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View Full Version : Laser eye surgery - Machine in Wick?



Cinders392
16-Sep-07, 14:57
I was talking with someone about laser eye surgery and the mentioned that they are getting the machine in Wick Hospital and you may get it done on NHS if eligible.
Does anyone have more information on this or is it a rubbish rumour?

Metalattakk
16-Sep-07, 15:19
It's a half and half rubbish rumour.

I'm led to believe this is for laser surgery to the retina, for people with diabetic retinopathy and other health problems, rather than for cosmetic sight correction.

johno
16-Sep-07, 17:13
Would,nt have thought that the Nhs would pay for cosmetic sight correction anyway. :eek:. I need specs only for the smallest print in the newspaper, im fine for every thing else, but if it came to the point where i was going to need it for driving etc i would just see to it & pay for it myself, willingly.gladly.

Fluff
16-Sep-07, 17:33
i am only guessing, but i would have thought the nhs may pay for it when it is extreme. I.e. more than -/+ 10.00 (they get a free eye exam and money off specs/ contact lenses at that stage)
I think if you are more than -/+ 15.00 you can be registerd partially blind. you lose your periphal vision at that stage anyway.

johno
16-Sep-07, 21:14
i am only guessing, but i would have thought the nhs may pay for it when it is extreme. I.e. more than -/+ 10.00 (they get a free eye exam and money off specs/ contact lenses at that stage)
I think if you are more than -/+ 15.00 you can be registerd partially blind. you lose your periphal vision at that stage anyway.
your perfectly right ,in those cases where health is the issue im sure it aught to be done on the nhs.

Cinders392
16-Sep-07, 22:41
Oh I aint eligible to get laser eye surgery done on the NHS. Im having to pay the £2500 for iLASIK but on discussing my poor eye sight and the end of the line for my glasses, this laser eye machine was mentioned for Wick and I just didnt beleive it. They get one of these but will try to close the maternity unit. Its good the hospital wil be able to do more but Crazy world

Metalattakk
16-Sep-07, 23:05
Get over yourself.

This machine is for safeguarding and securing the sight (and future sight) of some seriously ill people.

If you think that's comparable to not wearing your glasses any more, then I'm sorry, but you are an extremely shallow person. [mad]

Your ignorance has got me angry now.

Tristan
17-Sep-07, 00:17
I think cinders392's point is the proposed, at different times, closure of the maternity unit rather than his laser surgery. However, I believe the more services Caithness General can provide the better its chances of staying a primary care centre that will include a maternity and other units.

Metalattakk
17-Sep-07, 02:05
I think cinders392's point is the proposed, at different times, closure of the maternity unit rather than his laser surgery.

I disagree.


Oh I aint eligible to get laser eye surgery done on the NHS. Im having to pay the £2500 for iLASIK but on discussing my poor eye sight and the end of the line for my glasses, this laser eye machine was mentioned for Wick and I just didnt beleive it.

'This laser eye machine' will be responsible for obliterating blood vessels that have grown through the retinal wall at the back of the eye, where they then burst and leak blood into the vitreous (the clear jelly that fills the eyeball) causing blindness.

The area that the laser obliterates will never grow back those lost retinal cones and rods, leading to blind spots and a general degradation of vision. However, given the alternative, it's a small price to pay.

The nearest machine available other than this new one in Wick, is in Inverness. Do you (or anyone) realise the dangers of travelling in a car or bus all the way to Inverness with a bleeding retina? The sooner these things are rectified the better.

Now, what do you think is more important? The effective treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, or helping selfish gits live without glasses?

Fran
17-Sep-07, 03:27
there was a picture in the paper recently of the handing over of the laser machine by the League of Friends to the hospital. it will be used by visiting eye surgeons to save the trip to Inverness.

hobbes1962
17-Sep-07, 06:06
I disagree.



'This laser eye machine' will be responsible for obliterating blood vessels that have grown through the retinal wall at the back of the eye, where they then burst and leak blood into the vitreous (the clear jelly that fills the eyeball) causing blindness.

The area that the laser obliterates will never grow back those lost retinal cones and rods, leading to blind spots and a general degradation of vision. However, given the alternative, it's a small price to pay.

The nearest machine available other than this new one in Wick, is in Inverness. Do you (or anyone) realise the dangers of travelling in a car or bus all the way to Inverness with a bleeding retina? The sooner these things are rectified the better.

Now, what do you think is more important? The effective treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, or helping selfish gits live without glasses?


I agree with you Metalattakk. Even with the treatment leading to blindspots, it is still better to have the treatment locally than have to travel to Inverness for it. Okay Inverness might only be a 2 1/2 to three hours away but its 2 1/2 to 3 hours of additional stress, not only on the eyes but also on the person's overall wellbeing. What about those people who aren't good at travelling?

Cinders392
17-Sep-07, 10:43
Everyone to their own, I find it very stressfull when i have lost my glasses and cant see a thing. I have a spare pair that I put on to find the lost pair but my 2 year old decided to break the spare pair 4 times now! My eyes are so used to wearing glasses that they are very lazy now. To me sight is very important and to be on this planet the short time we get on not be able to see would be my worst nightmare. However I am very luck to have sight. My mother father and brother all have perfect vision and I am the only one in the family with glasses. Thats genetics for you. However now my parents understand my anguish now they have presbyopia but I shall get get this too as will we all. Still I am a very lucky person and I am grateful for this.
To ask for more information about something and be slaughtered like this. Ill research my questions elsewhere in future.
Now not that I have ever had any children in a hospital but I have had my 1st in a fronteria at 70 mph and it wasnt so bad. However there are plenty others who wont want the 2 and a half or 3 hour journey to Inverness in labour or with a bleeding retina. I didnt make the 10 minute journey to Wick never mind the 3 hours to Inverness. I had my second at home to avoid this happening again and the midwife never made it on time but that was my fault I guess. I think it is great the Caithness is getting more up here donated and not.

dunderheed
17-Sep-07, 11:58
Oh I aint eligible to get laser eye surgery done on the NHS. Im having to pay the £2500 for iLASIK but on discussing my poor eye sight and the end of the line for my glasses, this laser eye machine was mentioned for Wick and I just didnt beleive it. They get one of these but will try to close the maternity unit. Its good the hospital wil be able to do more but Crazy world

i think the money for the eye machine was raised by public donation , so it has nothing really to do with moving the funding from maternity to pay for it

Penelope Pitstop
17-Sep-07, 16:10
Hi Cinders392
Yes the laser is being used for the treatment of eye problems rather than eye correction. My mum had her cateract done there about 6 weeks ago - saved her the journey and overnight stay in Inverness - that's what happened when she got the first one done.

I had laser eye treatment done and think it is brilliant. Even if they were doing laser eye correction in Wick on the NHS I wouldn't consider it unless the surgeon had carried out thousands of the same type of procedure.

It is very important to research your surgeon - he/she is the person that will determine how successful your treatment is - not the company that you get it done with or how much you pay. I went to Optimax in Glasgow. The only reason I went there was through recommendation of the surgeon and the fact that he had carried out well over 10,000 similar procedures (on top of his 30 odd years as an eye specialist). Results were A1. Price was nothing like you have been quoted either.

PM me if you want to know more.:)

kitty
17-Sep-07, 19:48
i think it would be fantastic if wick were getting the eye laser machine, however i suspect as most its not for correctional purposes it's most like for people with medical eye problems. I myself have had eye laser surgery to correct my vision, i had the lasik treatment which cost £2400. Expensive yes but well worth it. I had to have it done for a job in the forces as my eyesight wasn't good enough. I had to go to inverness to have it done which wasn't too bad, the annoying thing was i had to depend on someone to drive me home.
I have no regrets what so ever and would recommend it to anyone.

thefugitive1993
18-Sep-07, 15:11
I disagree.



'This laser eye machine' will be responsible for obliterating blood vessels that have grown through the retinal wall at the back of the eye, where they then burst and leak blood into the vitreous (the clear jelly that fills the eyeball) causing blindness.

The area that the laser obliterates will never grow back those lost retinal cones and rods, leading to blind spots and a general degradation of vision. However, given the alternative, it's a small price to pay.

The nearest machine available other than this new one in Wick, is in Inverness. Do you (or anyone) realise the dangers of travelling in a car or bus all the way to Inverness with a bleeding retina? The sooner these things are rectified the better.

Now, what do you think is more important? The effective treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, or helping selfish gits live without glasses?

Depends on whether or not I am the selfish git!

johno
18-Sep-07, 21:26
If company,s like Vision Express & Specsaver,s etc can profit by using these machines I dont see why the NHs cant utilise the facility,s that they have & offer it to paying customer.s ,im sure that the machine wont be in use every hour of every day. :confused

Metalattakk
18-Sep-07, 23:36
I'm not sure the machine is equipped to deal with cosmetic eye surgery at all.