Had my treatment on the 10th May with Ultralase and all I can say is .... Waw.
As far as the treatment day was concerned, my appointment was scheduled with Paul Cherry in Cardiff at 10.30am. Got there at 10.00 and I was very surprised that I was totally unphased about the procedure and what was about to happen to me. I had done my homework and research on Mr. Cherry and given that he has performed over 7,000 Lasik procedures and was well versed and respected in his field I approached the treatment day with an open and easy mind (a bit like putting your trust in a pilot when your half way down a runway). I appreciate that everyone feels different about this but thats the way I approached it.
As far as the treatment is concerned, it all went as described to me during my consultation. I was met by Mr. Cherry first and he took me through the consent form ensuring I fully understood what I was signing up to, he then checked my prescription and cornea thickness to enusre they were the same as were taken during the consultation. I then went through to the pre treatment room where I was given a "goody bag" containing 3 different types of drops, a set of very becoming eye shields for sleep time, some tape for securing the shields, and written instructions of how and when to administer the drops. The very nice lady then applied the anaesthetic drops (which worked immediately) and she took me through to the treatment room where Mr. Cherry was waiting with 2 assistants (and the pre treatment lady held my hand all the time). Up onto the bed, head on the cushion and 15 minutes later I was lead into the recovery room with not a hint of pain whatsoever. Some people have commented on other forums about the clamp being uncomfortable and the saline solution being unpleasant when they flush the eye before replacing the flap but the mind plays funny games and if you think that is what is going to happen then it probably will.
The best advice I can give in terms of recovery is get as much shut eye as you can after the procedure. I was back home by 12.30 (father drove), put the cd player on random, closed the curtains, set the alarm on my mobile and fell asleep. Mobile woke me after an hour, applied the drops as directed, set the alarm for another 2 hours, applied the drops again and fell back to sleep. The eyes were a little gritty and sore until about 6pm but I can honestly say that after that I didnt have any major discomfort. Sight was a little blurry for 2-3 hours (which is to be expected) but woke up the next morning, removed those gorgeous eye shields and ...... waw, thought I had my glasses on!
Went back for my check up and read 1 line from the bottom of the chart. My prescription pre treatment was -1.25 and -1.50 and here I was 1 day after with better than 20 20 vision. It's still early days but at the moment I'm sat here with no pain, no blurring, and I keep taking my clear lens protective glasses off constantly to prove to myself that there's no prescription between me and what I'm looking at ..... Why didn't I do this years ago!
I appreciate that everyone is different and the decision to go ahead with this treatment is a personal one, all I can say is that my experience with Ultralase was first class and their team in Cardiff were very professional.