Laser eye surgery - give up those contacts for good?

I was really pleased when I saw the blathering yesterday about laser eye surgery because I had this post ready to go. I've been suggesting that the husband thinks of getting it done, but hes wriggled out thus far because he has astigmatism in his eyes (a wonky shaped eyeball he explained to me). They can now correct the vision in those types of wonky eyes though I discovered, so he's resorted to these reasons instead:

a) "It might hurt"
b) "It might go horribly wrong"
c) "I don't like anyone doing anything to eyes"

Fair enough.

And having looked into it, I don't really blame him for not wanting to get it done.

The good news
There are a couple of different methods/lasers used depending on what is causing your poor eyesight. With Lasik for example your cornea will be peeled back by the laser and the underneath area operated on. The laser will make teeny changes to the eye surface and this simply changes the way the eye focuses light.

It's this ability to focus light that makes perfect sight achievable. If all goes well you may wake up in the next couple of days and throw your glasses away for ever, such will be the improvement in your sight. This is a really successful procedure and tens of thousands of people are living proof of that. The price has dropped dramatically in the last while and you can now get one eye operated on for around €600 in the cheapest places.

Does it hurt?
No, you'll be ok. Just lie back and think of the Irish rugby team. Now, you feel better already don't you?

The less good news
Laser eye surgery can in some instances have side effects like dry eye syndrome or even a worsening of vision, but this is rare. What you must never ever do is choose a laser surgery because it's the cheapest one. You must get recommendations, talk to people who've had it done and make sure you go to a reputable and highly skilled surgeon.

This is your eyesight. You're not going to a salon to get a couple of spots squeezed - make sure you take your time with this decision. Check out Specsavers who have a good guide or VHI who have a slightly scarier one. Above all do your research.

Now over to you. Any thoughts or recommendations?