Supersight Surgery in Pattaya or Bangkok

[aussienam]

Hello, 

 

I have been looking at an old post here (2014) about supersight surgery at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.  I am seriously considering the procedure but wanted to know of others who have had it done and if there are other hospitals besides Bangkok Pattaya Hospital that do the procedure.  

As I have read, the 'Supersight Surgery' label seems to be just a marketing gimmick to make it sound as if it is the best procedure.  It would be useful to try to get the proper terminology so I can then enquire with other hospitals/eye centres that also do the same procedure, the surgeons' history, price comparisons, type of lenses (Carl Zeiss appears to be the best versus Johnson & Johnson).  

 

I spoke to an expat recently who had his bad eye done a year ago and he is very happy with the result.  I understand the downside is night vision is affected due to the halo effect with bright lights, but my eyes are pretty stuffed anyway and sick of glasses.  

 

Would be good to read experiences of other expats.  I have read a few positive comments online as well.  

 

 

[Tharnbiz1971]

Talk to an ophthalmologist before you do.  Once you have eye cornea shaped by laser, contact lens no longer work well.  Your eyes change as you get older. Most typical is to go from being near sighted to less near sighted.  That means you get over corrected with laser and now vision blurred from wrong adjustment.  Also lens fitting for eventually cataract surgery is an estimate.  That estimate is made more difficult if patient has had laser surgery.  I had my eyes done.  Doctor did not tell me, yes you won't need glasses to see far, but you will need glasses to see close up, so I was still stuck with glasses. My distance vision got stronger as I got older. Now I am over corrected.  Doctor said that is very common.  I would like the new multi-focal contacts but can't wear them because of the laser surgery.  Contacts don't fit on flattened cornea properly

Edited June 3, 2021 by Tharnbiz1971

[aussienam]

2 minutes ago, Tharnbiz1971 said:

Talk to an ophthalmologist before you do.  Once you have eye cornea shaped by laser, contact lens no longer work well.  Your eyes change as you get older. Most typical is to go from being near sighted to less near sighted.  That means you get over corrected with laser and now vision blurred from wrong adjustment.  Also lens fitting for eventually cataract surgery is an estimate.  That estimate is made more difficult if patient has had laser surgery.  I had my eyes done.  Doctor did not tell me, yes you won't need glasses to see far, but you will need glasses to see close up, so I was still stuck with glasses. My distance vision got stronger as I got older. Now I am over corrected.  Doctor said that is very common.  I would like the new multi-focal contacts but can't wear them because of the laser surgery.  Contacts don't fit on flattened cornea properly

Thanks for sharing your experience.  Point noted regarding laser surgery.  Sorry it didn't go as planned.  

The 'super sight' surgery does not use laser surgery.  It is lens replacement surgery.  They disintegrate the old lens using ultrasound waves and extract that through a tube and then replace it with a multifocal lens (Carl Zeiss).   

[Mahseer]

I had Supersight surgery done by Dr Somchai 12 years ago at Bangkok Pattaya and no regrets. Process then took less than 10 minutes per eye and part of the deal was one night in hospital. Vision was excellent next day and haven't had anything else done to the eyes since and still good.

 

Far from cheap at 200,00baht but no idea on price today.

 

 

[Chris.B]

9 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

I had Supersight surgery done by Dr Somchai 12 years ago at Bangkok Pattaya and no regrets. Process then took less than 10 minutes per eye and part of the deal was one night in hospital. Vision was excellent next day and haven't had anything else done to the eyes since and still good.

 

Far from cheap at 200,00baht but no idea on price today.

 

 

Is that 20,000 or 200,000 baht?

[Mahseer]

39 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Is that 20,000 or 200,000 baht?

The latter.

[from the home of CC]

had lazik in toronto many years ago ($450 an eye - store opening special). I was nearsighted big time, glasses or contacts constantly. Over 20 years and have had no issues, including no problem with close up work. The Dr. told me at the time that he wasn't going to make both eyes perfect and instead leave one slightly less than the other. He said if he did this so I wouldn't need glasses for reading when I got older. I agreed and he was correct, I do not need glasses for reading and I'm in my sixties. This was one of the better moves I ever made though I have heard some horror stories. I did meet one guy who suffered big time after the surgery, when it goes bad, its bad. Some weather girl that worked on a tv station in the states killed herself after a bad zap - apparently some errors cannot be repaired and she couldn't take being disabled the rest of her life. Do your research is my recommendation, I had a medical buddy who checked out my surgeon prior to my procedure., I went in confident and fortunately worked out very well.

[Bob4u]

OP - I was shopping lasik, etc and have checked out super sight .

 

My takeaway is, one doc whom I consulted with was wearing glasses and I asked why he has not had lasik? he directly said his income is based on his eyesight and could not take any chances.

 

 

 

[Golden Triangle]

I visited 2 private hospitals in Pattaya to have my eyes checked, both told me that I had cataracts that needed sorting, so I knew I wasn't being fobbed off, I also had an astigmatism in one eye that made new lenses hellish expensive, both hospitals quoted well above 200,000 baht for new lenses & that was the cheapest option, I asked around and was told by plenty of friends of a surgeon in a private practice, I used him, I didn't have the top of the range lenses, I need glasses to read and use the tablet, but I no longer have an astigmatism and my middle & long vision is great., PM me if you want to know where his clinic is.

[Gsxrnz]

I had super sight done to both eyes by Dr. Somchai at BPH about 5 years ago.  I was long-sighted, but reading and computers required glasses. I enjoy photography and collect watches - so the fact that I couldn't see details on my watches and difficulty using a camera convinced me to check it out.

 

Brilliant experience.  I can now see into next week and can always find my balls (golf) and can read the smallest ever print.  I think they rated my sight at 20/200, which means I can basically read microfilm.  Exaggerating, but you get the idea.

 

My halo effect was short-lived and after two weeks, driving at night was not a problem.  Your brain "adapts" and even though the halos are still slightly evident, if you don't pay attention to them, they do not distract.  

 

After about 18 months my left eye went all hazy.  I went back to Somchai and as expected in many cases, some sort of growth had developed behind the lens.  He took me to a laser machine immediately, zapped the eye a dozen times in 30 seconds - hey presto, perfect vision and only a 1,000B appointment fee.  

 

I have the top Zeiss lenses that are adjusted by the eye and re-focusing long or short is as good as a teenager.  I've heard others that had fixed focal length lenses are not quite so happy.  A few extra baht is worth it.

 

The only downside to having perfect vision is that the wrinkles on that face staring back at me from the mirror every morning is looking less and less like the hansum man I used to be.

[aussienam]

20 hours ago, Mahseer said:

I had Supersight surgery done by Dr Somchai 12 years ago at Bangkok Pattaya and no regrets. Process then took less than 10 minutes per eye and part of the deal was one night in hospital. Vision was excellent next day and haven't had anything else done to the eyes since and still good.

 

Far from cheap at 200,00baht but no idea on price today.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback Mahseer.  It is still 200,000 Baht according to the site.  I am yet to clarify this. And includes night stay in hospital.

Not cheap, you are right.  But cheaper compared to intraocular lens replacement surgery in other countries.  But is a considerable one-off cost.  

 

I did read one post back in 2014 about one alleged patient who stated he was happy overall but his vision was not perfect, with problems in middle distance.  I have trifocals so near, middle and far vision. 

That is one concern as the old post by this person expressed some frustration.  

Others, like you have expressed satisfaction.  

I have read that it can take several weeks before the vision improves to its best version.  And that night vision is compromised in respect to bright lights (halo affect).  

 

Cheers and thanks for your feedback.  

 

 

[USEpat]

Me too.

 

I met the Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital guy behind the Super-sight practice and got the pitch about two  years ago.  My cost for tri-focal implants would be 250K baht per eye .  My impression was a big emphasis on the sales pitch and closing a deal.  I demurred, but may give it a go if I can find some recent reviews.  I'm not sure I like the idea of doing both eyes on the same day - that isn't the usual practice for cataract surgery in the States, but hey..............

[USEpat]

On 6/4/2021 at 7:04 AM, aussienam said:

Thanks for the feedback Mahseer.  It is still 200,000 Baht according to the site.  I am yet to clarify this. And includes night stay in hospital.

Not cheap, you are right.  But cheaper compared to intraocular lens replacement surgery in other countries.  But is a considerable one-off cost.  

 

I did read one post back in 2014 about one alleged patient who stated he was happy overall but his vision was not perfect, with problems in middle distance.  I have trifocals so near, middle and far vision. 

That is one concern as the old post by this person expressed some frustration.  

Others, like you have expressed satisfaction.  

I have read that it can take several weeks before the vision improves to its best version.  And that night vision is compromised in respect to bright lights (halo affect).  

 

Cheers and thanks for your feedback.  

 

 

It's the replacement lens choice that will drive up the price.  I know the tri-focal (graduated lenses) were an extra 50K baht per eye.  I'm not sure what lens type, if any, is included in the 200K Baht price.

[AwwYesNice1]

Know someone who regrets it dearly.

[topt]

10 hours ago, AwwYesNice1 said:

Know someone who regrets it dearly.

I know 3 people who don't.

One who had it done about 5 years ago.

A friend 2 years ago and mine in August of last year. YMMV.

[topt]

On 6/3/2021 at 4:40 PM, aussienam said:

Would be good to read experiences of other expats.  I have read a few positive comments online as well.  

In the medical forum, or whatever it is called here, there was a very detailed description of the whole process including prices from @Pib who had the American tri focal lens. That was done at a hospital outside Bangkok - if I remember it correctly.

 

That discussion, along with several people I know well who recommended it, helped me to decide to go ahead July/August last year at BPH with Dr Somchai.

I have the Zeiss tri focal or multi focal and the cost was 200k baht total for everything excluding the initial consultation (apparently was a special package price however if you get your insurance to pay for it the price is significantly higher!!!!).

 

The actual operation took about 2 hours in total. You go in early morning, get prepped and operation around lunchtime from memory. They keep you in overnight but basically immediately after the operation you start using your eyes as normal. I was released the next morning along with a regime of drops to take for the next month or so and strict instructions on what to do and not do......

 

I have tried to avoid driving at night as much as possible but I still see the concentric circles with lines through them which is how the lens are constructed. I used to have to wear glasses for reading and pc work and was starting to struggle with mid/longer distance viewing. I have not worn glasses since the operation and can now read road signs in good time..........

 

What it won't help is the adjustment of your eyes going from light to dark. Eyes were also quite sensitive to the brightness here for quite a while afterwards.

 

I play golf and wish I had taken the plunge a few years ago.

 

If you want anymore specifics drop me a PM and I will be happy to oblige.

 

Damn - just seen Op posted this last year......

Edited January 14, 2022 by topt