The 'eyes' have it!

[Stevo1987]

Good evening folks,

Have any of you or do you know anyone who has had lens replacement surgery? It the same op they do for cataracts. I have had enough of specs so I had a consultation this Saturday and was deemed a suitable candidate for the procedure. I'd be interested to hear of anyone's experience whether personally or people they know who have had it done. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for it I just need some reassurance.

 

[B21]

Cataract surgery is lens replacement..at least for now..

I've had both mine done in the last year.

My situation was complicated by underlying existing chronic eye issues.

But..for my 'good' eye the change was biblical..for my 'bad' eye it improved it a bit..

Various lenses in my case I was 'told' to go for the simple ones that either correct to see short or long..

I now have very good long distance acuity..a 0.5 dioptre correction with very mild astigmastism in both eyes..

Need 2.0 ish dioptre reading glasses.

Net result is I can drive the Zed at speed..overtake 4-5 cars in a row and just about see well enough iDrive and digital display without any glasses.

As my right eye cataract developed rapidly I was very very concious of my restricted vision!

 

[IRD]

I had both eyes done after cataracts developed. The operations were completely problem free and I have had no problems in the subsequent three years. As well as dealing with the cataract issue my sight has improved significantly. Although I am now developing some other issues due to age and not related to the lens replacement. The operations are painless and quick. Usually taking about 15 minutes.They leave a gap between each operation to ensure everything heals properly.
If you do go ahead do your research diligently and check the record of the ophthalmic surgeon you have chosen. Some have better records than others. Their skill is the key to success or failure. Be careful not to be taken in by the publicity machines of some of the big companies. Good luck I’m sure you will be pleased with the result if you go ahead using a good surgeon.

 

[Zedebee]

My 60 year old brother in law had a “halo” effect for several weeks, but that cleared up leaving him with 20:20 vision. My late-thirties colleague at work just had his done and is very pleased with the results.

 

[Mr Tidy]

That's really interesting. I suppose if you don't have cataracts you need to get it done privately?

I had perfect eyesight in my teens but by my mid-20s it had deteriorated significantly. Being a bit vain I suppose I didn't want glasses so went straight to contact lenses. Then people started getting corrective laser surgery, but I wasn't brave enough for that. :roll:

I always had a pair of glasses for back-up and slobbing around at home but then in my 50s I got paid to take part in a survey to try out 4 different types of lenses funded by one of the lens manufacturers and discovered Multi-focal daily disposal lenses which are just brilliant.

So now I can try to follow B21 on multi-car overtakes, still read the speedo and wear non-prescription sunglasses.

The only downside is when I read I need to hold things further away to get them in focus, which takes some getting used to!

Anyway I'd love to know what sort of cost is involved.

 

[B21]

Privately for cataracts you’re looking at around £2k-£3k per eye for a basic NHS lens..more complex lenses can double that price..

For driving , especially at night the simple lens is probably best..

 

[Stevo1987]

That's really interesting. I suppose if you don't have cataracts you need to get it done privately?

I had perfect eyesight in my teens but by my mid-20s it had deteriorated significantly. Being a bit vain I suppose I didn't want glasses so went straight to contact lenses. Then people started getting corrective laser surgery, but I wasn't brave enough for that. :roll:

I always had a pair of glasses for back-up and slobbing around at home but then in my 50s I got paid to take part in a survey to try out 4 different types of lenses funded by one of the lens manufacturers and discovered Multi-focal daily disposal lenses which are just brilliant.

So now I can try to follow B21 on multi-car overtakes, still read the speedo and wear non-prescription sunglasses.

The only downside is when I read I need to hold things further away to get them in focus, which takes some getting used to!

Anyway I'd love to know what sort of cost is involved.

Yes, private. I wore contacts from the age of 16 but into my 40's my eyes decided they could no longer tolerate them so spec's it was from then on. Into my 50's I had to have varifocals. My prescription is quite high so the prospect of having good vision would be life changing for me. Due to my prescription and astigmatism the cost is at the higher end which is £8190, though I will get a 10% corporate discount.

 

[enuff_zed]

Being a bit vain I suppose I didn't want glasses so went straight to contact lenses.

Same as me!
But then, while working on VC10s I got hydraulic fluid in my eye. They use a horrible concoction called Skydrol. It started to melt the contact lens in my eye and as I had the stuff on my hands too it was a scary few minutes trying to get it flushed out and the lens out. Ever since then I've put up with glasses.

 

[TitanTim]

Worn glasses since around 16 and never liked contact lenses as a bit of a faff. I went with varifocals about 5 years ago as was struggling at work meetings focusing from a laptop to a whiteboard across a room. Found them a relevation although expensive. Been fine upto now but last year needed a stronger strength lens after a test and just can't get on with them as the gradient strength from top to bottom on each lens is alot more pronounced, so when looking straight ahead I have to keep tilting the head down to get good long distance sight. Not great when driving. Ended up going back to my old pair. I don't know if you can ditch varifocals and go back to far sighted lenses.

Tim.

 

[DonDon]

Essilor make very good varifocals, but with decent frames and all the trimmings, my pair 3 years ago were £1,000! Great for general use, but I still need a dedicated intermediate pair for computer work and a dedicated reading pair for long term reading, but these can both be very cheap.

Go to https://www.essilor.com/uk-en/ and you can find your nearest optician.

I recently got a pair of varifocals from Specsavers for a third of the price to a newer prescription, and they are OK but don't come close to the others.

 

[TitanTim]

Essilor make very good varifocals, but with decent frames and all the trimmings, my pair 3 years ago were £1,000! Great for general use, but I still need a dedicated intermediate pair for computer work and a dedicated reading pair for long term reading, but these can both be very cheap.

Go to https://www.essilor.com/uk-en/ and you can find your nearest optician.

I recently got a pair of varifocals from Specsavers for a third of the price to a newer prescription, and they are OK but don't come close to the others.

Thanks for the link, will check them out. My current and last few pairs of varifocals are from Specsavers, think around 400 quid for my current pair but hardly worn after trying to persevere with them. Bit of waste of money

Tim.

 

[DonDon]

Essilor make very good varifocals, but with decent frames and all the trimmings, my pair 3 years ago were £1,000! Great for general use, but I still need a dedicated intermediate pair for computer work and a dedicated reading pair for long term reading, but these can both be very cheap.

Go to https://www.essilor.com/uk-en/ and you can find your nearest optician.

I recently got a pair of varifocals from Specsavers for a third of the price to a newer prescription, and they are OK but don't come close to the others.

Thanks for the link, will check them out. My current and last few pairs of varifocals are from Specsavers, think around 400 quid for my current pair but hardly worn after trying to persevere with them. Bit of waste of money

Tim.

If you decide to try the Essilor ones, take your Specsavers glasses to that optician and ask them to guarantee in advance that they can do a better job.

Mine were so expensive because I went for titanium frames (very lightweight), very thin and light lenses, photchromic and all the coatings.

 

[IRD]

That's really interesting. I suppose if you don't have cataracts you need to get it done privately?

I had perfect eyesight in my teens but by my mid-20s it had deteriorated significantly. Being a bit vain I suppose I didn't want glasses so went straight to contact lenses. Then people started getting corrective laser surgery, but I wasn't brave enough for that. :roll:

I always had a pair of glasses for back-up and slobbing around at home but then in my 50s I got paid to take part in a survey to try out 4 different types of lenses funded by one of the lens manufacturers and discovered Multi-focal daily disposal lenses which are just brilliant.

So now I can try to follow B21 on multi-car overtakes, still read the speedo and wear non-prescription sunglasses.

The only downside is when I read I need to hold things further away to get them in focus, which takes some getting used to!

Anyway I'd love to know what sort of cost is involved.

When I was diagnosed with cateracts Iain the waiting list for NHS treatment in our area was nearly two years. I was also told they would only do one eye because there was so much pressure on the service. I have worn spectacles since early childhood and my eye sight was shocking. I couldn’t read without my glasses and certainly couldn’t drive without them. Fortunately we had health insurance so was able to have both eyes done privately. I researched very carefully the records of surgeons in our area who specialised in this field. Plus took advice from my optician. He recommended a surgeon who had carried out cataract removal on his father in law’s eyes. Hir record for success in previous operations was 100%. After the cataract removal my eyesight improved to the extent that I am now at the required standard to drive without spectacles and can also read. However, to read comfortably I do need reading glasses. Plus at 80 one eye is showing signs of macular degeneration. Unfortunately it is my best eye. So I’ll just have to live with that.
As far as costs go the insurance paid a total of £3600 for both eyes and subsequent aftercare. I have been absolutely delighted with the results. Prices have risen since I had my eyes done but if you can afford it I would certainly consider it worthwhile.

 

[IRD]

Worn glasses since around 16 and never liked contact lenses as a bit of a faff. I went with varifocals about 5 years ago as was struggling at work meetings focusing from a laptop to a whiteboard across a room. Found them a relevation although expensive. Been fine upto now but last year needed a stronger strength lens after a test and just can't get on with them as the gradient strength from top to bottom on each lens is alot more pronounced, so when looking straight ahead I have to keep tilting the head down to get good long distance sight. Not great when driving. Ended up going back to my old pair. I don't know if you can ditch varifocals and go back to far sighted lenses.

Tim.
[/quote
Just a thought but did the optician who measured you for your frames and also the way the lenses are graded get it right? I have had variable service from Specsavers over the years. Sometimes everything has been spot on but at other times there have been issues and I have had to go back.

 

[TitanTim]

Worn glasses since around 16 and never liked contact lenses as a bit of a faff. I went with varifocals about 5 years ago as was struggling at work meetings focusing from a laptop to a whiteboard across a room. Found them a relevation although expensive. Been fine upto now but last year needed a stronger strength lens after a test and just can't get on with them as the gradient strength from top to bottom on each lens is alot more pronounced, so when looking straight ahead I have to keep tilting the head down to get good long distance sight. Not great when driving. Ended up going back to my old pair. I don't know if you can ditch varifocals and go back to far sighted lenses.

Tim.
[/quote
Just a thought but did the optician who measured you for your frames and also the way the lenses are graded get it right? I have had variable service from Specsavers over the years. Sometimes everything has been spot on but at other times there have been issues and I have had to go back.

Yes I did go back after about a month and checked the prescription and optician said the glasses were OK and to give it more time. Was still struggling with them after a few months. They're OK for close up but distance I have to tilt the head down slightly as the gradient on the lenses for close sight seems to go up over half the lenses by too much. Would have been better the other way round so long distance covers 60/70% of the lens.

Tim.

 

[IRD]

Worn glasses since around 16 and never liked contact lenses as a bit of a faff. I went with varifocals about 5 years ago as was struggling at work meetings focusing from a laptop to a whiteboard across a room. Found them a relevation although expensive. Been fine upto now but last year needed a stronger strength lens after a test and just can't get on with them as the gradient strength from top to bottom on each lens is alot more pronounced, so when looking straight ahead I have to keep tilting the head down to get good long distance sight. Not great when driving. Ended up going back to my old pair. I don't know if you can ditch varifocals and go back to far sighted lenses.

Tim.
[/quote
Just a thought but did the optician who measured you for your frames and also the way the lenses are graded get it right? I have had variable service from Specsavers over the years. Sometimes everything has been spot on but at other times there have been issues and I have had to go back.

Yes I did go back after about a month and checked the prescription and optician said the glasses were OK and to give it more time. Was still struggling with them after a few months. They're OK for close up but distance I have to tilt the head down slightly as the gradient on the lenses for close sight seems to go up over half the lenses by too much. Would have been better the other way round so long distance covers 60/70% of the lens.

Tim.

Hmm! That sounds a bit suspicious to me Tim. I might be wrong but do they just not want to make another set of lenses? A good few years ago I paid quite a lot of money for some light weight Zeiss lenses from Boots opticians. They were indeed much lighter than anything I had had previously. After having them a year or so idropped them in a car park and both lenses were badly scratched. So I ordered a new pair of specs with the same prescription. When they arrived the lenses were much thicker. The optician tried to persuade me that they were thickness and weight as the original pair. I was wearing my back up pair at the time so had to go home collect the original glasses for him to see there was a significant difference. It took four attempts for Zeiss to make the lenses the correct thickness. In the end Boots gave me a pair of sun specs as compensation.
Bit of a long diatribe but since you have already had one successful pair of varifocals I suspect the optician has measured incorrectly and got that balance wrong.

 

[DonDon]

Just thought I would weigh my glasses - frames and lenses - 17 grams.

 

[IRD]

Worn glasses since around 16 and never liked contact lenses as a bit of a faff. I went with varifocals about 5 years ago as was struggling at work meetings focusing from a laptop to a whiteboard across a room. Found them a relevation although expensive. Been fine upto now but last year needed a stronger strength lens after a test and just can't get on with them as the gradient strength from top to bottom on each lens is alot more pronounced, so when looking straight ahead I have to keep tilting the head down to get good long distance sight. Not great when driving. Ended up going back to my old pair. I don't know if you can ditch varifocals and go back to far sighted lenses.

Tim.
[/quote
Just a thought but did the optician who measured you for your frames and also the way the lenses are graded get it right? I have had variable service from Specsavers over the years. Sometimes everything has been spot on but at other times there have been issues and I have had to go back.

Yes I did go back after about a month and checked the prescription and optician said the glasses were OK and to give it more time. Was still struggling with them after a few months. They're OK for close up but distance I have to tilt the head down slightly as the gradient on the lenses for close sight seems to go up over half the lenses by too much. Would have been better the other way round so long distance covers 60/70% of the lens.

Tim.

Hmmm? Do you think they just didn’t want to make another pair of lenses? My current lenses are more in line with what you are suggesting with the reading element only at the bottom.

 

[TitanTim]

Yes I did go back after about a month and checked the prescription and optician said the glasses were OK and to give it more time. Was still struggling with them after a few months. They're OK for close up but distance I have to tilt the head down slightly as the gradient on the lenses for close sight seems to go up over half the lenses by too much. Would have been better the other way round so long distance covers 60/70% of the lens.

Tim.

Hmmm? Do you think they just didn’t want to make another pair of lenses? My current lenses are more in line with what you are suggesting with the reading element only at the bottom.

Quite possibly, think the varifocals, they have to be sent off and specially made, I always got for the thinner lens. I know varifocals can be a little finnicky but possibly the issue being I needed a stronger prescription this time around so maybe the lens graduation is now more pronounced. My old pair which I've gone back to wearing are perfect. I'm due a eye test next summer so may try somewhere else. Should have learnt my lesson with Specsavers. I always go for frameless glasses and a few years back picked a new pair up and they had mounted the arms onto the lens different to each side so the glasses tilted at 45 degreees :lol:

Tim.

 

[IRD]

Hmmm? Do you think they just didn’t want to make another pair of lenses? My current lenses are more in line with what you are suggesting with the reading element only at the bottom.

Quite possibly, think the varifocals, they have to be sent off and specially made, I always got for the thinner lens. I know varifocals can be a little finnicky but possibly the issue being I needed a stronger prescription this time around so maybe the lens graduation is now more pronounced. My old pair which I've gone back to wearing are perfect. I'm due an eye test next summer so may try somewhere else. Should have learnt my lesson with Specsavers. I always go for frameless glasses and a few years back picked a new pair up and they had mounted the arms onto the lens different to each side so the glasses tilted at 45 degreees :lol:

Tim.

You could have started a new look! I’m sure you will eventually get sorted out.