Laser Eye Surgery - Very Worried

Good advice by your nurse to get your bp down, ideally with diabetic retinopathy you want it to be around 130/70.

I've had laser surgery in the past and still hold a 3 years licence, I do have a few areas in my left eye which were effected by the laser surgery but nothing serious as I still manage to pass the field vision test ( a prerequisite of the DVLA) 10 years after I last had treatment, the Ophthalmologists are very skilled at their work and will only do the minimum amount of laser burns to halt and seal up the rogue and leaking blood vessels.

As for the after effects, your vision will be effected for 24 hours and I was advised not to drive in this time, you may also have a headache which will settle down once your eyes have returned to normal, just be sure to take along some dark glasses as the daylight can make the eyes painful when the pupils are dilated.

Have a good read of the following as it has a wealth of information on diabetic retinopathy:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/laserdiabetic_retinopathy.html

I had laser treatment a couple of years ago for peripheral retinopathy (like you the centre is fine) and was told I was still ok to drive, and haven't seen any change in my vision.

@noblehead is right about being a bit blurry and headachy after the session so yes it would make sense to not drive for a day or so if you can. And have some paracetemol handy for the aches

Best of luck

BeccyB said:

I had laser treatment a couple of years ago for peripheral retinopathy (like you the centre is fine) and was told I was still ok to drive, and haven't seen any change in my vision.

@noblehead is right about being a bit blurry and headachy after the session so yes it would make sense to not drive for a day or so if you can. And have some paracetemol handy for the aches

Best of luck

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Ditto all the above information and advice. It is worrying, but it is the only remedy to maintain your sight. I first had this treatment in my 20's and held a driving licence until I was in my 40's. I would think that every case is different and hope that your sight will not be severely affected as it will be your first experience of laser treatment. Try to rest afterwards if you can, as it can be very tiring, mentally. Please post how you get on after the first session and keep calm. Maybe look at this treatment as preserving your sight rather than taking it away.

JimmyEwart37 said:

Hi

I have been diagnosed with diabetic retionpathy and my doctor has booked me in for 3 sessions of laser eye surgery starting tomorrow. I have started seeing floaters and that is the reason why the laser surgery was recommended. My doctor said that my central vision is not affected. I have read that Laser Surgery can lead to some lost of vision, I think they say 1 in 4 peopel loose their licence after laser surgery. I am very worried because I drive and I am concerned about my vision. Does anyone have any advice or support about the side effects of laser surgery.

I had my hba1c result test 3 weeks ago and it was 4.8 and my colesteral was good, but my blood pressure was 145. My diabetic nurse wants me to get it down to about 135. I do not smoke or drink.

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Your nurse is almost there with his or her BP target but not quite. As Noblehead says with retinopathy you should be aiming for lower than 130/70 and I would add that diabetics need to be under 130/80 (according to NZ guidelines). The general population target is under 140/90.

You may need further testing to find out what your BP is outside of the medical office. There is 24 hour testing available with a kit you take home and wear. If that shows you are above targets, then medication may be needed because lifestyle measures aren't usually powerful enough to get BP down.

I said this to someone else recently, The laser is not much fun. Take a couple of OTC pain meds prior if you need. In the laser clinic at my Eye Hospital, you would all rock up in the morning and a nurse would wander around dealing out the gentle pain killers.
One of the biggest vision issues I noticed after a large chunk of treatments was my night vision started to go, followed by a lot of intolerance to glare which also affected driving, of course eventually I had to stop driving but my vision issues were extreme. Hoping yours are able to be well controlled.

I had laser surgery about two years ago, two sessions in each eye. I agree with the other comments about slightly blurry vision for a day or so afterwards and a bit of a headache but nothing severe. I was warned that you could lose a bit of peripheral vision due to the surgery but I have had no bother with that and my eyesight is as good as it ever was.

Hi everyone and thanks for your advice. I had my laser eye surgery yesterday on my right eye. I will have the left eye done in two weeks. My eyes feel sensitive, my vision seems to be ok. Before the surgery the doctor told me that I could loose some peripheral vision and loose my ability to drive. I did think about not having the surgery done because the thought of loosing my driver licence scared me. I only passed my test in February 2015, after failing 3 times. The doctor said that I have to inform the DVLA about my laser treatment and they will do a eye test. He also said that it could take about 2 months after the surgery before I develop a scar on my Retina. I would just like to know if anyone was able to retain their drivers licence after laser surgery.

hi @Jimmy37 - I had about 3 sessions to each eye back in 1998-99 and still have enough visual field to drive. The other good news is that is has been stable for over 15 years, although there are no guarantees.

Jimmy37 said:

I would just like to know if anyone was able to retain their drivers licence after laser surgery.

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As long as you pass the Field Vision Test (post surgery) you may be able to drive, the results of the test get sent back to the Medical Dept of the DVLA and they decide on your suitability to drive, as said earlier I've been treatment free for the last 10 years and currently hold a 3 year licence.

HI all new hear.i have just had the first of three treatments .the doc told me somthing about my driving licence .i belive it wos that i could loose my licence due to treatment.but i wos in no fit state to get any end of the stick let alone the correct on as i wos a bit nervos about having my eyes messed with.so hears the question whils having this treatment can i drive or do i have to wait till it all dun then have an eye test and see !!!!!! whot happens .im going to phone the hospital and hope to get this cleared up in the morning .

I was told by the DVLA that I could still drive whilst my licence renewal was under medical review. You've got to inform them of any eye treatments and they'll go through the process' that they have to. Ring them up and ask for advise, they're very helpful (well they were when I rang them)

HI just spoken to the dvla .after the last treatment i have to inform the dvla thay will arange an eye test depending on out come .the only other thing was that if the doctor says you can not drive then that is that .