laser eye treatment

would love to hear from anyone who has had laser treatment for retinopathy. Just recently had it and was also told I may need an op for cattaracts.

Christine

just noticed your post have emailed you back

s x

Hi there, I was advised to get the laser treatment done, but am very unsure of it. would love to hear from someone who has had it done?

Cheers

Hi
I have had this done twice, once about 2 years ago in my left eye, and just before Christmas in my right eye, which i need to go back once more for. To be honest, it wasnt very nice (wether this was because i hate anything to do with my eyes!) but neither was the option of not doing anything.

You sit at the same sort of contraption that they use for photographing your eyes, and they put some anastheic in your eye, then a lens to hold it open.(thats the bit i struggle with), then the treatment starts. Its just like a really bright light firing away at you. They have a little light that you have to look at so they can get to all the bits of your eye they need to (pretty much the same as the eye examination, look up, down, left and right etc.) They will stop for a rest if you ask them to.

Dont drive there, as you wont be able to drive back, and take the whole take off ill if you are working!!

A number of years ago I had laser in both eyes. Much like the comments above, yes you sit in a chair and stare at a light dot with a device to hold your lids open. I myself found that I'd walk away with a headache sometimes. I found that if you close the eye they are not working on it helps, rather than keeping both eyes wide open. An yeah don't be afraid to ask for a break.

Unfortunately for me, the laser didn't work and I then had a vitrectomy and retinal detachment. followed by a 2nd and 3rd detachment. Both my eyes now have oil in them..
Due to the amount of ops I've had, my left eye has so much scar tissue that I am now blind in that eye. I have also developed a cataract which has been left there due to no point in taking it out.

Any other info you want, I'm more than happy to try and help.

Hi, I had my first laser treatment about 23 years ago after a small retinal bleed. Since then I have had four addition sessions (two on each eye) with a total of five sessions. My current ophthalmologist says that he is very happy with the status of my eyes and that the laser treatment was obviously done well. My vision is such that I drive without glasses but need glasses for reading. I think my colour vision has been marginally affected though. I was also diagnosed with bilateral cataracts about 20 years ago but have been advised that they are very slow growing and that I may not see any real improvement in my vision. So we wait.

I found the laser sessions stressful and after one session developed a black eye. I found that the ophthalmic surgeon was pushed for time and it is a bit like a assembly line and you are only allocated so much time. I actually called a halt at the last session and said I could not do it any longer. I was abruptly told to go home and to ring up and make an appointment to have it done under a general anaesthetic. I returned to my ophthalmologist (not the surgeon) and he advised me to wait and he now thinks that I do not need any additional laser. It is not something I recommend but the outcome for me has been great. They are getting better at it all the time.

Pepsi's description is fairly accurate.You sit there with every instinct in your body telling you to shut your eyes. Best wishes, Helen

I had my first treatment on the 6th Jan this year and then a second a week later - initially I was worried as my opthamologist said it can be up to 15 sessions but thankfully I only needed 2!

It wasn't anywhere near as horrendous as I was conjuring up in my mind before I got there - it's a strange sensation but I wouldn't call it painful, although I was told it can be if you have prolonged treatment. As others have said it's just very peculiar not being able to follow your instinct to shut your eye when there's a bright light shining at it. As others have said, I found it more comfortable to close the other eye.

Afterwards there was some tenderness around my eye socket from the lens used to hold the eye open but only very mild, and no discomfort or anything in my actual eye. I did have a headache later in the day but that may have been caused by me trying to read with dilated pupils rather than the laser!

My opthamologist was wonderful and took plenty of time to explain the procedure beforehand and checked I was ok throughout.

Hope that helps anyone trying to make a decision or dreading their first session x