out some forms and paying the rest of the deposite, i sat down and waitied anxiously until i was called into the laser room. This was the point i got nervous, i sat on a chair and got told to put on a very fetching hair net indeed! The nurse then put some props in my eyes and cleaned them, after 5 minutes, i got called to the treatment bed and layed there.Before i knew it something was placed over my left eye, i wasnt expecting the pressure i got but it didnt hurt, it was just unexpected. this created the flap, and once that eye was done, he oved to the nxt."Right thats the worst part over with" i heard. Thank goodness i thought, if that part was the worse then this is a piece of cake! i then saw a different machine placed above my head, this obviously being the laser. The surgeon plcaed something on my eye to prevent me from blinking,people refer to this as a "the clamp" which is exagerated, its tiny and you dont feel it attatched which was a relief.one eye at a time, i was told to look into the red haze. after about 20 seconds an eye, it was done. the laser part was so so easy, yes you can smell something like everyone says, but its nothing bad. the laser itself was kind of like listening to someone welding, just a sort of "click click" sound (hard to explain).But anyway, straight after, i was told i could sit up and sit in a room by myself for a couple of minutes. a lady then checked my eyes quickly, i was given my bag of medication and told i could go home and rest my eyes.As for getting home, this was the worst part, i had to get the tube with my friend and the sun was so bright i had to close my eyes for most of the way, but after walking into a walll and some bushes later, i made it home lol. i would reccommend anyone, if you can, get someone to pick you up by car as the tube on a busy saturday morning with the sun beaming, isnt the best option in my experience.i went to bed straight away and my eyes were streaming, the feeling was kind of like peeling a few onions, but not being able to rub your eyes afterwards. i then took the "pain" eye drops, applied the eye guards, and slept for a few hours. i woke up and things were a lot better, by eyes had stopped streaming and the feeling had gone.i couldnt believe i could actually see, it was the best feeling in the worls, not having to wake up and the first thing you do is reach for your glasses was brilliant. my vision was a little blurry when looking at text, but this is normal and will improve over time i am told.Today was my aftercare appointment, i turned up and was in and out within 2 minutes litterally. the lady looked into my eyes with a torch (look left, look right, look up etc etc...) and then the "air balloon" image again, and that was it. I was told eveything was ok and my eyes wwere healing fine, i could read the second to bottom line on the chart, but was assured my eyes will improve considerably over the next few daays.So thats where im at now! i have my next check up appointment on tuesday so will see how it goes from there and post an update. so far so good, i am really happy so far and so glad i went for it and had it done.

Lasik at the Belfast Clinic

independance — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:42:06 GMT

Hi all. Just had the lasik surgery today. After being extremely nervous, I feel that its important to describe my experience to others. The staff at the clinic could not be any more nicer. So friendly, and they really put me at ease. They bent over backwards to accommodate me. I always wanted the procedure done, but I found the pricing to be very high. After looking around at different laser companies, Optimax was the cheapest, with the best offers. However I did not base my decision on this alone. I undertook extensive research on all the surgeons at the Optimax clinic. They all had very commendable experience. Explaining not only the success, but also possible complications, which were very rare ! Last night I didnt get any sleep at all. I was terrified, and to be honest if you are not then I think that something is seriously wrong. However after reading all the horror stories on the internet, I got myself into a panic, of which I might add was totally uncalled for. The procedure itself was not sore. I would simply describe this as very strange.Firstly the surgeon put drops in my eye, to numb them. Then he put a plastic circle on my eye to hold it open,,which did not hurt 1 bit. My eyes just watered. I was then asked to look at a green light and then the laser was applied to my eye, this did not hurt one bit at all. The noise of the machine was worse. And despite horror stories of reading that you could smell they eye burning, this was totally untrue. Yes there was a smell but it was the laser machine itself. Once this laser was applied I could see the surgeon coming close to my eye, then my eyesight went all dark for 10 seconds, again this was pain free. I then had heard of more horror stories about a huge clamp being applied and the pain being horrendous. What a load of rubbish. Yes a small piece of equipment is placed on the eyeball, but the pressure is minimal. Another laser is applied , lasting about 10 seconds, and then the flap is replaced over the eye. Again pain free ! And that finished the procedure on my eyes.After I felt a bit light headed, but I also think it was because I had built myself up into a state, which was in fact uncalled for. The only thing that annoyed me was my watery eyes, which I couldn't rub. I also was not able to see properly out of my eyes, which were very blurry. I had the procedure done at 10 o'clock. Its now 4 o'clock and my eye sight is almost 100%, apart from some blurring, but that is to be expected from the drops. My eyesight before the procedure was very bad. I had the highest astigmatism imaginable, and for 30 years of my life I could not see at all. The results(so far) are amazing ! I will keep you all updated on my progress, as I think that there are a lot of scare monger stories out there. Overall I could not commend the surgeon enough. Tomorrows after care appointment will tell me how good my eyesight is.

BLOG: LASEK Birmingham Dr Mughal 30.9.11

Ladyllb — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:33:46 GMT

I have found lots of helpful information on the internet regarding laser eye surgery (would recommend the "USA eyes" site if you are searching) and thought I would post my experience in the hope it will help others.My prescription was L: -3.5 1.75 astigmatism R: -1.5 1.75 astigmatism. I am in my 40's, have thick corneas, biggish pupils and dry eyes, so followed the clinic's advice to have LASEK rather thank LASIK. I have been taking high dose Vit C and flax seed oil.My treatment was on a Friday and I booked the following week off work. My treatment went fine, not a very pleasant experience, but not painful. Optimax have been very professional throughout. Dr Mughal suggested I continue with the Vit C for 3 months, and the flax seed oil indefinately because of my dry eyes. I chose the sunniest day of the year for it, and so spent the journey home with my eyes shut, sunglasses on, hands over my sunglasses and bent over into my lap! My eyes began to water and sting (like having shampoo in them, not painful but horrible as there is nothing you can do about it) after about 2 hours and I went straight to bed when I got home. The anasthetic drops did not do it for me, so I took the prescribed pain killers and slept. All that day my eyes and nose streamed, got through a box of tissues in 2 days! I could not open my eyes so just slept.Day 1 after, eyes still streaming if opened at all, so stayed in bed most of the day. Stinging gone, but continued with painkillers. Eyes very puffy due to the watering and difficult to open. Day 2, got up, could crack open eyes which were still very puffy but not sore and streaming dried up somewhat. Very blurry vision but I could eat my tea!Day 3 after had a friend take me in to have bandage lenses taken out. After this I was asked to read the chart, but couldn't see any of the letters! I was told this was due to cell debris accumulated in front of my pupil. I was not worried as this was all in accordance with what I had read. I had some pain after removal of one lens, felt like a bit of torn epithelium had stuck to it, so took painkiller and slept for a couple of hours. After this the pain was gone.At this stage my vision was very blurry, and although I noticed some improvement during my week off, I was not good to drive and struggled on my return to work with reading and looking at the computer. Audio books are a godsend and I am now addicted! Finished antibiotic drops after 1 week, and reducing dose of FML steroid over the next three weeks. Next check up at 13 days after surgery, and some improvement, although still blurry, and I was given some moisturising gel to help with this, in addition to the refresh drops. I could read some of the letters. My prescription now appears to be L: +2 and R +1 with some astigmatism. Still healing.Weeks 3 - 4 was when I first noticed some improvement. Blurryness has cleared and distance vision is good. Reading and closework is not good, but I was told I may need reading glasses immediately after the surgery, so I accept this, although I am hoping for a few years "off" yet. I can still "see" some astigmatism and for my own peace of mind have been asked to come in for an additional check up which will be at the 4 1/2 week post op stage.I shall post later after this check up, but wanted to re-assure any readers that it really is a slow process, nothing to worry about, and that my vision was "fuzzy functional" for 3 - 4 weeks. This is perfectly normal. It is frustrating - sometimes I long to slip on a pair of glasses and have everything resolve for a bit. I have kept my old glasses and occassionally put them on and realise how bad my eyes were! Best bit so far is being able to see the time on the bedside clock in the middle of the night!

1 year update and still 20/20 vision

Stephen B — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:03:07 GMT

Here is a summary of my treatment and the last 12 months: I originally went to one of Optimax's competitors, but during the consultation I felt like I was on a conveyor belt, no real personal sevice and they avoided my "risk" questions.Couple months later I went to Optiimax at Canary Wharf in London for a consultation. Very personal, very thorough and gave detailed explanation of my "risk" concerns. My mind was put at rest.I then went home and did some Research on the consultants available and decided to have the treatment at Optimax in Finchley, London.On 9/9/09 I had Intralase Wavefront Lasik Treatment in both eyes. I was short sighted and have astigmatism. Treatment itself was completely painless. Couple hours after treatment I had some discomfort, but never had to take the painkillers I was given.Day 2 I had one bloodshot eye and it was slightly sore (felt a bit like a contact lens that has dried up).Day 3 I had a follow up test...vision already the same as when I wore contacts.Day 7 and vision is now 20/20. No discomfort whatsoever. Having treatment was one of the best things I have ever done.Day 14 and I feel like I have experienced a miracle. daytime and night time vision is better than I ever had with glasses or contact lens.Here I am 3 weeks later, all the sport I do tennis/football/golf is so much better with my "new eyes". I am really looking forward to going on holiday next month to a hot country, when normally I would suffer from dry eyes with contact lens.November….just been on holiday and it was wonderful not to have to suffer from dry eyes with my contact lens. The clarity of my vision was really highlighted on my trip.December and is fantastic how I can see all the Christmas decorations and lights so clear and colourful. On 20 Dec had my 3 month check up, both eyes confirmed at 20/20 vision and both have healed completely. Everything about this surgery has exceeded my expectations.March, and I have just returned from a skiing trip. Once again having had laser eye surgery has given me yet more benefits. I was able to see the awesome view of the Alps in crystal clear vision for the very first time. And I was much better able to read the pistes and plot my journey, avoiding ice and other dangers. This was my best ever ski trip.Haven't mentioned this before but I am also a football referee, refereeing in amateur leagues in Surrey. Let me just say I am having my best ever season, so much easier to make those decisions when your eyesight is 20/20.It's now April, wish it was a bit warmer, but enjoying the beautiful colours of spring.It's now May and enjoying swimming in the outdoor pool at my health club, another activity which is so much better without contact lens.It's now June, am looking forward to watching the World Cup and being able to view the TV screen in the pub no matter how far away, Oh the joys of having 20/20 vision.It's now August and am still enjoying the outdoor life. Currently doing some football coaching with school kids at summer camp. Great to be able to be outdoors come rain or shine and not have to wear contact lens or glasses.September and went for my 1 year check up at Optimax (by coincidence on the exact anniversary of treatment 9/9), amazingly my sight had improved again. Consultant said my eyes had healed perfectly and I was now officially discharged.Having laser eye surgery was money well spent, and I will save money over the coming years by not having to buy glasses and contacts lens.And potential patients I still have some £500 off vouchers for treatment at any Optimax branch:Optimax have now improved their offer.The offer is:-free consultation-£500 off Wavefront treatment (with Lasik or Lasek)-interest free credit.To get this offer simply e mail me for one of the vouchers (it is part of their recommend a friend scheme). I will post the voucher to you free of charge.stephen bmcfcfan@btinternet.com

EPI-LAZEK TREATMENT EXPERIENCE - Peterborough

Leigh Robinson — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:45:36 GMT

Hi,

My name is Leigh Robinson. I am going for Epi Lazek with Wavefront treatment in Peterborough on 1st August 2008 and this will be my blog.

I see that the forum doesn't have too much on here and I haven't found a full experience for Peterborough yet. I will keep it as unbiased as possible to provide and accurate account of what is happening and how I will be treated.

[b]Consultation[/b]
Place looks clean and tidy. Reception friendly staff.

One of the receptionists uses a lot of gizmos in a room for all sort of tests I can't remember the names for. The toys look like something from Willy Wonker which amuses me.

Wait around for a bit then get shown upstairs where I wait a little more then get seen by the opthalmist? I think that was the title. This was a couple of weeks back so I don't remember.

She is Eastern European with a thick accent.

I have come here today with a few questions I need answered. I am a logical man and know there is a risk with any surgery. What I need to know is:

What is the success rate with each type of surgery.

What are the complication rates with each surgery.

This way I can have a realistic picture of what to expect. For example 80% success in 20/20 vision and 3% complication rate. If these were the odds then I would hope for near perfect sight and not be too concerned about complication. Although I would like to see a breakdown of what percentage makes up the complications. For example; 3% complication with 95% minor complication 5% serious issues.

With this sort of information I know exactly what to expect and can calculate the risk to decide if its worth taking. Without this info I have very little data to go on except things like this form.

Being Eastern European the lady basically did an eyesight test to confirm my prescription. Then she went though what was available to me. None of this was new to me at all. She basically repeated everything I had read in the marketing material.

I think this material has been repeated many times because outside of this she didn't understand too well what I was trying to ask. Maybe people come in less informed than me?

I tried getting some solid data from her like the questions above. I am not sure if she understood what I was asking but she just said everything will be explained at the treatment.

This concerns me, because surely I am at a consultation and everything should be cleared up here before I go for treatment?

On leaving I ask for the pricing for Epi-Lazek with Wavefront. They scribble it on a compliment slip with their phone number. I thought I would get something a little more professional than this. Like a personal quote sheet.

I book my treatment a couple of weeks later. I have to arrange for a week off work and someone to transport me. So I book a monday morning treatment. A few days later they call saying the treatment is canceled and I need to book another date. This is a pain as I have booked the time off work.

A letter comes the next day with the old dates on. It also says my treatment is for -2.00 one eye and -3.00 in the other and as its outside -3.00 there is more cost. This worries me as I am about -1.75 in both eyes.

So I phone up. The call centre guy has no idea why they have written that prescription but luckily the centre is next to the Peterborough treatment so I get put through to a guy there. Apparently they add up your prescriptions to make those numbers. Its a combined figure.

So I rebook treatment for 1st August 2008.

I should get some paperwork to confirm this in a few days and tell me what I need to bring to set up Direct Debits.

So initial impressions. Ok not perfect. Rough round the edges but this is the face of the company. This is the low pay/low skill end where companies often look to save money. Kinda like Ryaniar crap service but they get you where you need to be for a lot less money.

I wait to see the professional end. What the treatment is like and most importantly the aftercare provided. If they really care about me and I am not just a number being processed.

A little polishing on the consultation would have gotten 10/10. They have customer feedback forms but when the receptionist is sitting next to you whilst you fill it out, its hardly anonymous plus these guys have your health in their hands so it wouldn't be good to annoy anyone in the company.

It will also be good to see how moderated this site really is and whether my posts get edited/deleted.

Please feel free to comment.

I had LASIK - Intralase - Wavefront at Reading

vajranoose — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:32:19 GMT

Hi all,
Prescription roughly 3.5 ish short sighted in both eyes.
I had LASIK - Intralase - Wavefront at Reading on 12 July 2008.
At the consultation I was told that I was an ideal candidate for the surgery (not exact words) and I decided to go ahead with the recommended treatment.
The staff at Reading all great and seemed to be working well as a team, even though it seemed that there were some new staff there that were perhaps a little inexperienced the atmosphere was great and they were all obviously very much on top of their jobs. At no point was I left wondering what was going on or given the impression that there was any lack of attention to my needs as a patient.
As I had LASIK my vision was usable for the journey home the same day, by train, even though I was accompanied by my partner.
There was quite a bit of discomfort the first night - I didn't get much sleep, but I am a bit of a wuss sometimes and it really wasn't that bad at all, It was mainly that I was worried that I would somehow manage to rub my eyes even though I was using the plastic guards as advised.
For the first week my eyesight gradually improved and became more stable.
I had some eye strain using a computer for a while but that seemed to pass after about 6 days.
To start with I was quite noticeably long sighted but it varied quite a bit the first few days. I also became more aware of halos and glare (starburst type) both during the day and more noticeably at night.
I didn't mention this at the first aftercare visit on the 13th as it was not really something I was aware of but it became more noticeable over the first week.
I did mention it at my 1 week post op aftercare visit and was told that my vision would probably continue to improve and stabilize although no assurances were given to me about the halos and glare - I suppose I will have to wait and see.
I was told that my flaps were perfect (so to speak) and to come back in a month.
I went to the cinema yesterday to see Hancock (great film) partly because I really like the cinema and was worried that the halos and glare might be a problem.
I needn't have worried, I was un-aware of any distortion while watching the film although the fireworks surrounding the cinema lighting were quite spectacular.
Generally I would say that I am very pleased that I had it done - I can see better now generally than I ever could before even with glasses.
I really hope the Halo and Glare thing gets better but even if it stays as it is I will be happy.
This is only day 9 so we will see how it goes.
I will post again later I hope.
Thanks to Optimax for my new vision!

not the best service - long waits & overbooked

googly_eyes — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:27:07 GMT

I had treatment at Southampton clinic on Friday 7th August and though all the staff were polite, helpful and professional, I am not overly impressed with the service I have received at Optimax.I do not regret having undergone laser treatment. It was a decision made after much consideration, weighing the pros & cons and with an understanding of the complications involved.I'll explain the reasons why I feel let down by Optimax. First, I experienced an almost 3 hour delay for my medical review on the day of treatment, and then had to wait another hour for the surgery. Anxious as I already was this prolonged wait made things worse. Other anxious patients also complained of the wait.Although I understand that delays occur and unforeseen circumstances arise, I paid a lot of money for the treatment and expected a certain degree of time and care. The patients awaiting treatment were never reassured by staff, and were never told how long they should expect to wait. We had to continually ask reception about the schedule, which kept getting pushed further back.I don't think the waiting was due to patients before me getting quality care because when I finally had my medical review I felt rushed through the entire procedure by the surgeon (though I was confident he was an expert in his profession). He went through everything so quickly that I didn't have a chance to process all the information. When I asked questions I felt like I was holding him up. I just feel that this rush was an effort to make up for lost time or to fit in all the bookings.I was also dissatisfied to receive the letter of my laser settings in the waiting room without being able to discuss it with the surgeon. I felt a bit confused that the settings were somewhat lower from my past prescriptions (by about 0.5) but the surgeon was not there to discuss this with me. Up until then I felt I had made the right decision to go with Optimax - my consultation was very thorough. But I was so disappointed with all the waiting and lack of clarity about things which in turn affected the confidence and reassurance I was hoping to get before entering the treatment room.The treatment itself was fine (though not as "painfree" as I was expecting - pressure when suction ring was applied felt quite severe in the first 20 secs). The surgeon was excellent in reassuring me through every second of the procedure. However, no sooner had I left the treatment room, the next patient was sent in. I was left alone in the recovery room for 20 minutes. Though this is the norm, part of me was expecting the surgeon to just take 5 minutes or so to talk with me about how the surgery went. The experience on a whole that day made me feel like I was on a conveyor belt, i.e. I feel that Optimax focuses too much on quantity rather than quality of care. Too many bookings were made. The waiting room was full of patients who were all anxious and complaining of the wait. The process of the medical review and signing consent forms is rushed. It felt like the staff were talking through the procedures by rote and ticking off a checklist rather than providing personalised and comforting care.Unfortunately I had complications from my treatment. I have high levels of inflammation in both eyes. I had to go in for two aftercare visits last week and back in again today. My appointments are a struggle to fit in to an already tight schedule of bookings. I was told I could be squeezed in "as an extra". I did not find this reassuring but instead felt like I inconveniencing them. On my last two visits I have waited an hour to be seen and was told the delay was due to these "extra" bookings. Obviously I'm not the only one to experience complications after surgery and require extra visits. It seems strange to me that slots are not reserved for patients in my situation. Instead we have to wait ages to get the attention we need. In each visit I've seen someone new (again not the personalised treatment I was expecting). Because I was anxious about my high inflammation, I requested to see the doctor for my next appointment, but the receptionist told me that doctors do not make aftercare appointments. I find this alarming because I had questions about my complications that the optometrist wasn't able to answer. I even requested to see the same optometrist I had on my consultation day but was told that she was "on loan" that day and wasn't due back for another few weeks - optometrists get switched around to different clinics and are rarely based in just one.As a side note I did not find the waiting room to be a relaxing environment, partly due to Radio 1 which is constantly on. Also the air conditioning was far too cold. Judging from other reviews I have read on this clinic I am not alone here. Optimax pride themselves on "treating the most people in the country" but this seems to be at the expense of quality patient care and service that people have paid hundreds if not thousands to receive.

My Lasik Intralase wavefront at Birmingham

jools_k — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:08:03 GMT

I had been thinking about surgery for a while, I had seen videos on a certain website and had compared all the companies. My other half decided to treat me for my 40th birthday so I thought OK why not. I phoned about a consultation and spoke to a lovely lady on the phone who listened to my worries. I had told her about the videos I had seen and she had said that she has no idea where they got such bloodshot eyes from as you certainly do NOT have eyes like that, also she assured me that the lasers that are used are cold lasers so NO smell of burning flesh. All good I thought and booked up.My first consultation was fine, had all the tests, various machines doing different things then had a very thorough eye test. The optitian explained that I was suitable both eyes were -4.50 He gave me a few options to think over as he said that after surgery I could become long sighted and possibly need glasses for reading but my short sightedness would be fine and that I should end up with 20/20 vision after surgery. I opted for the lasik intralase with wavefront due to the shorter healing time, less pain and also the laser cuts the flaps. I had lasik intralase wavefront on Friday 25th march 2011 at Birmingham. I was extremely nervous and the long waiting around times didn't help at all, watching people go in and come back about 15 minutes later with very blood shot eyes (they do advise you that you will be there for several hours)Anyway..A lovely young lady called my name and took me through, she explained all the various drops (anti inflams and anti biotics plus a dose of pain killer drops) She showed me the eye sheilds and went through a list of do's and donts, gave me a hairnet to put and and then took me through.I was shaking like a leaf! I was asked to lie down and was shown the machines, the surgeon asked me to confirm my name etc and what treatment I was having then his assistant cleaned my eyes all around ready for surgery....Drops were put in my eyes then I was told I would feel a bit of pressure, I asked if the drops really worked that quickly and the surgeon assured me that they do. One of the parts I was dreading was the clamping open of the eye but it wasn't uncomfortable at all, I didn't feel the need to blink either like I thought I would. There was a bit of pressure when the suction was applied to my eye, not sure what it was for but it was applied before the laser cut the flaps (this took about 5-10 seconds per eye so wasnt too bad) Then he asked me to keep really still while he moved the flaps, a bit hard while I was still shaking, then it was time to go under the laser (gulp) The surgeon counted down the seconds, I had 25 seconds per eye. The smell was disgusting so I was trying not to breathe and I was convinced that any second I was going to feel the laser burning me but there was absolutley no pain! The surgeon then positions the flap back down using a lot of cold water and I heard him ask his assistant for a bandage lense so I was a bit concerned about that. It didn't take long at all and I was soon back in the waiting room with by bag of potions and my old glasses. I was desperatly trying to look around and was waiting for the wow I can see clearly with no glasses but it didn't happen.About 5 mins later i went to see the surgeon again who explained that the reason he had to put bandage lenses in was because the flap didnt cut cleanly and was ragged so they were there to ensure the flap stayed flat and they will be removed the following day at my check up, so off home we went.I did as they advised and went straight to bed but no sleep for me! After about an hour the pain started to kick in, a burning sensation and my eyes streamed each time I tried to open them. I finally gave in and asked my other half to put in the painkiller drops which was quite difficult due to the puffiness and watering eyes but within seconds of the drops the pain eased. After a restless night I went back for my check up the following day. The bandage contact lenses were removed, I was concerned they would move the flaps when they were removed but it was painless and quick and easy. My eyes were checked and I was asked to read about 3 lines, a number plate and was told I was ok to drive. I was told to increase the anti inflam drops to 8 times a day fro 3 days, then 6 times for 3 days then back down to 4 due to a lot of inflammation in my eyes which is normal apparantly. Made an appointment for the following saturday and off I went again. I expected to see brilliantly now the bandage lenses were out but still no perfect vision. But early days.....

Lasek in Southampton

colinhelen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:47:56 GMT

My brother in law Dave and I both decided to get our eyes lasered so went to consultations at the same time. We had appointments booked, so were a little disappointed at the long wait before we were seen.However, staff were polite and helpful. Once the initial tests were done, we saw a specialist who discused our individual cases with us.It was difficult to understand the gentleman who saw us, and both Dave and I reckoned we probably understood half of what he said, as he had a very heavy accent. However, he was very professional and made us both feel comfortable and we went ahead and booked our surgery. We were both told we needed Wavefront and Lasek - me, because of my thin corneas and Dave for other reasons.On the day, Dave went first and was pleased to be told that Lasik was fine for him. He went in and about ten minutes later was back out, and sitting in the recovery room. Unfortunately I still needed Lasek. If you want to see what it's like, google 'my lasek eye surgery' on youtube, and people have put videos up. It's disconcerting, only mildly unfomfortable at the time, and all over very quickly. The worst thing was knowing the smell was your eyeballs burning!For me, the pain started about half an hour later, and the rest of the day was spent feeling awful, with a lot of pain in my eyes, in a darkened room, wishing I'd never had it done. I simply couldn't persuade my eyes to open as they were so painful, they were clamped shut. They gave me eye drops which didn't really do much, and I had a miserable 8 hours. However, they had also given me a sleeping pill which I took at 8pm. It worked within five minutes, and knocked me out for a good ten hours. Dave, who had had Lasik, was watching telly that evening and sending me texts saying how easy it had all been. If only I could have read them..........THe next day my eyes were still very painful but by mid morning I ventured downstairs with dark glasses on. I couldn't see the telly etc but I could get around the house. However, sight was very blurry and my eyes still hurt a lot.Following day was spent with dark glasses on, and I could stand to have the telly on but only with dark glasses. I couldn't see to read etc, but the pain had mostly gone.Next day was much better. Eyes felt OK, and I could even read for short periods. I could (sort of) see to drive, and went for my checkup. Although the eye test went OK, when they took the blanket lens off it got stuck on one eye, and the eye went immediately to how it had been immediately after the op and the healing process started all over again. However, it did heal more quickly and I could see OK after a day. Sight gradually improved, and I realised that I was seeing everything more vividly - it was like changing the TV channel from standard definition to High definition. You didn't suddenly have Superman sight, but everything was much more alive. Work was very tiring for a week as I use a VDU and it was hard to look at it for more than a few seconds at a time for the first few days.My sight continued to improve, although my eyes were still tender, and quite dry. Optimax gave me drops and lotion to assist, which did help. Three months down the line, my eyes are mostly settled. Long sight appears fine, and I can wear whatever sunglasses I want, I can get up without fiddling with contact lenses, and I don't have to remember to take them out again at light. I feel more confident, and my sight is much better. I still get dry eyes, particularly when I wake up, but I can live with it. Eyes still feel sore on occasion but I can live with that too. And it's less than it used to be, so I'm hoping it will eventually go.The only downside is now my eyes are as they should be for someone my age, I notice that I am slightly short sighted. But that was to be expected.Overall experience - I wish I had known about how painful the first day or so would be. But I would still probably have done it.I have my 3 month checkup in a couple of weeks and will be interested to see exactly what my final results are.

Does anyone regret having surgery

geordie.mac — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:16:36 GMT

Hi. I am 41 and thinking about having Lasik intralense wavefront surgery and worried to death. I read all the great comments, but surely this process can't be 100% successful and only one pair of eyes. Unfortunately Optimax only want to spread the good news. Does anyone have any experience of what could go wrong to give a balanced view before splashing the cash.

Yes I have finally decided to go ahead.......

shelley — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:52:59 GMT

Hello everyone,

A little about me.......

I am 21 years old and am short sighted with RE -4.25 and LE -3.75. Ever since my mother had laser eye surgery 5 years ago I have always wanted it done and after a lot of research and endless internet surfing I have decided to go ahead with treatment.

My consultation.........

The consultation went smoothly. I was assigned a personal advisor who helped me fill in a simple questionnaire regarding any past or potential eye problems. The personal advisor then took me into a small room where she performed a number of tests including a puff test which took me by surprise and I jumped! After this I went in to see the optician who tested my eyes. As I am 21 she also required proof that my perscription has been stable the past few years. She put numbing drops in my eyes and tested my corneal thickness. I then got called into the surgeons room. He asked me why I wanted the surgery and what treatment I was considering. He then inspected my eyes and when he asked me to look left I looked right which was a bit embarrassing!! Dr Qazi suggested that I should have wavefront as there are some distortions in my right eye (whatever that means :ermm: . To my surprise he suggested that I should wait until I finish my final year university exams before going ahead with surgery. This is because Dr Qazi said he would prefer that I concentrate on exams first and then worry about eyes later.

My treatment..............

After much deliberating since 5th May and with final year exams now over I am booked in to have Intralase lasik with wavefront tomorrow (2nd June) at 4:30pm with Dr Qazi in the optimax Belfast branch. I am feeling very nervous at the moment and I am sure I will have a restless night.

Finally...............

I am writing this blog as everyones contributions have helped me so much and I want to do the same for anyone else considering surgery. I will update as soon as I can which crossed fingers will be within the next few days.

Shelley

LASIK WAVEFRONT @ PETERBOROUGH DR. Sajjad Mughal

babybelles — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:56:24 GMT

I had LASIK with Wavefront Intralase done at Peterborough 3 days ago & I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever done!! I really don't know why it took me 8 years of thinking about it. I am very grateful to my husband as he kind of said its now or never & it was a treat for my 30th birthday. My prescription in contacts was -4.75 & -4.25.Although after my initial consultation I was excited about treatment, I was very nervous & worried a week or so before my surgery. I had read through the consent form & it completely petrified me as I didn't realise there were so many risks involved. I then came across a few family members & friends that I didn't realise had already had laser surgery & they all told me it would be OK & totally worth it. They also assured me it was pain free which was my main concern (I am really not very good with pain & if there had been an option to have been knocked out completely I would have chosen this)!The night before my surgery all my nerves had gone & I was very excited - so much that I didn't sleep a wink. My appointment was 9.15am, I live about 30 miles from Peterborough) & my surgery was due to be done at 10.30am. As soon as I arrived, one of the receptionists went through all the medications with me (about 4 sets of drops) & then I saw the surgeon Mr Mughal. He was a very nice man & I felt very at ease with him, he told me I was top end of the scale for LASIK but that he though it was still a good option, very relieved as I really didn't want LASEK due to having 3 young kids & the amount of pain involved after. The waiting room had started to get very busy by the time I went to sit back down & I was getting very nervous, just wanted it all over with. The first gentleman of the day was called in for surgery (he had LASEK).At 10.30 I was called through to the surgery room, I was given a hat to put on & told to wait in a small room whilst the other man was getting ready to go the the recovery room. I saw him come out & he looked fine apart from red eyes! Then I was called through, once I was in the chair, the nurse seat about putting the anathestic drops in my eyes, I said I couldn't feel them working so for good measures she put an extra drop in each eye (3 drops in total). They very cold & made me jump. Next the surgeon got started & put on a suction cones to my right eye, I then was put under the wavefront machine, he asked me if I could see the lights told me to look in the centre. Then after a minute, I could sense something wasn't quite right & the surgeon told me he would have to take the cone out & make a few check before continuing. Once the cone was out I was sat up & then taken back to the little room. I could hear chatting through the walls & realised something was wrong with he machine. After 20 minutes the nurse came out & told me the machine has an error message & that the IT department would have to come & take a look before they could continue! I was taken to the recovery room, my right eye was red from the suction cone & I was extremely worried. My husband & baby came to join me & I just burst into tears. At this point I wanted to walk out of Optimax & forget about the whole idea, I was in the room for approx an hour in total still not knowing weather I would be having LASIK surgery. The nurse told me that if they couldn't reboot the machine than they would only be able to continue with LASEK, I was gutted. A few minutes later the news came through that the machine was now up & running & surgery could continue. As you can imagine, by this point I was really in two minds about the whole thing! But the surgeon explained to me what had happened & that they would never operate unless everything was as it should be. More drops were put in my eyes & the suction cone was once again put on. The suction cones were not painful but it felt very strange & slightly uncomfortable. Once under the wavefront machine the surgeon counted down the seconds from 23 I think & the the same was done with the left eye. This bit was uncomfortable but not actually painful, I just gripped my hands together very tightly & tried to think about something else!Next came the laser, this was again not at all painful but the worst bit was having my eye held open & lashes taped back, quite uncomfortable. The laser itself I found enjoyable to watch the red lights & just tried to ignore the burning smell that it creates.After this Mr Mughal, secured the flaps back I think - out off the whole procedure I found this part the worst as it was such a strange sensation, seeing him come at me with things ¬ being able to pull away from it. More drops were put in to help heal the eyes & off I was taken to the recovery room again - this time complete with surgery all done:)I could see a slight difference straight away but after a few minutes my eyes got so heavy it was a struggle to keep them actually open. After 20 mins I was led upstairs for a sight test before going home, I managed to read d few lines off the chart but they could see all I really wanted to do was shut my eyes.The journey home was awful, luckily I took sunglasses but the anasthetic was wearing off & my eyes started streaming, I couldn't even bear to look where we were going. Once home I went straight to bed & rested with my eyes shut for a couple of hours. Wasn't in awful pain but the constant watering was not nice this only settled down once my husband managed to get some more anasthetic drops in my eyes & then some of the other drops i'd been given. There is no way I could have done this myself so please if you are going to have this done make sure there is somebody to stay at home with you.An hour or so later I was feeling much better & could open my eyes properly, my vision was pretty clear & I was amazed. I could see the alarm clock, picture on the walls - pretty much everything!! By the end of surgery day I was able sit at the dining table & see small print on the television the opposite end of my lounge/dining room, I already knew at this point that laser surgery had been well worth the hassle.I was having to put drops in 4 times a day & refresh drops whenever they felt dry, my eyes never went bloodshot - just a small red mark at the top of each eye. The next day I want back for a check up hoping to be at driving standard & to my amazement I already had better than 20/20 vision!! The lady says my eyes were slightly dry so continue to use the drops properly but she was very pleased with the way my eyes looked indeed.Its now just 3 days since surgery & I am in no dis-comfort whatsoever. I am wearing sunglasses when outside to protect from dust, insects etc. but inside the house I am fine, they get a little dry if I am watching TV or looking at computer screen for a while but I just put more refresh drops in & they are back to normal.I am so pleased I plucked up enough courage to have laser surgery, I would highly recommend Optimax to anyone & really can't tell you what an amazing experience it is to wake up in the morning & see everything!:hehe:Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like a £500 off voucher prior to your initial consultation. I hope my review will be of use to some of you as I found myself on here looking at these posts quite a bit prior to my treatment.

Epi Lasek - Problems - Severe pain in morning on waking up

dnac — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:16:52 GMT

Hello, I had Epi Lasek eye surgery at the Peterborough clinique about 3 years ago. The operation itself was a success and other than the night after being complete agony I am happy to say that I have perfect 20/20 vision still.However I do have an issue, In the morning it feels like my eyes tear open. Sometimes its not as bad as others, and normally if I rub my eyes before opening its perfectly OK, but other mornings if I wake with a start its really painfull.I went back to the clinique not long after the surgery and told them, and they gave me a gel to put into my eyes before sleep, but this never worked.I guess a busy life style and the fact it does not happen every morning stopped my going back.I am wondering though, has anyone else had a similar experience, and if there are any cures?ThanksDave

Lasik Intralase wavefront at Glasgow

hubba64 — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:41:34 GMT

I had been thinking about getting laser surgery for a couple of years and had looked into it quite considerably, then decided to stop being a chicken about it and actually go and speak to someone. I phoned about a consultation and spoke to a the brilliant staff in Glasgow (can I just say how helpful and kind they are, they all do everything to put you at your ease from the second you walk in the door!)My first consultation was fine, had all the tests, lots of different machines testing for all sorts of things - then a very thorough eye test. The optitian explained that I was suitable, seems they actually turn away about 20% of people. Because of my prescription, and the fact that I have large pupils I could only have the lasik, which suited me anyway as that was the one I wanted, she explained that due to my age (47) I would possibly need glasses for reading but my short sightedness would be fine and that I should end up with 20/20 vision after surgery. I agreed to the lasik intralase with wavefront due to the shorter healing time, less pain and also the laser cuts the flaps. I had lasik intralase wavefront yesterday, 3rd September 2011 at Glasgow. I was extremely nervous and the long waiting around times didn't help at all, (they do advise you that you will be there for several hours)Anyway.. A lovely young lady called Claire explained all the various drops (steroid eye drops and antibiotoc eye drops plus a dose of pain killer drops, Claire also showed me the eye sheilds and went through a list of do's and dont's. When I was taken through I was given a hairnet to put on, I was asked to lie down and was shown the machines, the surgeon asked me to confirm my name etc and what treatment I was having then his assistant cleaned my eyes all around ready for surgery....Drops were put in my eyes then I was told I would feel a bit of pressure. One of the parts I was dreading was the clamping open of the eye but it wasn't painful at all, just a bit uncomfortable. There was a bit of pressure when the suction was applied to my eye, (this took about 5-10 seconds per eye so wasnt too bad) Then he asked me to keep really still while he moved the flaps, then it was time to go under the laser. The nurse counted down the seconds, it was only about 25 seconds or so while you had to look into the light. The smell was disgusting , nothing I can really describe, but there was absolutley no pain! The surgeon then positions the flap back down using a lot of cold water. It didn't take long at all and I was soon back in the waiting room with by bag of potions and my old glasses. About 5 mins later i went to see the opticial for a final check to make sure everything was okay, advised that I when I got home I should go and lie down as I would want to keep my eyes closed - they weren't kidding about the eyes closed!I did as they advised and went straight to bed but no sleep for me! After about an hour the pain started to kick in, a bit like a bad poke in the eye after touching an onion! I finally gave in and used the painkiller drops and within seconds of the drops the pain eased. This morning I went back for my check up. My eyes were checked and I was asked to read from the chart, was told I was ok to drive and it seems my distance vision is now 20/20 just 24 hours after surgery, it's just amazing!!! The optician says that it will probably keep improving over the next week as well, I am back on Friday for another check. I was having problems yesterday with close up things, couldn't see to read my email, or read a text on my phone. Even this morning I was having to concentrate to do it. I was advised to get reading glasses (from the pound shop) as it should only be temporary - this evening I am sitting at the computer writing this with no reading glasses on and not having any problems at all - I would say a 100% improvement from this morning.I have no idea why it took me so long to do this, the best thing I ever did, no pain , slight bloodshot eyes, my eyes are a little bit dry but then I only had the surgery yesterday, the word I would use is WOW!!If you are thinking of having eye surgery and would like £500 off your treatment then please email me athubba64@gmail.comor send me a private message, just send me your name and address and I will post our the voucher by first class post.

Optimax Brighton. I have had monovision Lasik and Lasek at a -9 prescription at age 41...

Nicola Louise — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:43:36 GMT

Hi, i thought i would add my own experience to the website as when i was researching the whole lasik thing i rarely found anybody with my prescription. So i hope this is of use to somebody.I am 41 who had a -9 prescription in both eyes. I had monovision Lasik done at the beginning of April. My left eye was purposely left at -2.5 so i use this eye for reading and my left eye was corrected to 0.0 which i use for distance. Due to my age, if both eyes where corrected to 0.0 then i would have immediately needed reading glasses.As my eyes healed they where still blurry, and when i had my eye tests, my left eye still had a prescription of -2.5. I then chose to wear glasses for the next several months until i could be retreated.Due to the thickness of my corneas after the Lasik, i then had Lasek done on my left eye only on the 9th Sept.I had my eyes checked yesterday and i now have 20/20 vision. My left eye is a perfect 0.0 and my right eye -2.5. Exactly what the surgeon ordered!I am thrilled to bits. I have worn glasses (very thick ones) for over 30 years. Now i wake up and can see. It is amazing. I have sufferred no dry eyes and have had no problems whatsoever.I had my treatment done at Optimax in Brighton. I cannot fault the service i have had.I am more than happy to answer any questions.Nicky:D

Lasek Belfast

garethowens82 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:29:56 GMT

Well, i cant remember when i last posted on here but i thought i would give my experiences of my surgery 7 months on. The surgery itself was completely painless, the worst part of it was the cooling solution after each eye was lasered! ITS FREEEEEEEEZING!!:w00t::w00t::w00t:I was fine for about 30 mins after but then my eyes gradually got a bit more sensitive and by that point i was home, got into bed and dozed! I had my girlfriend to stick my drops in as and when directed. I just lay in bed with the radio on and let my eyes rest. It was brilliant. Felt totally rested. My eyes were never sore, they were a bit irritated at times and they streamed but nothing that was unbearable and the drops were always there if needed.I had my eye patches on the whole time i was in bed. (Make sure u have them on securely, i managed to get one of mine off one night!!!)I had my surgery on the Tuesday, stayed in bed Tuesday and Wednesday, half of Thursday and got my protective contact lenses out on the Friday. My eyes have been improving all the time, and i have 20/20 vision which is what i wanted. I had a pretty high prescription with astigmatisms in both eyes so the results have been amazing. I occasionally wake up with dry eyes in the morning but its not that bad. I still take the odd drop here and there just to keep my eyes moist.If anyone is thinking of having the surgery i would highly recommend it. The staff in Belfast have been absolutely brilliant, answering all my questions, helping me through the day of my surgery and are always there to help if you have any queries post surgery!Oh and anyone in Belfast, i have £500 vouchers so drop me a message if you fancy going for it! You wont regret it!!!!CheersG

My experience of LASEK wavefront

nikster — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:36:05 GMT

Hi All,I had LASEK wavefront at the Manchester clinic on 11th August 2011. My consultation and follow up have been at Newcastle (as that is closest to me but they had no appointments in August so I had to book into Manchester for the surgery).I had very high prescriptions, R eye -8.25 with -0.25 astigmatism and L eye -7.25 with -0.25 astigmatism and large pupils and think cornea due to long use of contacts. (I have always worn glasses since primary school and contacts for 10years). So I was gutted when I was told I was not suitable for LASIK and had to book in for LASEK.Manchester was nice - but I have to say that compared to Newcastle it was less asthetically pleasing and we had to wait AGES that I missed the train we were booked on, costly us lots of money to catch another one. So wasn't best pleased with that, especially as I arrived early and made sure they were aware that I had a train to catch.The surgery itself was painfree - I had done A LOT of researching and reading and chatted to people on forums, so knew what to expect. I also stupidly checked out you-tube videos of the procedure and scared myself to death. In hindsight, I should have saved the videos until afterwards. As most of the procedure I couldn't feel but because I knew what was happening I was imagining it in my head!!I had to get train back home - and the ride back was horrendous as the anesthetic wore off pretty much just as we got on the train and I had a 2hr train ride, with sore eyes, sunglasses and my mum trying to put drops in through my closed eyes. Not the best experience!Day 1-2 was mainly spent in bed - only getting up for drops or to eat. My mum came to stay with me for 4 days (As I live alone) and I am so grateful to her. First couple days were the worst - it's hard to describe as I would not say that I was in pain as such but it was just uncomfortable and felt like I had a migraine in my eyes!Day 3 - first day I left my bedroom and didn't need my sunglasses on whilst in the house. Vision was blurry but I could see and identify things - which I could never have done previously without glasses/contacts one.Day 4 - first day felt fully normal as slept well through the night. I was worried I would suffer with dry eyes so was using the refresher loads, but thankfully I did not experience any of the dry eyes problems upon waking! :) My mum left so was having to put in the drops myself - this was much easier than I first anticipated as I was not looking forward to putting in drops myself!Day 5 - first follow up appointment with Optimax in Newcastle - to remove the bandage contacts. It didn't hurt and the optometrist said eyes were looking good and to keep on using plenty of refresher drops. An hr after having the bandage lens removed, however, my left eye felt like there was an eyelash or something stuck in it. At first I just thought its just cos the surface of my eye is still rough, and continued using the drops. A few hours later, the pain kicked in and it now felt like I had glass in my eye every time my eye ball moved or I blinked (which is pretty impossible to not do!!). I called Newc clinic, in tears and pain, and I was passed onto the optometrist who advised me to use more of the refresher drops and said that some cells had probably been dislodged with the removal of the bandage lens.I continued to be in so much pain (far worse than anything I experienced post surgery) that I had to use the numbing drops (and alas I had relief from the pain). However, this only lasted 30mins max so again I called Newc clinic and optometrist told me ot continue using the numbing drops as it was easing the pain and to sleep on it and see how it was in the morning.Day 6 - woke up and left eye was sore and red with puffy eyelids; right eyes is great - vision improving each day. Used the drops and by about midday, left eye back to feeling like there was glass in my eye, also, vision in left eye had regressed. It was so blurry it was worse than it was post surgery. So again I called optimax as the newc clinic were not picking up. They told me Newc were not seeing patients today (hence why they were not picking up) I spoke to another optometrist who said I needed to go into the clinic the next day for emergency check up. :(Day 7 - had to get my neighbour to drive me to clinic - as via public transport it was over an hr and I could not walk as I could not open my left eye. Saw the optometrist straight away and he confirmed that from blinking I must have pulled some of the top layer of cells and that was why I was in so much pain. He tried to remove the layer but said that one end was firmly attached so he tried to respread it out and put back in a bandage lens. My eye instantly felt better and I was just so glad to not be in pain anymore. He told me that I needed to come back the next day to check if lens could be removed, as they do not like keeping the lenses in too long as it can lead to infections! I now had to put the antibiotic drop in left eye 6 times a day.Day 8 - returned to clinic. Surface of left eye still healing so lens had to be kept in. Pain was gone and vision was getting better. My right eye is already at driving distance (whoop!!!). I then took train to Edinburgh as I was due to go couple days earlier for fringe festival.Day 9 - Went to glasgow to attend another follow up appointment at optimax (there are no clinics in edinburgh). Optometrist checked my eyes and took a lot of time on the left eye. She removed the lens and advised me to continue with drops. I was obviously very cautious after what happened last time and was scared it would happen again. But thankfully, I didnt feel any gritty feeling in left eye and continued with drops.Day 15 (Aug 26th) - My second official follow up (post surgery) at Newcastle. I am told both eyes are healing better than expected, esp with the problems I had with the left eye! My right eye can read up to the 20/20 line clearly and the left can read to line above that but not as clearly. I am sooooo happy with this! I never thought I would get to 20/20 - not with my high prescription! whoop :) He said I have a slight astigmatism in both eyes and that my left is actually slightly long sighted at the moment. Optometrist also informs me that my corneas are still healing so my vision will only get better! I can stop using the drops, and only need ot use refreshers up to 8 times a day, if not more!My next appointment is 26th Sept - after I've been back to work for a month (I am a teacher) so I will update on here how things go! I should mention I felt like I was at driving ability at bout day 12/13 but I actually returned to driving on day 14 exactly 2weeks after surgery.If anyone has any questions or would like any discount vouchers then feel free to send me a message!I definitely would recommend having laser eye surgery - I wish I had it done earlier (I know that sounds cheesey) but I'm 29 now and just thinking of all the freedom I could have had much earlier. Even with the pain and the set back with the left eye I would do it again and have no regrets! I would like to say a huge thanks to the receptionists at Newcastle and especially to Ciaran the optometrist!

Inflammation

PaulManning — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:37:58 GMT

Hello all,I had Lasik Intralase with Wavefront treatment on Wednesday at the Finchley Road branch. Had the usual streaming eyes and also some bruising on my right eye from the clamp. Apart from that and the dryness (which I see most people mention and which I was expecting), my eyes feel good.I went for my 'day after' check up yesterday and was told that my vision is good and I have been cleared to drive... so all good. Then optician also told me that I had inflammation in both eyes and to start using the steroid drops every two hours. I've got to go back for a check up tomorrow.Has anyone else had this inflammation following similar laser surgery and has the increased dose of steroid drops worked? Obviously I'm panicking a bit as I'm thinking this 'could this be the start of something long-term'???ThanksPaul

IntraLase Wavefront LASIK at Southend with a low prescription

andyroc — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:42:36 GMT

Hi, I had my treatment yesterday at Southend which is quite a new location.Had my consult back in July, read the boards a few times so I understood the treatment and risks but felt that it was better not to spend too much time here as it made me worry more!Found the staff at Southend to be excellent and the Surgeon Dr Mughal was brilliant, he told me he may have to abort the treatment if he wasn't happy with the fitting of the suction ring. I have very large corneas and pupils and he was worried about the flap being correctly located and big enough. He gave me the option of switching to lasek which I accepted if it had to be.In the end all went well and Lasik was performed, all over very quickly, the worst part for me was the fitting of the ring and the pressure used to apply it, the rest was a bit of a blur as you don't really see what is happening and I felt nothing when the flap was opened and closed, had to make a point of trying to spot it being done for the second eye,After I was fine for about 30 minutes and then had 5 hours of pain with a headache from hell. I often get headaches after eye tests and was expecting it. During this time I couldn't sleep, I could barely open my eyes as they felt so heavy but by 9pm I could and could just about stand to watch a bit of TV.Overnight was fine, guards are easier to sleep in than you would expect.Checkup today, I was able to read the bottom line of the eye test chart without glasses, the person doing the check up was impressed and amazed, as was I! Have some swelling to the eyelids so have to increase some of the drops, not a major problem.Close up vision is ok, not great, but I know that should settle down soon. I can read unaided, takes a bit more concentration than normal. I was told by Dr Mughal to get some +1 reading specs but having tried them on I really can't read with them at all (yet).I only had a low prescription of -1.25 but with the astigmatism too I needed to wear glasses all the time. I was told at the consult that I am at the very beginning of the range that they could treat.I am still amazed at the fact I can now see long distance, pin sharp already, hopefully it won't change as they heal.A couple of nervous hours, and a few more of pain, totally worth it!Thoroughly recommend the treatment and the Southend clinic. Like everyone else I have £500 vouchers if you want them, just ask.

£500 DISCOUNT VOUCHERS!

katia n. — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:32:59 GMT

Hi. my name is Kateryna. I have had eye lazer treatment 11 August 2011. I'am very happy about it. It's a life changing event. If you consider eye lazer consultation treatment. I can offer you a £500 voucher discount. You would need to produce it at your consultation. What I need from you is your name and address. You can email to me k.nelligan8@hotmail.co.uk and I can post the voucher to you. You get £500 discount and I get £50 for referring it to you. So everybody is happy!

Good experience at Hull and Leeds

rosieH — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:36:58 GMT

I had lasek and wavefront treatment in May and have to say it has been fantastic. I had my initial appointment and after care at the Hull clinic (although an hour away is my closest one) and the treatment and initial aftercare appointment in Leeds. Only reason for this was the Hull appoint was in school holidays and I didn't think my husband would cope with the children at home all day, so I opted for Leeds so the children were at school.Staff at both clinics were very friendly and helpful. I went in early to every appointment apart from the actual proceedure, but that was out of there hands as there was a large accident on the motorway and a staff member was stuck in the backlog of traffic (we saw the jam as we passed).The proceedure itself was very quick and completely pain free. I unfortunatly went into panic mode when the clamp was put on my eye and would like to apologise to the guy after me as I did a bit of a fainting fit in the waiting room!I was geared for the pain, but I was very lucky and although I had quite a lot of discomfort in one eye that was it. Even when the bandage lenses were taken out and my eyes hadn't healed up as much as expected I was again told to expect pain, but it never came.I did find putting the drops in 4 times a day quite difficult, but once I got used to it , it was fine. I also had eye drops later for at night, as the only side affect I suffered with was dry eyes at night which was painful. However, I have to get up twice a night to check my son's blood glucose levels, so if you are not waking up at ungodly hours you probably wouldn't know anything about it!3 months on, my eyes are super, they have healed so well it is difficult to tell I've had anything done, or so I'm told. My vision is incredible and has been from about 2 weeks after the treatment. Apart from the dry eyes I've had no problems at all and my over all impression is excellent. I would happily recommend anyone to have it done.If you would like a referral for the £500 off just message me. A very nice guy referred me and what a difference to the cost!Rosie.

My LASEK at Manchester

nicslasek — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:23:32 GMT

Hi all, I recently had LASEK with wavefront, 3weeks ago to be exact so I thought I would let you know how it went so it might help you make a decision on your own procedure. I’m 23 and my surgery was at the Manchester clinic, I’ve worn glasses for ten years and my prescription beforehand was R/eye -4.75 L/eye -5.50 both with a -0.5 astigmatism and I opted out of using the Mitomycin during the procedure although it was recommended that it be used however I decided that if it was needed at a later date due to complications then it could be done then instead this does require going through the procedure again minus the laser if it is needed so this choice might not suit everyone.The procedure itself was painless and I was talked through everything thoroughly beforehand the drops were well explained that I would need to use afterwards and Dr Madhu answered all of my questions without rushing anything and one of the laser assistants even held my hand because as it turns out I am a huge wimp when faced with lasers being fired at my eyes.It was a morning procedure so I was out of the clinic by about 1 and the anaesthetic wore off soon after and it was quite painful, hard to open my eyes and very light sensitive but when I woke the next morning the pain was gone, I didn’t use any of the anaesthetic drops they gave me so I suppose it could have been easier. My vision got slowly better and by the Saturday (procedure was a Wednesday) before the bandage lens was removed I thought I was about at driving standard, however when the lens was taken out it got worse and I could only see the top line of the chart and on Sunday it got worse again and worse on Monday. By this time I was freaking out and was quite distraught I couldn’t read, watch tv or do anything I was just sat with me and my thoughts which obviously did not help as I tend to over think. So I went into the clinic for a check up and dry eyes were the problem (I had borderline dry eyes before) as my eyelids were pulling off the newly formed cells so my eyes weren’t healing, I was given a gel in addition to the refresh drops and told to put something in my eye at least every hour and use the gel at night. My vision started to get better gradually and two weeks later at my check up I had 20:20 vision, I don’t know when in that time I would have been legally allowed to drive but I would say about a week, I still use the drops just not as regular and I still use the gel as a precaution because I’m still healing even though I have 20:20vision. I have no haze at this point but it is still early so I will let you know in a month.That’s my story if you have any questions I would be happy to answer either on here or you can email me at nhargreaves11@googlemail.com I would definitely do it again knowing what happens and would recommend it, but definitely do your research and decide what is best for you.In addition I have some of those £500off vouchers if anyone wants one just send me a message here or on an email and I will send one out to you all I need is your name address and email, there is no time limit on them and don’t worry if you don’t end up getting it done it’s not for everyone but good luck to anyone that does.:)

Experience of LASEK Wavefront at Newcastle

ScottC — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:53:56 GMT

Hi all,As there isnt many of them here, thought I would give you my experience so far of LASEK Wavefront!Might not be as detailed as intended, as it took a month(!) for my account on here to be approved...!Background:OK so - decision to have laser eye was triggered by multiple corneal ulcers that I had had over 18 months due to contact lens wear, and I find glasses impractical for sport.I'm 27, and my prescription was -3.75 (R) and -5 (L), so a relatively high prescription but not massive.Originally went to Optical Express, who I found had quite a pushy sales technique, and also totally ignored the corneal ulcer issue - saying I was suitable for LASIK etc, and happy to treat that week (bearing in mind that my most recent ulcer at that time was only 2 weeks prior).Went to Optimax for their checkup, who advised that they personally would not perform LASIK as it was too risky given the ulcers, and wouldnt even perform LASEK for at least another three months. Although disappointed, I felt that the health of the patient was clearly more at the forefront of their minds than it was at OE.So, I duly booked in LASEK with Wavefront for April 20th.Day 0 - Procedure dayOK so I had the procedure at midday on the 20th.The procedure itself was very very quick, and nothing more than uncomfortable.Basically - you go in, get anaesthetic drops, then lie on your back on a bed.A drop of alcohol is put on the surface of the eye for about 30 seconds, and then the surgeon wipes back the surface (this was quite disconcerting).Then, laser applied for between a minute and a minute and a half per eye, including Wavefront. Definite burning smell, but nothing overpowering.Then, bandage lens put in, other eye done, then out!Was given a bag full of drops, painkillers, anaesthetic and sleeping tablets, and basically walked straight out.At this stage, there was absolutely zero pain, and although everything was like looking through frosted glass, the improvement in vision was very noticeable. I could instantly read things I couldnt before.Light sensitivity was definitely there, and there was major issues focusing, but generally I was happy.Went home, and just listened to some audio books. I could, to my surprise, watch the TV OK, but I tried to avoid this to avoid straining my eyes.Took a painkiller (for no reason other than I was expecting pain, but none came), and went to bed.Day 1 to 2:Not an awful lot to tell here. Can honestly say there probably wasnt much improvement over this time. Blurriness was probably slightly less, and slowly eyes were focusing better but still very poorly (my pupils were still heavily dilated for nearly 4 days after the procedure).Most importantly, there was zero pain.I just kept taking the drops (steroid and antibiotic) 4 times a day, as instructed.Until:Day 2 - 10PM (60hours after procedure)The pain started at 10 o clock at night on Day 2.And I have to say - I do not want to put anyone off the procedure, as it really is worth while, but - do NOT underestimate the pain.I was in absolute agony for around 12 hours from 10 PM til 10AM the next day. The pain is best described as having red hot pokers dragged across the surface of your eye.I put up with it for 5 hours until I clamoured around for the anaesthetic drops that they had given me (which you arent supposed to use unless ABSOLUTELY neccessary). These did however provide instant relief from the pain.Day 3Still very painful all day, but descended into more of an uncomfortable feeling.Needless to say, vision was pretty appalling at this point, mainly as eyes were streaming.Day 4Woke up, and pain had gone.Vision was noticeably much improved.Had the 4 day checkup, and was told that the front of my eye had healed in the main, but still some patches that hadnt. Had the bandage lenses removed, which caused me none of the issues that some have had, although eyes were noticeably more sensitive for a few hours.Day 5By this time, the vision of my eyes was noticeably getting better almost by the hour.I could certainly tell I still wasnt at driving standard, but my eyes would leapfrog each other in performance throughout the day.Focusing on anything close up was still a major struggle, and my eyes seemed to give up the ghost by the night - vision went very poor very quickly at this point.Day 6Vast improvement. Hit driving standard on day 6.Still no pain, but some dryness developed, so was using the refresh artificial tears.Eyes still very temperamental, in that they would be good then poor then good again, literally over the space of a couple of hours.Day 7-13For the next week, the same story continued.Vision gradually, but noticeably, getting better - even though I had reached driving standard.Eyes were still getting very tired by the night, and would give up part way through the day quite regularly.My major issue was still close up work. I went back to work on Day 8, but seriously struggled (I work in front of a computer all day).My advice would be to allow 2 weeks if possible.Day 14Woke up, agonising pain in my right eye for about 15 minutes.Turns out a tiny part of the surface of my eye had torn off and stuck to my eyelid - relatively common I believe, but nothing to worry about.Had my 2 week check up, where I was told that my eyes were healing well, if a little dry (was told to increase my use of refresh). In particular, was told that I was almost on course for a perfect vision result.The reason for the struggling to focus was because at this point I was actually noticeably longsighted (I wasnt told the exact prescription level). He said this would settle down over the next 2 weeks or so.Now - 4 weeks inSince day 14, all issues with unreliable vision have disappeared, as have any issues regarding focusing.I think I can honestly say that right now, my vision is AS GOOD as I had with my contacts, which obviously gave effectively perfect vision.I havent had any night vision issues either - there are some slight halos around lights, but nothing really noticeable, and certainly better than I had with my contact lenses.Eyes are still a bit dry, but again nothing really noticeable, and the drops resolve this issue immediately.All in all, so far, I can honestly recommend this very highly. Bear in mind that from what I have seen, I am a somewhat exceptional case in that, most people dont get that close to contact/glasses vision. Also, the pain IS bad - but in my opinion, not bad enough to prevent you from getting the procedure, the benefits certainly outweigh the pain. I will update this after my next checkup (2nd of June)!I hope this has helped someone at least, any questions please ask away!

£500 off eye treatment and free consultaion. Click here----->

Webbo05 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:07:24 GMT

Hot off the press!I now have many more Optimax vouchers for anyone who is thinking of having Lasik or Lasek Eye Surgery with Wavefront and would like to benefit from £500 off. Optimax offer: Free Consultation £500 Off Interest Free Credit Free Lifetime Aftercare Best Laser Eye Treatment In The UKBack in December 2008 I had my eye treatment and I have been so happy with my results from the Peterborough clinic I want you to experience enhanced vision too!You could also receive a truly life-changing experience with Laser Eye Surgery. Say hello to clear vision, comfort and confidence as you may never have experienced before; having done more than 300,000 treatments in the UK, Optimax are the UK’s number one Laser Eye Surgery Specialists with lots of clinics nationwide this offer is also open to any of these clinics, not just Peterborough. If you are interested in this offer please email me your name and address atgreat_tackle_gazza@hotmail.co.ukI will send you a voucher first class enabling you to get £500 off your wavefront treatment, all you need to do is take this voucher to your free consultation or quote my name and patient ID when booking.Kind regardsWebbo05great_tackle_gazza@hotmail.co.uk

My experience at Finchley Road, London

k_taz2000 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:01:49 GMT

Hi When I was trying to decide whether or not to have laser surgery I didn’t find many good success stories on here, only when treatment had gone wrong. I have decided to put my success story on here.I had Lasik Intralase Wavefront carried out on both eyes at the Finchley Road, London Optimax clinic on Thursday 13 August. My prescription was -3.50 in both eyes.I must admit I was very nervous and very nearly changed my mind. My surgeon was Sajjad Mughal. He is a very nice guy who put me at ease and answered all of my silly questions. When the time came for me to go in I had to wear a lovely surgical hair net (luckily I couldn’t see what I looked like!). I went into the prep area where my eyes were cleaned and anaesthetic drops put in. I sat there for what seemed liked ages while the lady in front of me had hers done. When my time came I just had to check that they would put more drops in as I was worried that they would have worn off!I had the Intralase done on both eyes first. This, I have to say is the worst part by far as I wasn’t really ready for the amount of pressure on my eye. It probably wasn’t a lot at all but it felt like it! This only lasted for around 20 secs max when my vision went blurry (long distance was blurry already). Then they moved the bed from under the Intralase machine so that the flap could be peeled back and the eye was cleaned before putting in the retractor to keep the lids open. It was a very weird feeling as my other eye was blinking which was tricking me into thinking that the other one was as well (blinking was something that I was worried about but needn’t have been). I was told to lay still and look at the red light (the laser). As on all accounts on here you get the smell of burning during the lasering part which is not that unpleasant, it reminded me of fireworks! About 50 secs later and lasering was done. Eye was cleaned again and flap replaced. I had a bandage len put in both eyes to protect the flap. The eye lid retractor was removed and I was told to gently blink. A rather fetching eye shield was placed on that eye and the right one was done.Once the right eye was done I was helped up (felt a bit light headed at first) and led to the recovery room where I sat in the dark for a while on a reclining chair with a hot chocolate. I stayed there for about 20 mins or so before I went down to see the Optometrist to check that all was well. She told me that there was a strand of fabric between my eye and the lens so sent me back up to see the surgeon. He had a look and looked at her notes and said that there was nothing there. He said it was probably just a line of mucus (lovely!). So off I went home with my oversized sunglasses. In the car on the way home my eyes stung, the peeling onion effect and lasted for around 3 hours but I went straight in and went to sleep. By the time I woke up the stinging had stopped. Vision was good but a bit blurry which I was told was the bandage lenses. I was putting the drops in as directed but it took a bit of practice to actually get them in my eye and not on my eye lids! I was given some eye patched to wear at night. Not the best things in world as the micropore tape they give you hurts like hell when you come to take it off in the morning!Had my 24 hour check up on Friday. Could read the line above the bottom, the bottom was rather blurry. Once the bandage lenses were taking out my vision became much clearer and not blurred, I could read the bottom line and had 20/20 vision.Just a tip for washing hair, I bought a pair of swimming goggles (in the O2 centre across the road from the Clinic there is an Esporta fitness club, they sell goggles in there) for wearing in the shower. I did wonder how I was going to wash my hair with them but discovered that if I put the strap under all my hair at the back and up over my ears the goggles stayed where they were and I could easily wash my hair.I went back to work on Monday and found that a bit hard going, the air con and looking at a monitor were making my eyes very very dry. I got a screen filter which takes down the glare and have been using refresh drops every hour or so in between the steroid drops and they seem to be ok. So far so good, vision is very good as good as it was before with contacts lenses which was what I wanted from this so I am very happy. I actually think that when I got up this morning my vision has become sharper. I have my 1 week check up next Tuesday so will find out if there is any prescription left and will report back.The only thing that I am not too happy about is the fact that you only get 1 pack of refresh drops and that you are told to use them for 2-3 months, it has cost me a small fortune in buying a supply of them. Luckily I found a company on the internet which sells them for £3.49 a box but even still after having paid a fortune for the treatment I was a bit cheesed off at having to spend more money on something I think they should provide (at least more than 1 box).In conclusion, on my experience I would definitely recommend anyone thinking about it to do it, I’m wishing I had had it done sooner! Good luck!Any questions please ask.

LASEK at Manchester

40058 — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:24:08 GMT

Had lasek 17th december, procedure was totally pain free but when the anasthetic wore off about an hour later I couldn't open my eyes, which by this time were streaming - or stand any light. For the rest of that day (friday) and most of the day after I was practically blind, but by sunday I was more tolerant of light and by monday when I went back to clinic I was borderline driving standard. My vision improved in a day or two and now my eyes leep frog each other in visual quality: one is slightly better than driving standard, the other 20/20 and then vice versa.[/font]

My Lasek treatment so far

Chebs! — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:27:53 GMT

I had been thinking about laser eye surgery for a while and had been investigating all the different treatments.When I went for my consultation I was still unsure about whether to have LASIK (Quicker and less pain) or LASEK (a little bit safer, but more pain and slower recovery, but also cheaper) I thought I'd listen to the advice given, but would bear in mind that I would be expecting them to try to push the more expensive alternative of LASIK.Surprisingly on the day they actually advised LASEK as I had a small hole in my retina about 15 years ago which was treated successfully, LASEK causes less pressure. I would be suitable for LASIK if I really wanted it but they advised LASEK.So, it was good to know that they did seem willing to genuinely give the best advice and not push the expensive alternative.I opted for LASEK with wavefront, handily discounted by £500 from a voucher I'd received.2 Days later I was in.On the day everything was handled in a professional friendly and comforting manner. The Surgery itself was painless:Eye drops to numb the eye & few minutes waitInto the surgery room and lay down on bedEye held open with a retractor and drops added to weaken the cells.Cells then pushed back with a spatula (this was the bit I was dreading, you can see the spatula moving across your eye but can't feel a thing)Then laser for about 10 secs (again feel nothing, but a bit of a burning smell)Then cell moved back.Repeat for eye 2.So overall very simple and painless, I was able to go home straight away. Just after about an hour the anesthetic was wearing off and my eyes were a bit achy, but the eye drops they gave you made a big difference straight away. For the rest of the day my eyes were quite stingy and sensitive, so just wanted to keep them shut. With my brilliant boyfriend leading me round the house when necessary, making me dinner etc. Eating dinner with your eyes shut is quite weird; luckily my partner resisted the temptation to put any surprises on my plate.Day 2, the pain was much less, I used one of the anesthetic drops once, but other than that it was quite bearable. Vision very blurry though, so although eyes were ok open everything very fuzzy.Day 3 things quite a bit clearer and no pain at all, still not clear, but can start to read things and watch telly.Day 4 had my bandage lenses out and again things pretty clear by now.I'm not sure how well my vision has improved yet, as I was quite a low prescription so I will only notice the main difference when the blurriness has gone, in approx 4 - 7 days apparently.So overall, the 1st day a bit grim 2nd day onwards not too bad. If cost is a consideration and you're ok with some discomfort I think it's worth the quite considerable saving in the price.I have £500 off vouchers that can be used for:Free consultation£500 off wavefront with either Lasik, or lasek. Just send an email to lisacunningham@bpp.comand I'll send one to you 1st class in the post.Good luck everyone

sight at ten day check up

c_wood_for_tress? — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:20:40 GMT

Hi, I had Lasek wavefront, 10 days ago (due to large perscription and thin Corneas). I felt in alot of pain the afternoon (about two/three hours after surgery). I moved in with a relative and 'looked after' for a week. Today I#ve had my 10 day check and my sight has gone from -7 in both eyes (badly short sighted) to +2 (long sighted). Im really low & frustrated about this, ive been told my sight doesn't even meet driving standard. They have said this will settle and improve? but after the pain,cost and time involved ( AND most importantly- fact I can't function normally yet!!) Im starting to regret having the surgery. Can someone with a similar prescription and story re-assure me that thsi is just a blip and it'll be ok? :(

Lasek Wavefront - Hull

TraceyB — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:35:54 GMT

Ive just been discharged from Hull after my surgery on March 29. I have been looked after exceptionally well, the treatment was not painful, afterwards was a little uncomfortable, but for anyone who has previously worn contact lenses, it felt like the end of a very long day wearing lenses, dry & gritty. The staff were all very friendly, the clinic is very relaxed, and the surgeon was lovely.If ANYONE has ANY queries or concerns, then please contact me - I will be honest.

My brilliant experience at Peterborough Optimax!

DM/F/33 — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:08:56 GMT

Hello everyone, I had laser eye surgery with Optimax in March 2011. I had the Lasik, Intralase and Wavefront treatment.I had been to a consultation in Bristol a couple of years ago and was found suitable. The clinic staff at Bristol were very nice and explained the treatment in a way even I could understand. My prescription in my contacts was -5.75 in each eye and was told that Lasik, Intralase and Wavefront treatment would be best for me. I didn’t take up the surgery at the time as I was a little nervous and wanted some time to do research on other providers. I decided a few years on that the glasses and contact lenses had to go and went back to Optimax Peterborough. I went in for surgery in the morning - I couldn’t believe how quickly I was out of the treatment room and relaxing in the lounge. The treatment was a strange experience - not being able to blink, but they were so friendly and helpful. Let’s face it I wasn’t looking forward to the surgery bit, but it was not at all painful and the surgeon talked me through everything that was happening so I was so at ease.The next morning I was a little hazy, but I went for a check up and I had better than 20/20 vision! The second check up was a couple of weeks later and I was told that my eye sight fluctuated a little from the last check as part of the healing process. I have now had my final check up with better than 20/20 vision and have been discharged. It is now a few months on and I really want to tell everyone about how amazing Optimax were it! Please feel free to contact me if you want to ask any questions.

How was it for me..........plus £500 Discount for Laser Eye Surgery

Webbo05 — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:30:08 GMT

Hi all,In December 2008 I had laser eye surgery including wavefront this was and still is by far some of the best money I have every spent, my surgery was truly life changing and a real confident’s boost. If you have further questions about my experience please get back to meIf you are thinking of having eye surgery and would like £500 off your treatment then please email me at great_tackle_gazza@hotmail.co.uk or send me a private message.All I need is your:NameAddressPhone numberEmailI have a great internal contact at Optimax and will send them your information, linking your account to mine thus giving you the £500 off, I will also receive £50 from Optimax as a thank you for referring you so everyone is a winner.Thank youGarygreat_tackle_gazza@hotmail.co.uk

Lasek at Leeds - my experience

long_legs — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:37:39 GMT

I found it helpful before my treatment to read other peoples' experiences so thought I'd add my own too.On 30th June I had lasek with wavefront at Leeds. My sight beforehand was -3.50 and -3.75. It may also be worth mentioning that I am very squeamish and really bad with pain!! Not the best candidate for lasek but due to my job this was the only option.DAY OF THE SURGERYMy surgery was booked for 1140am. Before I went in I had my eye tests re-done as it had been several months since they were last taken. I was then sat in a little room where they put on a hairnet and some cotton wool bits by my ears. So far so good!The next bit was the lasering in the next door room. One eye is covered with a patch whilst the other is being treated. First a bit of tape was put on my top eyelid and then drops were applied. I'm not too sure what happened for the next few minutes but I seem to remember a spatula being moved across my eye along with more drops. It wasn't painful at all, it just felt a bit weird and it only lasted for 10 seconds or so.I then had to look at the laser, keeping my head still. To me the laser just looked like a red squiggle. The lasering only took 30 seconds and the nurse counted down which I liked! There is a bit of noise and a smell that reminded me of frying mushrooms or when I've burnt my hair with my hair straighteners. It obviously wasn't either of those but it helped to take my mind of what was going on!I then had more drops (I think) and a bandage lens put into that eye. Again no pain just uncomfortable and a bit strange. I was in and out, with both eyes done in 10 minutes.IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SURGERYAbout 10 minutes after the surgery, as I was leaving Optimax, the anaesthetic drops wore off and the pain kicked in. I got outside and could not open my eyes due to them being so sensitive to the light. They were streaming and just very very sore even with sunglasses on and my eyes squeezed shut. I was initially planning to walk to Leeds station (5 minutes away) but this just wasn't possible.About 1 hour after the surgery when I was back home, the pain worsened. I went straight up to my bedroom with the blinds closed, light off and sunglasses still on. My boyfriend put the anaesthetic drops in for me (tricky as my eyes did NOT want to open!) and I had paracetamol and the strong ibuprofen I was given. I spent the afternoon lying on my bed trying to sleep but not able to due to the pain. I also had one of the sleeping tablets Optimax provide but still woke up in the middle of the night in agony.RECOVERY DAY 1Pretty much the same as yesterday! My eyes felt very, very gritty and were streaming like mad. I could begin to open my eyes for short period but only up to about a minute. Pain relief did help a little but only temporarily and I just couldn't sleep. This was when I was wishing I could have had Lasik!! I battled on anyway (feeling very sorry for myself) and continued with the eye drops I'd been given as well as the refresh eye drops to try to sooth my eyes. I also woke up again in the middle of the night in pain.RECOVERY DAY 2The pain was less today and I ended up sleeping for most of the day and also all night. I could open my eyes for a longer period of time too, though they still felt sore. I couldn't read anything small and could only watch (blurry) TV for 20 minutes at a time. They were still light sensitive.RECOVERY DAY 3Much better! Pain had virtually gone just an ever so slight amount of gritiness every so often. I was up and about and my eyes were open all of the time. I could also read and sit outside in the shade with sunglasses on. My first enjoyable day since the surgery!RECOVERY DAY 4Up and about again the same as day 3. I also noticed my eyesight improving bit by bit and it was almost back to what it should be.RECOVERY DAY 5A trip back to Leeds for my bandage lenses out. I was worried it would be painful but it was just like having a contact lens taken out. There was no pain after either, though I was told there may be. I was told I was healing very well and was at driving standard.RECOVERY DAY 6Today - Wednesday. Feeling good, eyesight is 95% as it should be, I would say. Again, no pain.So that's it so far! I don't mean to go on but I thought the information and day by day detail may be of help to somebody. As I said before, I'm really bad with pain so for most people it's probably a lot less painful than it was for me. I would say if you can have Lasik then have that but if not the pain doesn't go on forever. By day 2 I was through the worst of it.If you have any questions I will do my best to answer. :D Lauren

Free Consultation and £500 off treatment.

Stephen B — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:05:16 GMT

HiOptimax have now improved their offer.The offer is:-free consultation-£500 off Wavefront treatment (with Lasik or Lasek)-interest free credit.To get this offer simply e mail me for one of the vouchers (it is part of their recommend a friend scheme). I will post the voucher to you free of charge.Please read all my blogs about my amazing eye surgery. Simply click on my user name (StephenB), then click on "Show all posts by this member".I am aged 54, have worn glasses/contact lens since aged 8, and now for the first time ever I have 20/20 vision. Is the best money I ever spent. You won't regret it.StephenB07860 824 598mcfcfan@btinternet.com

Not happy - feel that I need re-treatment in my right eye

camperdown9 — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:30:43 GMT

HiIn June 2010 I had laser eye treatment at Optimax Finchley Road. I can now see without glass or lenses, however it not perfect.I need size 16 text on a computer screen before I can read it. On the motorway the white lines painted on the road appear to move. Sometimes one line looks more like a z, other times I see two lines that are side by side.I can't read sign post until I am on top of them. In low light conditions, I can't see much at all.After my treatment in June I had a check up with Optimax about once a month until November. In November they then suggested that it might be an idea to be re treated, however the surgeon would have the final say. So they ran more test and told me that I would have an answer in a week on weather they would re treat me or not.After 2 weeks I had no reply and I called them only to be told that no one had looked at my file yet. Well I finally got a call from someone to say that they were going to wait 3 months and then have me back for more tests. So at the end of March I went back, they did the same tests again. Yet again I was told that my file would go to the surgeon and that I would get an answer within a week. Today two weeks have gone past and as I have had no response. I called and this time was told that it could be another two weeks till I get an answer.I have had enough. My left eye is fine but my right eye is -.25. Yes I know that very little but with an astigmation it makes life difficult. In some ways I had better vision with glasses. Alex

Intralase Wavefront Lasik Monovision with re-treatment at Leicester

oldgreeneyes — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:27:03 GMT

I'm a 53yrs man. I started wearing glasses for being short-sighted when I was 22yrs. Never needed them before!!Tried contact lenses but found problems during twilight which wasn't good formy driving job. Tried contact lenses several times over next few years but gave up after a while.In 1997, when I was 39yrs, I went for lasek in Birmingham (can't remember who with) but was told my expectations were too high and was charged £30 and then told to go!Kept watching advances in laser treatment and went for a consultation with Op express in 2006. Was told I was suitable but was quoted lots of money so decided I couldn't afford treatment.This made me have another try with contact lenses. However, by this time I had passed 45yrs and was using bi-focal specs and so, of course had to use reading glasses with my contacts! NO WAY!!!! I was not going to wear contacts and then have to use reading glasses. I was advised by my optician to use monovision. At first I thought they were having me on but I persevered and after a couple of months got used to it. Things were OK except that I would occasionally 'nod off' and when I woke up my eyes were sore and RED!!!After a while,my optician lowered the price on silicone lenses that could be left in for a few days. These were great and I thought I'd 'cracked it'. But I had an astigmatism and sometimes the lenses would go off-line and my vision suffered. Also, the lenses were so inconsistant. I'd have one good lens followed by a bad one. I always allowed a couple of days to settle down but most times it wouldn't and I'd have to use another lens. When I had 2 duff lenses out of the box of 3 I decided enough was enough.I went to an open day at Optimax Leicester in June 2010 and after a check to see if I was suitable, I booked a consultation.During the consultation I was advised to have monovision and as I was used to this with contacts things looked very easy for my treatment.I booked for treatment in September as I was away in August and the advice is to not go abroad for at least a month.During this time I read every post on this forum. I read every instant answer. I read every other laser treatment clinics information. I read every internet reference I could find. I also watched every video on youtube, good and bad.The day came and you keep asking yourself have you done the right thing. Waiting wasn't too bad until you're called in. I sat in this little room and the assistant asked me to read the notice on the wall. Me thinking this was some kind of last-minute test started to read aloud until the girl said to read it to myself!!! She left the room and I sat on my own. This is when a voice in your head keeps telling you to run out while you can.Anyway, I stayed and was then led into the treatment room.I was squeezed and pushed and pulled by the assistants (remember, I can't see a thing without my specs) eventually to lie on the table/bed. I'd prepared myself knowing that the suction 'thing' was going to be the worst part. Actually, it was just strange. Obviously, you never have anything like this done at any other time so you don't know what to expect - but take it from me, it isn't painful at all. Just 'strange'.The rest of the treatment was completely painless but again, strange as you can sort of see in the sense that you can see the movements but everything is blurred. I could hear the assistant say how many seconds would be necessary and I counted every single one!Everything was as I had prepared for by doing research - and yes, when people say about the 'smell', they're exactly right. It is awful! But no probs.After my treatment I sat in the waiting room before being checked and then booked in to return the next day.I got outside and it was a very sunny day. No probs I thought 'cos I had my sunglasses but, and this was a big but, it was VERY windy. I wished I'd had wrap-around glasses.I walked to my car (15mins) and then was driven home. On the way home my eyes began to hurt - more than I expected. I assume this was the anaesthetic wearing off. I got home (1hour) and went straight to lie down. Still painful but suddenly, after about 1 1/2 hrs pain went and never returned! Don't know why.Did all the drops stuff and then went back next day. Eyeys checked and flaps OK. Reading eye (right) perfect. Distance eye (left) just about driving standard (ish).Went back in a fortnight and same. Went back in another fortnight and same. It seems that the distance in my left eye was OK but the astigmatism was not allowing me to see much past 10 feet ish. I could read the smallest of print with my right eye but with my left, although I could see the tv, even the text on screen, to about 10 feet after that distance things went blurred - most of the time.Sometimes it seemed to be clear and then it wasn't. This was pretty much the same as my contacts caused by my astigmatism. I was determined to be patient and realised that retreatment would be best left for 6 months.I regularly went to the clinic and was told that a re-treatment was going to be necessary. It came round to 6months and treatment day.I sat down with the surgeon and she said that the re-treatment was very, very slight and it may not work because of this. She checked my eyes with the machine 'thingy' on my eyes and said that if it was both eyes for distance she would definitely recommend not to treat the one eye for such a small amount. But because it was for my distance eye and I was only using the 1 eye 'cos of monovision she said she understood and would do it.Went through everything as the 1st treatment (except didn't read the sign aloud!!) and was eventually shown/guided onto the treatment bed. The surgeon explained there had been abit of a wait as she had to override the computer 'cos of the small amount.Everything over and exactly same as previous treatment. Painful when anaesthetic wore off but suddenly pain went.This time I knew straight away my eye was good. Checked next day and was OK to drive. Checked again after 2 weeks and just about 20/20 - better on some letters.Returned last week after 10weeks and discharged. Lft eye 20/20 (could actually read the line below!!!!)and my rt eye -1 which lets me read the smallest print on the reading chart!!!!So to sum up - I would definitely recommend laser treatment. If it wasn't a personal choice but the surgeon recommending treatment, I'm sure most people would have it done. Because it's a personal choice people backout 'cos of things going wrong and they can only blame themselves.Research everything and you'll soon see that cosmetic surgery produces many, many more bad results and even the good results don't seem to give good value-for-money results.The only pain is as the anaesthetic wears off and this is only for 2-3 hours.There is no pain whatsoever in the treatment - the only strange thing is the suction machine. NOT painful, only strange sensation. I've just remembered, the machine to keep you're eye open. I'd read a few reports about this but I lay there thinking why aren't they putting that thing on to stop me blinking? Yes, it was actually on - I didn't feel it at all.If you're advised to have monovision - have it. I was using it for 4yrs with contacts and now with my lasered eyes it's brilliant. No specs, not for distance or reading.I can only speak for Optimax Leicester and I can totally recommend that clinic. Alll of the staff were helpful in the different jobs they were doing.I can't see what other laser treatment companies charge so much extra for.I'm sorry that this has been a long post but I've tried to cover everything. I didn't want to post before my re-treatment but wanted to wait for the final result.If anyone has any questions then please feel free to ask and I'll do what I can to answer.Regards to everyone.Cee