Optimax

I had Lasek surgery in late November small prescription 1.00 R & 1.25 L with astigmtism I am 45 in july and had very good close vision. I got my eye's tested in october and got my first pair of glasses and did not like them so i booked in at optimax leeds for eye surgey. I work as a postman and can now read all items of mail with out reading glasses. i now use reading glasses only for newspaper size print and anything smaller I don't use them with my pc at all. I don't read a lot but I do like to drive and its great to see the whole world again clearly. Hope this helps.... David

I am due to have lasik treatment at the Liverpool branch on feb 3rd. I have read a lot of the comments on this site but yet to discover if anyone has had treatment done there. I am very nervous yet also excited at the prospect of not having to wear glasses any more as i have to wear them all the time. Can anyone help. prescription is -175 and -200 with astigmatism

I got lasek done on the 10th Jan 2004 at Optimax in Glasgow. All went very well, the staff and Dr Anwar were great. My eyes were both -3.50. The 1st 12-24 hours were very uncomfortable with a feeling of chilli and onions getting rubbed into my eye. I kept them closed for 2 days as it was to painful to open them. Its now the 4th day and slowly but surely my eyes are getting better although my right eye seems to be clearer then my left but apparently this is normal. Everyone is different and some people seem to get their sight back very fast to 100% but I think mine will be a bit longer, any advice on when this will be and what I can expect would be really appreciated. My email is dessie888@hotmail.com. My advise is to do it, it’s the best money you will ever spend!

I had bi-lateral Lasik on 16th January 2003, so one year on, what's the verdict? I have said this before, for me it was the best money I have ever spent. The whole experience is a bit scary and you defiantly worry about the what if's, bearing in mind at least you can see, be it with glasses or contacts. The surgery is totally painless, the aftercare is a real pain, constantly applying the different eye drops, which I did religiously, the hardest thing is booking it and going through with it. The initial results are out of this world, 5 hours after surgery I was watching TV and covering one eye then the other to check out things that would have only been blurred before, however there were some worrying moments, I tried to read a paper the day after surgery and I couldn't read the print, I would have been happy to have to wear reading glasses instead of everyday vision glasses, however this improved over the next couple of days. Starbursts especially from oncoming car headlights at night was my biggest concern, however this improved over a couple of months, now I not sure if it normal because I can't remember what car lights looked like before, but it's not a problem but does take time to improve. Now I can't remember what it was like to wear glasses and contacts, it's given me real freedom. I also have some friends that have had the same results as me, we used Optimax at Finchley Road and Dr Patel. I don't expect I will write to this site again, mainly because there's nothing more to say, I DON'T WEAR GLASSES.

I am due to have lasik treatment at the liverpool branch on feb 3rd. I have read a lot of the comments on this site but yet to discover if anyone has had treatment done there. I am very nervous yet also excited at the prospect of not having to wear glasses any more as i have to wear them all the time. Can anyone help. My prescription is -175 and -200 with astigmatism

The RYA failed me on medical grounds, so I can't teach people to sail - my eyesight wasn't good enough. Since I couldn't get them to change their policy, I decided to change my eyesight. -5.25 in left and right until Friday June 13, when I went to 13 Clare Street in Bristol for Lasik (Mr Slazus). Best not to be superstitious. "We could do monovision if you like", I was told, and in all my researches, including this website, I had never heard of it. Nor it seems had the receptionists. "That means just one eye, 'cos "mono" means "one"", the girl behind the desk said. In fact, it means different treatment on each eye to allow me, with some slight astigmatism left in my left eye, to read and see distance without glasses. First time for 47 years! (OK, I'm 58). I can read the small print on my watch face only with my left eye, and see number-plates in the distance only with my right. In my head I'm bifocal, it seems. The next day I reached out and put on my specs, as ever, to find the room all blurry. The big moment was in the shower on that first morning - I could see all my toes and count them without glasses! The pleasant surprise is still with me when I shower. After-effects? Some glare from headlights for the first few weeks, and I need good light to read in bed. After my August check-up I was sent to Croydon to the Number One Man, Professor Ventner, because I still felt I was getting only 90%, and he performed a minor surface operation, radial "C" cuts, on my right eye, giving me 20:20 vision on the subsequent check-up. The optometrist in Bristol was so impressed she told me she was going to e-mail Prof Ventner to congratulate him. Overall comments? The surgery bit is fine, and I like the way they talk you through it all during the operation. In the time it takes to describe the process to your friends (which I often do) he's done one eye. I was a bit surprised to have no medication. "What about the Valium?" I asked. Apparently it makes your pupils wobble. And also why didn't they clamp my head in some gadget or other? Front of house the Bristol place needs to be improved. The young women are friendly, but know little of the process you're going through, and mainly seem to be interested in getting you back in good time to be operated on. "Come back at 2.30", one said, "in good time for your 2.45 operation". In the end I was dealt with at 4.15, and that meant a two-hour wait because I had come back even earlier. The Optimax computer system seems to be pretty dire at keeping track of appointments, and I really don't like the check-up people reading the notes about me after I have sat down with them. "Have I seen you before?" one asked me. My daughter's retort to that was that if she needed to ask the question, maybe she should have the treatment herself .... Would I recommend it? It's such a big thing, having your eyes done, that I wouldn't make the decision for another, or urge it on them. For me it's been great: snorkelling without problems, never having your vision steam up as you enter a warm room, pulling a sweater over your neck without holding your glasses, sailing in driving drizzle without feeling you need wipers. Keep asking people and decide for yourself.

Clinic: Finchley Rd, London Surgeon: Dr Patel Treatment: Bilateral LASEK (+ contact lens 'bandages') Before: Right: -3.25 Left: -3.00 After (6 months later): Right: -0.50 Left: +0.25 I was a candidate for LASEK or LASIK, but chose LASEK due to the lesser risk. The treatment itself is painless and over in a matter of minutes. I guess the smell of the cornea burning or the crackling sound of the machine could be a little disconcerting, but overall there is nothing to worry about. Once finished, you can happily get up & walk out, elated in that you notice an instant significant improvement. The eye anaesthetic works, very well, lulling you into a false sense of security for the 1st hour or so afterwards. Being driven home (don't even think about driving yourself), the effects start to kick in, to the point where I just had to shut my eyes, and keep them shut, for a further 36 hours. It's not so much a painful reaction, more an irritation, akin to rubbing shampoo into the eyes. My recuperation seems more enduring than some people have suggested on this forum, and I don't consider myself the stereotypical male hypochondriac (unless I'm after sympathy), so be prepared for the worst. I suggest writing off the whole week, forgetting work (especially if computers are involved), and if possible having someone on hand to help out, otherwise you'll be walking around the home bumping into things. I found it was best to just stay in bed and sleep as much as possible. Trying to open my eyes resulted in lots of tears and severe irritation, and putting in eye drops is a real nightmare. I'm just glad I didn't have the eyes done separately and have to endure all this twice over. Day 3, and I was finally up and about and able to see properly. Day 4, and I was driving ? without glasses, weyhey! A few odd effects developed - sometimes the eyes would be painfully oversensitive to light hence the need for sunglasses, and close up work gave mild double vision, probably all down to the settling of the eyes' lenses. After a fortnight, anomalies gone, I started to reap the full benefits; but due to the long healing process with LASEK, sight continually improves over time. Initial eye-tests suggested that astigmatism had been introduced into one eye, which was worrying to hear, but eventually this just went away! The results for LASEK are not officially finalised until 6 months have passed so be careful not to pre-judge the treatment. With the left eye slightly over-corrected, combined long distance vision is better than I was expecting, and well above driving standard (my main objective & a Godsend if you ride a motorbike). Short distance was unaffected thankfully. I couldn't fault the staff - the optometrists and surgeon did an excellent job. Just be prepared for an uncomfortable time immediately after this particular treatment. In conclusion, £495 well spent.

I had bilateral lasik with Dr Hynes in Manchester on the 20th December. I was very nervous when I arrived for treatment but the premed settled me and I almost skipped into the room for my lasik. The treatment itself was surprisingly easy and I must say that Dr Hynes was very kind and professional. He really put me at ease and all the staff seemed very kind and helpful. When the premed and anaesthetic wore off I found it difficult to open my eyes although they were not painful. I slept for the rest of the day and the next day I was fine and found I was 20/20 in both eyes. I'm quite a coward and I really can't quite believe that I got myself together to do this. It's hard to believe that I do not need glasses any more. My prescription was not high, -1.75 in each eye with double astigmatism in one, but I really felt I needed my glasses to do most tasks and so I wore them from morning to night. It is wonderful not to have to wear them anymore! A big thanks to all at Optimax. I worried that the low price might mean a poorer service but I can honestly say that they were fantastic.

I'm writing this a week and a day before my LASEK surgery which, after extensive thought and research into different techniques seems to be the best choice. I had my consultation with Dr Almasri almost a month ago and while very speedy they were thorough and Dr Almasri was ready to answer all my questions even on the latest techniques which I'd been investigating - non-alcohol flap creation, cooling the eye etc. Much of the consultation was speeded up by good organisation - all the eye test machines were arranged in one room in a row so you just went down the row test by test... made it seem a little like a production line but was simply good organisation. However I'm still incredibly nervous and I'm not sure if it's fear or just the thought that in a week and a day my glasses could be gone forever - would be very glad to hear from anyone who's had this done just for a quick word of reassurance! My prescription was slightly over -4 in both eyes with astigmatism. I'll post again after the surgery, once I can see well enough! Best of luck to anyone being treated now.

I am booked in for Epiflap (Lasek) for the Consultation and Treatment on 17 January 2004 at the Birmingham Clinic. I am -300 in right eye and -400 in left eye. I am 37. Please could I hear from anyone who has had the Epiflap (Lasek) treatment at the Birmingham Clinic. Would like to hear from people who had a similar prescription of myself.