Best place / surgeon for eye surgery?

[Tofer]

I recently enquired in Bangkok's Sukhumvit hospital about multi vision lense replacement, as I'm sick and tired of living with glasses for reading. They told me no problem, and would cost about B70,000 / eye. 

 

Has anyone had this surgery, and is happy to recommend the hospital / surgeon? I'm happy to travel to any location for the procedure. I'm told the private hospital in Trang is very good by my neighbors in the Krabi area.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

I wish you good luck wherever you are going.

 

A friend was in the Rutnin Eye Hospital, which is supposed to be one of the best eye hospitals in Bangkok.

Short story: They <deleted>#$%# it up and he can't see much anymore.

 

Personally I wouldn't do any operation like that if you don't really have to do it. But that's obviously only my personal preference.

[Cadbury]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wish you good luck wherever you are going.

 

A friend was in the Rutnin Eye Hospital, which is supposed to be one of the best eye hospitals in Bangkok.

Short story: They <deleted>#$%# it up and he can't see much anymore.

 

Personally I wouldn't do any operation like that if you don't really have to do it. But that's obviously only my personal preference.

I would recommend Rutnin. They operated on me and I am 100% satisfied. Maybe your mate was beyond repair? 

[lopburi3]

Not sure if you already have single vision cataract replacement lens or not.  I chose to use single vision myself after a bit of checking as less issues and do not find reading glasses that much of a burden (but then was a glasses wearer all my life).  

 

As for Rutnin it has a long positive history in Bangkok (first used more than 40 years ago) and most patients have a good experience.  I did my cataract removals at Vejthani hospital about 5 years ago and happy with results.  

[OneMoreFarang]

5 hours ago, Cadbury said:

I would recommend Rutnin. They operated on me and I am 100% satisfied. Maybe your mate was beyond repair? 

I know one case is not enough to judge if a place if good or bad.

I think the question is why take that risk at all. And there is a risk, even in good eye hospitals...

[scubascuba3]

I know one case is not enough to judge if a place if good or bad.
I think the question is why take that risk at all. And there is a risk, even in good eye hospitals...

It's common that for these type of eye ops they do both eyes the same time in Thailand, crazy. As a minimum do one at a time. Personally I'd just use glasses. Cataracts fair enough

[lopburi3]

47 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I know one case is not enough to judge if a place if good or bad.
I think the question is why take that risk at all. And there is a risk, even in good eye hospitals...

It's common that for these type of eye ops they do both eyes the same time in Thailand, crazy. As a minimum do one at a time. Personally I'd just use glasses. Cataracts fair enough

Totally false - normal procedure is to do one and wait for it to heal before doing other - here in Thailand as well as elsewhere.

[scubascuba3]

Totally false - normal procedure is to do one and wait for it to heal before doing other - here in Thailand as well as elsewhere.

Ah based on the people I've talked to who have had eye ops in Thailand they've done both. So that's real evidence

[Joe Mcseismic]

I had lens replacement surgery on both eyes. Multi-focal point lens's used. My vision is now back to when I was a teenager and the good news is that the improvement is permanent.

Best money I ever spent.

Just a warning; after the surgery, you may be disappointed by the quality of your vision. It takes time for your brain to sort it all out. My sight suddenly went from OK to fantastic literally in one minute about three weeks after surgery, as my brain figured out how to process the info.

[lopburi3]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

15 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Totally false - normal procedure is to do one and wait for it to heal before doing other - here in Thailand as well as elsewhere.

Ah based on the people I've talked to who have had eye ops in Thailand they've done both. So that's real evidence

Normally both eyes require and are done but not on the same day.  Wife and I have both had done and they were not performed several weeks apart - almost every report I have read here in the last decade confirms this.  One eye is done at a time as normal practice at hospitals here.  Perhaps you are talking about free clinic type visits to perform outside of medical facilities?

[Joe Mcseismic]

There were two days between surgery for me. Doctor did explain that normal waiting period was a week, just to make sure that there was no infection in the first eye that surgery was performed on.

Two days was at my own request.

[Dante99]

24 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

31 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Totally false - normal procedure is to do one and wait for it to heal before doing other - here in Thailand as well as elsewhere.

Ah based on the people I've talked to who have had eye ops in Thailand they've done both. So that's real evidence

One at a time, a week or two in-between, not both at the same time was my experience and that of several friends here in Thailand. So you know the results for one eye before doing the second.

 

[Tofer]

On 10/5/2018 at 7:32 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I wish you good luck wherever you are going.

 

A friend was in the Rutnin Eye Hospital, which is supposed to be one of the best eye hospitals in Bangkok.

Short story: They <deleted>#$%# it up and he can't see much anymore.

 

Personally I wouldn't do any operation like that if you don't really have to do it. But that's obviously only my personal preference.

Sorry to hear about your friend. That's the only reason I've not had it done yet, scared of a bad outcome. Hence the post.

[Tofer]

On 10/5/2018 at 7:47 PM, lopburi3 said:

Not sure if you already have single vision cataract replacement lens or not.  I chose to use single vision myself after a bit of checking as less issues and do not find reading glasses that much of a burden (but then was a glasses wearer all my life).  

 

As for Rutnin it has a long positive history in Bangkok (first used more than 40 years ago) and most patients have a good experience.  I did my cataract removals at Vejthani hospital about 5 years ago and happy with results.  

Nothing as yet. I just can't abide carrying glasses around everywhere and having to get them out every time I need to read anything, including using the phone.

 

I think cataracts are a problem as I struggle driving at night with the headlight glare, not that I do much of that now on these roads!

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, Tofer said:

Sorry to hear about your friend. That's the only reason I've not had it done yet, scared of a bad outcome. Hence the post.

I have glasses since forever but I never considered an operation. I don't know how likely it goes wrong but 1% failure chance is 1% too high.

I think what some people do wrong is that they use low quality frames (and maybe lenses). Personally I have titanium wireless frame with this plastic lenses. Not cheap, but they are very light and comfortable...

[Tofer]

Thanks for all your input and recommendations. I think I will be making a trip to Rutnin before too long.

[Tofer]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I have glasses since forever but I never considered an operation. I don't know how likely it goes wrong but 1% failure chance is 1% too high.

I think what some people do wrong is that they use low quality frames (and maybe lenses). Personally I have titanium wireless frame with this plastic lenses. Not cheap, but they are very light and comfortable...

I also have good frames, and used to go to the same place in BKK every year to get my eyes tested and the lenses upgraded if necessary. Now they've disappeared and I'm just fed up always having to reach for the glasses to read anything. It's more frustrating as my vision is 20/20 apart from reading, and I often forget my glasses and end up using the wife's, which I'm sure is not good.

 

The fear factor is all that has stopped me to date, but I think I can live with the 1% odds of it going wrong. At least have one eye at a time done to mitigate some of the risk.

 

Friends in UK have had it done and reckon it's the best thing they ever did to improve their ageing abilities.

[lopburi3]

17 minutes ago, Tofer said:

Nothing as yet. I just can't abide carrying glasses around everywhere and having to get them out every time I need to read anything, including using the phone.

 

I think cataracts are a problem as I struggle driving at night with the headlight glare, not that I do much of that now on these roads!

Simple solution, and cheap, would be bifocal or progressive lens glasses that you wear all the time.  Lasik might also be an option to discuss if you must be rid of glasses.

Most people that have operations do so to remove cataracts in our old age so something has to be done - they do not normally do to avoid glasses. 

 

As for using wife's glasses if they work they should be fine.  Most people do not need anything special for reading type glasses and they are sold on floor displays at stores.

[Joe Mcseismic]

If I remember correctly, the risk of infection is less than 0.6% and even then, it's just a course of antibiotics.

Before you commit to surgery, the doctor can appraise you of the risks and then you can make an informed decision on whether to go ahead, or not.

[lopburi3]

12 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

If I remember correctly, the risk of infection is less than 0.6% and even then, it's just a course of antibiotics.

Before you commit to surgery, the doctor can appraise you of the risks and then you can make an informed decision on whether to go ahead, or not.

Although low there is a real risk involved and you could lose eyesight.  In the case of cataract surgery this would happen without surgery so most often risk is justified - for others it might not be.

[scubascuba3]

If I remember correctly, the risk of infection is less than 0.6% and even then, it's just a course of antibiotics.
Before you commit to surgery, the doctor can appraise you of the risks and then you can make an informed decision on whether to go ahead, or not.

I wonder whether the doctor would be totally honest with the risk, i suspect not.

I read another thread where people still needed glasses some years later after the op

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

I wonder whether the doctor would be totally honest with the risk, i suspect not.

I read another thread where people still needed glasses some years later after the op

When done to remove cataracts many people will require glasses immediately as most often only distance vision is good.  There are two methods to allow vision without glasses but neither is perfect - one using brain and one eye far and other reading.  Lasik also has a version of this option.  Other using multi focal lens which is not only more expensive but not 100% reliable (any minor error can cause issues).