I would be running a mile from any surgeon who had to tweak the eyes after the original surgery - that was exactly what I wanted to avoid by going to the best surgeon I could find. The place I went to was the centre that fixed bodged jobs from other practices.

People did fly in from Europe to get it done there. They would do the assessment one day, then, IF suitable, have the op the next, followed by a check the day after.

Do you wear contact lenses, TE? I had to stop wearing them 6 weeks before I was assessed so my eyes could go back to their natural shape.

Why not contact a UK surgeon now and ask what he recommends?

Edit: Moorfields in London is the bees knees of eye hospitals.

My husband consulted the leading eye surgeons in the UK and they all said the same thing. Maybe that was for his type of problem. He would never have used a chain for something this serious.

I already have an appointment lined up after a consultation last time I went home - for ultralase on a -6 prescription on Harley Street - cant remember the name. They said flying was a 'dry eye issue' and suggested a week to 10 days wait. They were going to check nothing had changed from the previous prescription and then book me in.

I can't wear my connies any more due to dry eye discomfort in the air con here so no issue there - eyes au naturel.

I actually prefer to wear glasses than opt for lasic surgery, IMO not enough research is available for long term problems, ie when your old and may need cataracts removal or any Anterior segment surgery common with advanced years, no one really knows how the Cornea will react to conventional opthalmic surgery post Lasic surgery........ implantable contact lenses could be a better way to go (maybe)
One has to ask ones self why the most senior Anterior Segment Surgeons at Brisbanes biggest (non lasic) opthalmic hospital wears glasses..

I suppose its like do you believe butter is a better option than margarine..

When I say tweaks he was told that as the eyes healed the vision would not always stay 20/20 and one eye may be more dominant and therefore further small procedures should be done to make it 20/20 again. This is what he as told by the top eye surgeons in the UK and the same as what my mum was told by her surgeon in Manhattan, who is apparently (according to her) the world's leading expert.

Though saying this maybe these other doctors were simply happy to take the patients money without continuous follow ups to check the eyes over a 2 year period like my husband had.

Does this answer your question about flying?

http://www.lasik-eyes.co.uk/News/New...spx?NewsId=105

I think Intralase sounds absolutely fantastic.

I know a lot of post-Lasik people, who have been done in a variety of countries including the UK and Singapore (where a best friend's father is a well-respected eye surgeon), and I only know of one who had complications - as I mentioned above, and she chose her surgeon based on cost.

If I thought "tweaking" was the norm I would never recommend it.

Well I guess those Moorfields doctors and my FIL, an eye surgeon, have no idea what they were talking about. I guess people naively assume that once you have the surgery that your vision will stay 20/20 and not need to have any alterations ever.

I went to Moorfields Eye hospital first before I booked with the Harley Street one and they didn't mention any 'tweaking'. Perhaps it's something to do with your partner's particular prescription.

PD, why are you being so defensive? I noticed it in the cookery thread as well and I find it amusing that you accused somebody else of being rude.

People on forums won't always agree with you, and may well have different experiences from yours, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're having a pop at you. Chill out.

One of the things that impressed me about the guy who did my Lasik surgery was while I was waiting for my consultation he turned away several customers as being unsuitable. In fact I took my daughter for a consultation a few years ago and he said she wasn't suitable for laser surgery as her corneas were too thin. The doctor told me that he has more than enough clients and will not take the risk of performing surgeries on people he deems unsuitable. I can't help thinking that some of the cheaper places will perform the surgery whether the person is suitable or not.

You're much braver than I am, TE - but it sounds as if you've done your research and have made the decision so good luck with it. Things have changed so much in this field that anecdotal experience from even 3-4 years ago probably doesn't have a great deal of relevance to you.

Just one word of advice, don't watch Final Destination 5 on the flight over

I completely agree with everything you say. I had about 4 hours of examinations and measurements taken before I was accepted for surgery. I knew more about my eyes than any optician had ever managed to glean over the decades. I discovered I'd been given incorrect prescriptions (well I knew they were never perfect and some were plain wrong) and the surgeon also told me I was likely to develop a cataract in later years.

I had a couple of consults in NYC but didn't really feel comfortable with the doctors. They seemed to pop in to do consults in between surgeries and I didn't like that. Over the next 9 months I then did loads of research before taking it further.

The doctor who I went to had treated several TV personalities etc and he was featured in an article about laser eye surgery on TV. I immediately felt very comfortable with him. Best to go with your gut instinct.

I'm not suitable for laser surgery as I'm so myopic they would have to take too much off the eye. However, I do have to have cataract surgery at quite a young age, and it is so important to get it right as I'll need the lenses to work for 30 years- ish. With cataracts you can often need "tweaking" as scar tissue can build up. I've also had holes in the retina sealed with laser, and that didn't scare me as much as someone actually cutting into the eye.

Apart from the expense of it all, you have to really trust that the surgeon knows what he is doing.