TOPIC:

Had RLE in January last year and lasek top up in my dominant left eye which gave me nothing but more stress. Suffering blurred vision + dry eye and very limited as to what I can do.
Fed up with being fobbed off with being told that my brain needs to adjust. Another delaying tactic by Optical Express

Today I picked up the creams and drops needed to manage my dry eyes after RLE surgery €108 pr month. It would be cheaper to get glasses

Thanks for this pandora. Very interesting. I wish I'd done more research before having surgery.

Kay wrote: I suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Dry Eyes.

Post op problems discussed here:
www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthrit...59298/laser-surgery/

Today I went to see an optometrist to check the damage to my eyes and if they are likely to get worse.

I have been told that I must use drops every half an hour, gel at night, don't use heater blower in car, don't have car window open, keep water on - or near - radiators, computer, or anything that gives off heat, and drink an extra litre of water a day!

But what really p*ssed me off was that she told me how lucky I am that it wasn't any worse and to make the best of a bad situation! Yes, she really said that!!

Off to start legal proceedings next week... at least she did say that floaters are a common side affect of lens replacement, in fact she told me it was to be expected with that sort of surgery as the human lens is larger than the implants, which means the jelly in them shrinks, thus floaters.

Before my op I only wore glasses for reading.

Hi all.

I suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Dry Eyes.

Last year I approached Optical Express about laser treatment and was told because of my health problems I was unsuitable, but was suitable for RLE.

After further tests I was told it was ok to proceed and the only side effects would be dry eyes, which I had already, but I had to provide a letter from my consultant stating my RA was stable.

In July I had RLE performed by Mr Alex George in Bristol, my right eye first because it was the dominant one. As I live in Wales I stayed overnight in a hotel along with a few other people who'd also had the procedure done the same day.

The following morning we were comparing eyes and mine was very bloodshot. But at my check up I was told it was fine, that it was just where the anaesthetic had been injected and would fade.

The following week I went back for a check up on my right eye before having my left eye done. I was told right eye was fine and the bruising would fade.

While waiting my turn Alex George walked through and casually said as he passed, "I've just seen your notes. Don't worry I can sort it with a shot of laser". With pre surgery nerves I didn't think much about it.

The following day when I went for the first post op check up I asked what Mr George had meant and was told everything was fine, everyone heals differently, but laser wouldn't be decided for three months.

A few days later I was in agony and went to Cardiff where they told me it was a reaction to the preservatives in the drops they'd given me! They changed them to preservative free and also gave me drops for dryness.

After three months of regular check ups it was decided in October that I needed a laser 'enhancement'. I said I was worried about having LASIK as a top up having previously been told I was unsuitable for laser. They told me it was ok because the treatment wasn't as strong and didn't take as much time as a first procedure would have done. So I reluctantly had it done at Cardiff on the 7th January.

They offered me drops which I asked if were preservative free because of my previous problems which they didn't seem to know anything about! They changed them, but only gave me enough for five days which meant another forty mile round trip to collect more!

One week later my eye sight is worse since having the treatment! At my first post op check up today they said it was because of dryness, changed the drops and told me that by my next appointment in three weeks time there should be an improvement, but "don't worry we'll sort it"

But I have heard a whisper that Optical Express may go under soon so worry where will that leave me?

To anyone who may be concidering RLE/CLE surgery. BE WARNED! If you are reading this, you will possibly be aware of the phrase "don't lend anyone anything unless you don't expect to get it back". This is kind of how you should value your sight, (or quality of it) from my personal experience.

My journey started with the usual OE consult where you are told what you want to hear. Then the decision for multi-focal lenses was made for me as my best option. I was given the consent form and the usual patient information folder, with the only other information being verbal. This is where you need to be careful, did you remember it correctly? Were you told it at all? Were you really listening properly as you were perhaps bit overjoyed of the thought of fantastic vision without visual aids?

This information could be vital to your future!

Next is Pre Op at Harley Street, again confirmed fantastic vision was assumed post surgery, given all the good facts with some figures regarding failure rates again all verbal. What were they? Does it matter? Surely I will not be one of those?

Next was surgery, this is where it all went wrong!

If it goes wrong and you do become "one of those", be prepared for possibly the worst journey of your life, visually, financially and stressfull.

Be prepared to fight, you will have to to be heard and delt with and this is when you realise how much of an error you have made at those first two consults pre surgery. What did they say? was I told that? But now your life is in a different place to where you were then. Before you were given happy news, I guess stored in a different part of your brain. Now you are in a dark place, life is not good, can you really remember what was said to you all that time ago, from a part of your brain that seems very hard to access?

That point I made earlier about that information being vital, you may get asked to recollect that information to help you in the next part of your journey.

Please concider your thoughts on this surgery, its too late for me. To add to that, I have since been told by several other surgeons outside OE, that I was not a suitable candidate for the surgery in the first place, hind sight........

The name Brett Halliday has come my way, if anyone has any information regarding experiences with him, good or bad, please can you contact Sasha Rodoy .

Well today I went in an ordered my new pair of glasses
The only thing is they're for distance, which I didn't need before RLE
Thought I was supposed to be glasses free except for very fine print, more lies from OE

Hi Sandra, I know I have dry eye syndrome OE tested them and there 5 in one eye and 11 in the other. I was also given the same drops and gel but they didn't help. OE where supposed to be putting plugs in to help but it took weeks for them to turn up although they've never measured my eyes and when I was due to go and get them fitted they cancelled the day before saying there was no one there to fit them. I have now severed all ties with OE and star legal proceedings in 2014. Eyes are still no better sorry I couldn't give you any good news x

Have you explored the idea that you have Dry Eye Syndrome?
www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eye-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

From my own experience I know this can cause the symptoms you describe, including the greasy feeling and hazy vision.

I had RLE on 12 and 19 December and am having similar symptoms of hazy/greasy vision. Very distressing. I hope you can get some relief.

OE have given me eye drops, 2 x Hycosan Extra and preservative free gel to insert in my eyes at night. I began this regime on 26 December but so far there is little improvement. I am still hoping that I will get relief and some clear vision soon.

I go back to OE in three weeks so I live in hope, though after reading some of the stories on this site I regret having the surgery at all.