Optimax

I booked in to the Reading Clinic due to Southampton not being available on the dates I could take off work.
Had the initial check up in the morning and was booked in for 15.45.
Due to a computer problem I finally went in at 18.00hrs, but having waited for several years before plucking up the courage to get it done this wasn't really an issue.

Was prepared for the clamps, suction cups and burning smell after reading comments posted on this forum. Was a bit strange having swabs going over my eye but not being able to feel it.
Dr Ayoubi was superb, he could have made an additional £600 – £800 out of me but his suggestions where spot on. Went for Lasik with no thrills and it is amazing to be able to see clearly. Had a bit of soreness & watering eyes for a few hours afterwards but awoke in the morning to be able to see clearly.
Went back for the 24hour check up and was up to driving standard. I have noticed that the more I rested my eyes the better my vision got, so spent a chill out day listening to the radio and not doing anything, avoided TV and put the drops every 4 hours.
I was -4.75 & -5.00.

I had epi-lasek on March 28th at the Finchley Road, London branch. I bought it on e-bay which saves a load of money and gives you exactly the same service. My prescription was -2.0 in both eyes. The clinic is fairly basic. They don't spend a stack on furniture, paint or decent coffee that's for sure! It kind of has the feel of being the easyjet of eye surgery. They do a few eye tests first and these were fine up until the optometrist, who was a pleasant enough guy but often didn't seem to know what he was talking about and was bluffing some of the answers to my questions (including contradicting some of the stats in their own brochure). If I had had to make a decision whether to proceed with Optimax at this point I would have walked out the door. He did not exude professionalism and you kind of want professionalism when it comes to your eye-sight. Anyway after that got to see the surgeon himself, Dr Patel and he totally inspired confidence. Really put me at ease and said that with my prescription there was a very good chance of an excellent outcome and little chance of any of the possible complications. He recommended epi-lasek as it is safer for lower prescriptions, even if more painful. So that's what I had. Basically the op itself is painless and quick. They give you various drops and tablets to take away with you. Make sure you have someone else there to take it all in and to get you home. Take the painkiller straight away so that it kicks in when the eye drops wear off. As others have said, you are out of action for about 3 days after. The day after, I spent in bed. You can hardly open your eyes. Incredibly light sensitive, watery etc. Get hold of some co-codamol if you can to take as well as the ibuprofen. You basically need strong painkillers and to be as sleepy as possible for that first day. Having the bandage lenses out is no fun. That was the worst bit for me. Had mine done on Friday (op Wednesday) which is a day early. Really need someone still to escort you about at this stage. By Friday night eyes were less sensitive and Sat and Sunday much better.

Vision gets better slowly. My big disappointment was that I am not yet 20:20 (6 weeks later), which with my prescription I should have had a good chance of reaching. It is nice not to have glasses etc, but I am aware that I am still slightly short-sighted. It could get better and better over the next months, but if it doesn't then it is a lot of cash for a not perfect outcome. The optometrist (different one to the bluffer) said he thought I was a “bit unlucky”. There is the possibility of retreatment but it is a lot of hassle to go through. I can see well enough to drive, but was hoping for more of a wow!

Not sure if this would have been the case had I gone to another clinic or not. Hard to know. Could just be my eyes.

Having said all that, no regrets. There is a level of anxiety going to Optimax because you have to ask yourself why it is so much cheaper. Are they paying top whack salaries and getting the best clinicians for example? On balance it feels to me that I paid a bargain price and got a less than excellent outcome, but a good enough one. Perhaps it's true: you get what you pay for.

I had Epi-Lasik at the Glasgow clinic 5 days ago and am delighted so far with the results. I had been considering getting laser treatment for the last 4 years and finally decided to do it. I previously had a consultation with Optical Express but was not impressed at all and was quoted almost £3,000. I felt Optical Express was all about making money. I did not feel like that about Optimax at all. I was treated by Dr Anwar who I was really impressed with. As he is not an employee of Optimax he is not interested in the money side of things, he recommends the best procedure for your eyes. I was not suitable for Lasik as my corneas were too thin and Dr Anwar did not think I would benefit from Wavefront. I bargained on the price as I knew someone who had the op 2 years ago and it cost them £690. I was dellighted with £790 I ended up paying, especially after the price I was quoted from Optical Express!

I had the surgery on the same day as my consultation as I knew what was in store and nothing was a surprise. The procedure was much easier than I anticipated. It was not sore at all, it was just like an extension of the eye exam. The smell from the laser burning flesh was really pungent though and haunted me for a couple of days!

I could see when I came out which I hadn't expected. What I did expect though was the pain and it didn't let me down! Again though I was fully prepared for it. I had booked a week and a half off work. My kids went to stay with their granny for a few nights to let me recover which I really needed. The pain kicked in about 4 hours later when my painkillers from the op wore off. It was only really bad for about 2 hours and when I woke up next morning I was pain free. I couldn't open my eyes and it was a real struggle to get the drops in however 2 days after the op I was up and about and seeing quite well. It is 5 days since I had the procedure and my vision hasn't settled down totally yet although I am confident it will as everything I have experienced has been pretty text book. I would recommend Optimax and Dr Anwar without a shadow of a doubt and all the pain and suffering so far has been totally worth. Even if my vision was to stay the way it is at the moment it would have been worth it.

following my message of 5th April it is now one month on and I have near perfect vision!! I opted to have mono vision which takes longer to adjust and I was very worried the first two weeks but everything Dr Ayoubi promised has happened so I would def recommend Optimax and Dr Ayoubi! Having laser treatment is a bigger decision than I first realised and is an emotional journey as well as a physical one so make sure you have someone with you for the first few days and don't panic if your sight is blurry for at least a week after Epi-Lasik.

I had LASIK carried out at the Optimax clinic in Glasgow last Monday (30th April) by Dr Anwar. My prescription was -3.75 and -5 with slight astigmatism in both eyes. I checked this forum before I went and was slightly worried by the lack of info on the Glasgow clinic. I went ahead anyway (maybe not too sensible!) and it was all fine. The worst thing about the whole thing was the wait. I had my consultation at 9am and then the surgery at about 3pm which meant a lot of time to worry in between. When it came to it Dr Anwar and the assistants made me feel at ease. He talked all the way through and explained exactly what was going on. It took about 20 mins I think, which passed really quickly. I had read that people find it 'uncomfortable' which I thought meant it was painful. It wasn't at all painful and the discomfort was really just that it felt a bit weird to have people prodding at your eyeballs! Even in on the day of the surgery I felt no pain but was certainly light sensitive. I could see fairly well within about 2hrs. By the time I got up the next morning, the light sensitivity was gone and I could see – it was amazing. At the moment my eyesight is well above driving standard and slightly less than 20:20 vision but after years of glasses and contact lenses, if it stayed like this I'd be over the moon. For me, it was worth the money and worry ( although it wasn't really worth worrying about!)