My experience of Laser Eye Surgery - Optimax Belfast review.

I have been very pleased at how my post on our experience of plagiocephaly and helmet treatment has been received, and hope that it will help some parents to have an honest mother’s opinion of the treatment and help them to make the decision on whether to go down that route for their child. In thinking along this theme and jotting down ideas for blog posts, I thought I would write my experience on something that after many years of thinking about I finally was brave enough to take the plunge this year. It also helps that at this stage in my pregnancy I can now only sleep for around 4 hours a night (hello insomnia) and at least I have the peace to write a review in the early hours of the morning before little mister wakes up.

In April 2014 I had laser eye surgery, and I really have to admit, it is one of the best things I have ever done in my life and I am so pleased with the results. Since the age of seven I needed to wear glasses – I had terrible eyesight. I remember at the time I did not have a particularly nice or understanding primary school teacher, and after complaining many times that I could not see the board but not being moved my mother went into the school to be told ‘Lynsey only wants to move because another girl has been moved to the front who has a patch over her eye.’ 2 weeks later it was with great satisfaction that my mother delivered me to the classroom with my new glasses and a bit of a stern chat with the teacher.

I hated my glasses from the outset. In 1992, I had thick plastic pink rimmed glasses with milk bottle lenses. I wish I had an image to share. They hid my whole face, and were truly awful. It was not long after that I began to get bullied. It did not help that I had very unruly curly hair and was quite quiet and shy. The bullying continued well into my high school years. Eventually through time it stopped, ultimately coinciding with new styles of glasses and lens thinning which for me meant I could wear trendier glasses – goodbye bottle tops!! I still hated wearing glasses though. The styles I wanted were very expensive, so I still had to go for the cheaper styles (which of course as a teenager was not a good thing). My lenses needed thinned and even though I was entitled to free glasses as a child, the lens thinning did not come cheap. I was warned I had to take very good care of my new specs!

I moved out of my childhood home at seventeen, I was still in high school doing my A levels. I then moved on to University, all of which I funded myself. I lived on rations of beans and toast for most of this time (probably one of the reasons I cannot stand the sight of them now). Still, I needed to find a way to fund my expensive eye care. I had very low self esteem throughout this period. At one of my appointments at a local Specsavers I was talked into a trial for contact lenses which was something I had been pondering for a while. I went along and tried them out. I found out I had very sensitive eyes, I could just about wear contacts but only for a maximum of 5 days out of 7 and for up to ten hours a day even with the most comfortable and soft of lenses. I figured it was better than nothing and gave me a little bit of confidence back. Contact lenses are not cheap though. I ended up for years just buying on an as and when basis, which meant that I still had to rely on my charming glasses. Hurrah. All in all my glasses once every year or two were costing me around £250 (2 for one, but eventually I opted for designer pairs – after all I wore them day and daily, and the lenses needed thinned costing £60-£99 for both pairs) and my daily disposable toric contact lenses cost £40 for 30 pairs (one month’s supply). At this stage I had a prescription of -3.75 in one eye and -4.0 in the other eye (short sightedness) along with astigmatism in both eyes.

I began to hear more and more about laser eye surgery. Mainly good reviews from people I knew who had went and had it done. At this stage though the treatment was still hugely expensive, in some instances around £8,000. So I struggled on, using contact lenses which irritated my eyes and made them red and sore if I went over 8 hours a day, and wearing glasses which I hated that always caused me some sort of discomfort to the bridge of my nose and whenever I took the glasses off you could always see the marks from where the glasses sat. At one stage I was allergic to something in the glasses which caused two lovely oval marks where the little pegs were placed. Fun.

A few years ago I started to think what I really wanted to change in my life before I was 30. One of these was fixing my eyes. I was fed up now, after over 20 years of wearing glasses and hating that fact I decided enough was enough. I was always setting things back due to money worries. Eventually I figured I had nothing at all to show for all my hard work over the years so I might as well bite the bullet and get it done. I started researching laser eye clinics. I had received enough mail through the door over the years advertising the different companies that I knew of the most popular – Optimax, Optilase, Ultralase and Optical Express were the main clinics I had heard of offering the treatment. I wrote to both Optimax and Optilase but chose to go to Optimax as it was closer and they had appointments available for a consultation within a few days. I had also googled a number of reviews on each and found Optimax to be the most favoured locally.

I would suggest of course you do your own research as with anything, but I felt it was appropriate to discuss briefly the different types of laser eye surgery. I will not go into too much detail here as the information is readily available on the internet. There are currently two main types which are called Lasik and Lasek. Lasik treatment has a speedier recovery time but I did feel that it was more invasive. In this surgery a flap is cut on the surface of the eye (epithelium), peeled back and the laser in then used to reshape the area underneath the epithelium, the flap is then replaced to heal. Lasek uses an alcohol solution to loosen the epithelium, it is then moved back and the laser is used to correct the sight. I decided upon the lasek treatment as I had heard issues with lasik surgery in that the flap had reopened again.

I went along to Optimax clinic in the Lisburn Road in Belfast for my first appointment after receiving an information pack through the post. The information pack discussed the treatments available as there are different types of corrective eye surgery, the general prices with information on their monthly direct debit payment plan to make it more affordable, contact details and some reviews. You do need to make sure that you have transport to and from the clinic as drops are used in your eyes which make your vision too blurry to drive for a few hours afterward. The clinic was welcoming warm and bright with comfortable sofas to sit on and a homely rather than clinical feel. The receptionists were very attentive, introducing themselves and showing me to the waiting area which had a coffee machine and numerous magazines and leaflets to occupy my attention. I was brought a cup of coffee and asked to fill in a little questionnaire on a computer at the end of the room. The questionnaire was very quick and straightforward and asked for further information on you and your background. There was nobody in the waiting room at the time when I was filling in the questionnaire, but even if there had of been the computer screen was placed in such a way that nobody would have seen what you were writing.

After filling in the questionnaire I was taken into another room down the corridor which had two machines and two seats. With the first machine you placed your head on the chin rest and looked through the lens were you were asked to focus on a red balloon that went in and out of focus, you were told when to blink (a red light appears as a warning) and then to hold your eyes open for an image to be taken. The second machine is one I think everyone hates, were a puff of air is blown into your eye. You are warned of this however and talked through each stage. It is not uncomfortable or sore, and is over in a matter of milliseconds.

After another short wait in the waiting room I was taken in for my appointment, I was asked a few questions relevant to the eye surgery and previous history – I had another quick eye test and check. I was told I would be suitable for the eye surgery. By this stage my eyesight over the years had worsened to -4.75 in one eye and -5.0 in the other but this had stayed static for a number of years which was something that was of relevance to the surgery. I also had astigmatism in both eyes. I was told that they can treat most people, even up to around a -10. It is best that your eyesight has not changed recently to get the best results. I was offered to ask any further questions. I was finally taken into another room at the end of my appointment to discuss the cost of my specific surgery (I chose Lasek with wavefront) how I could pay, how much the deposit would be if I chose to pay monthly and also a little advice and information pack which listed the different surgeries and of course any potential risks. It was very thorough. I was advised to read this fully and to make an informed decision, but that they had never had any serious problems and that I would be taken care of. It also helped that a few women who worked in the clinic had got the eye surgery so you could ask them their honest opinions too. I got a really good offer of around £2,200 for both eyes. This was the cheapest I had seen it anywhere, and my eyesight was very poor.

I went home armed with this information and a fair idea that I was going to go ahead with the surgery. I wanted to talk to my partner about it first as of course it was a large expense, but I felt it would benefit me in the long run and certainly I would be much more comfortable and happier. I had agreed to pay a down payment of £400, and then monthly instalments of £95 a month for 18 months if I decided to go ahead with the surgery. I read through all of the information that I had been given about things which could potentially go wrong and had to sign my name against each one. I have to say some things were quite daunting but I had to go by the facts and figures and I knew that it was only a very small percentage of people who ever had complications. Again you could call anyone at Optimax to discuss these at any time if you so wished.

I decided to go ahead with the surgery, there are numerous appointments so you really do have a lot of choice, and on a very short time scale. I decided on the 10^th of April 2014. The night before the surgery I did not sleep. It was booked for around 11am, my partner drove me down and left me off as he was looking after Oliver (my 2 year old). I went in and was made comfortable in the spacious waiting area, again given a hot drink and I was able to ask any other questions I had about the surgery. I had already been given the paperwork I needed for the day which I had read over a couple of times and signed off ready to hand in on this day. I was taken in to a side room to get kitted up for the surgery (this is a part that gets foggy, I was very nervous) and then led in to the laser room.

The doctor carrying out the surgery was very talkative, asking questions about my background (he had an interest in archaeology – I am a qualified archaeologist and worked as one for a number of years) and simply trying to take my mind off things. I did get a little nervy and upset at one point, and a nurse came and held my hand then whole way through. I was asked if I still wanted to proceed, to which I agreed. I lay back on the bed with the laser machine above me. Anaesthetic drops were put into both eyes so I would not feel a thing. My eyes were tested for sensation, and then a device was put into my right eye to hold it open during the treatment. A metal ring was placed around my pupil and a solution to soften the epithelium was placed into the ring – then this was counted for a certain amount of seconds. After that, a little spatula was used to move part of the epithelium of my eye and the laser was brought down. I was advised there would be a slight smell, but that it was coming from the laser and not my eye. I was told to look up at a mark on the device and to hold my eyes steady for a 10 second count. I didn’t feel a thing at all. The same routine was carried out on the other side and then bandage contact lenses were placed over my eye. All in all it took about 7 minutes. As soon as I got up and walked to the recovery room I could already see. I could not believe it.

I was given a bag of various drops ointments and instructions, and told to go home and lie down with my eyes closed the rest of the day and to wear sunglasses. At that moment in time the anaesthetic was still working and I felt fine. I put my sunglasses on and went outside for the journey home. The whole way up the road I was pointing out number plates, letters, name on buildings. It was such a novelty. When I got in I went straight to bed to rest and lie down and fell asleep. When I woke up I have to admit at this stage I regretted what I had done. I wouldn’t call it so much pain as feeling like I had grit and stones under my eyelids. Every slight movement made it worse even though my eyes were closed. I was wearing protective googles to sleep in, and my eyes were streaming with water. You can only use the anaesthetic drops at specific times, and I was literally counting down the moments until I could use them again. I finally found a way to calm down enough to hold my eyes completely still and I fell asleep again, when I woke up next, this uncomfortableness was gone. This was the only time I experienced this. I continued to use the drops into the next day but I believe I did not need to. I never again felt this discomfort, and at no time did I feel what I would describe as pain. Just irritation.

On the second day my eyesight was blurrier. This lasted for a few days (although I could still see a thousand times better than before and could still read, write, watch TV and function correctly). My only issue was the bandage contact lenses, specifically in my right eye – as my eyes are sensitive having a contact lens in my eye for that length of time was very uncomfortable and that particular eye became irritated, red and puffy. When I went back for my review a week later I couldn’t wait to have the bandage lens removed, I was told that this could cause the same discomfort again but thankfully it did not. My eyesight was almost 20/20 already in both eyes and as soon as the bandage lens was removed from my effected eye the redness and puffiness disappeared. It was such relief!

It did take about a month to settle – my eyesight was quite slow to get to 20/20. I returned to work after 6 days and to be honest should probably have had a bit more recovery time as I feel this slowed my recovery. I use a computer all day at work and my eyes got tired quite easily. The staff at Optimax is available for contact at any stage and they get you in for appointments to see the specialists very promptly. 6 months after the surgery I went to my final appointment were I was signed off, and I had reached 20/20. I was told that any follow ups can now be done at my local opticians, but that I could still make an appointment to see the surgery at any time (there is a £25 charge for further appointments).

All in all my experience with Optimax in Belfast was fantastic. I would highly recommend this treatment to anyone, and for the small level of discomfort the day of the procedure, the final result is well worth it. My eyesight is perfect, I do not have to worry about purchasing expensive glasses or contact lenses, I do not have to fuss around the find my glasses in the morning so I can see. It is truly one of the best decisions that I have ever made, and I do not mind paying the money. It has given me so much confidence and a completely new lease of life.

If you would like any further information on laser eye surgery you can search websites and reviews on google, but I would also suggest popping in to some clinics for an appointment. Like everything if you look around and talk to people you can get the best deals. Take heed of the pros and cons, pay attention to the minimal risks, but if you are affected as much as I was by your lack of sight I would advise to get it done.