LasikPlus Review: Eye Exam and Consultation
Yesterday I went to my LasikPlus free eye exam and consultation to get some more information about Lasik (which apparently stands for Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis and there are in fact many different variations on the “laser-on-eye” surgery) and to also see how much it costs. When I showed up, the entire appointment is split up into three distinct parts: preliminary eye exam, doctor directed eye exam, and the pricing and scheduling consultation.
Preliminary Eye Exam
This was conducted by someone in a blue scrubs (in other words, not a doctor) and consisted of your typical eye exam things, checking for prescription, eye pressure, eye health. They also added two additional tests such as a cornea mapping, cornea thickness measure, and a night vision test, which are tests they need to tell how difficult it would be to perform Lasik on you or whether it was a good fit for you. The end of this exam consisted of taking the pupil dilating drops and waiting to see the doctor, which included watching an informative FAQ-type video about Lasik.
Doctor Directed Eye Exam
This was conducted by someone in a white lab coat who introduced himself as doctor so-and-so (I’ll be honest, at this point I had the pupil dilating drops in, I couldn’t see and so I was a little disconcerted). He checked out my prescription again and went into whether or not I was a good candidate for Lasik. Apparently my pupil is slightly larger than average but that was fine and my cornea was thicker than average, which is a good thing; there was a 5-6% chance I would need corrective surgery after the first surgery, but that was all included in the price.
I asked him whether I’d get a prescription of some kind, say for glasses or contacts, and he said that they didn’t do that, all their tests were geared towards assessing the candidacy of a patient. So if you wanted a free prescription out of it, you’re out of luck. If you wanted a thumbs up or thumbs down for eye health, you did get that.
Pricing and Scheduling Consultation
This was with someone at the front desk and this was a little hard for me because my pupil’s were dilated. They gave a 15% discount with my vision insurance provider, I assume they give this with practically all vision insurance providers, so the price was around $1400 an eye for a grand total price of $2800. Since I haven’t talked to any other providers, I have no idea where that is in the grand scheme of things (that’s just regular Lasik with a Bausch & Lomb laser).
As for payment, there were several financing options that including a 18 month 0% financing offer through Carecredit, but I haven’t had a chance to look at that.
Oh, one last thing, there wasn’t a hard sell at the Columbia location, which was something I appreciated. I hate going to a place and having them try their hardest to sell their service or product, even after I’ve told them I’m currently in a research gathering mode and not looking to make a decision at the moment.
There you have it, my LasikPlus eye exam and consultation experience, please feel free to ask any questions or share your own experiences.
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There are 26 comments, add your thoughts now!
I’ve been thinking about lasik surgery as well. My eyes are terrible, and have been since I was 5. I’m tired of the contact/glasses routine, and would love to be able to just wake up, open my eyes, and see the world.
The problem I have isn’t really the price, but getting through the operation itself. I’m terrified of “seeing” them cut up my eyes from the inside out. Even if I don’t feel anything, you’re going to be seeing them do the work.
Is this something you’ve talked with other people about? Do you know what to expect? Is it gruesome? I’ve heard it described as “cool” but it kind of freaks me out (I’m a bit squemish).
I’d love to hear your thoughts on that.
The people I knew who did it said it’s a little disconcerting because you can hear, see, and smell everything as it goes on and things do go to black for a few seconds but since I’ve never done it I can’t really say. I think if you’re prepared for it and know what’s going to happen then you won’t freak out, but if you knew nothing going it I bet it could be VERY disconcerting.
No one that I talked to has ever said they’d never do it again (the cutting of the cornea, lifting, lasering, and then closing the flap), which I think is a good thing.
When I went in for a consultation, they were literally doing the procedure in this room with the shades open in the reception area in a glass room. 5 minutes and the person was done with the procedure. You could see the doctor do the whole procedure as you mentioned in the comment(lifting,lasering etc)
Did you see that too? And at one time I noticed 5 people in line to get it done. WOW.. (Ofcourse this was in december..I guess they had unsued money in the FSA)
Hey shiloh and jim In south-asian countries like India the cost of lasik surgery is much less perhaps because of the fact that insurance costs are too low. The consultation is quite soothing and as you said takes no less than 5 minutes
I waited 5 years before I had my eyes done, the whole time I was debating with myself the pros and cons of the procedure and whether I really wanted to take the chance, no matter how small, that something might go wrong and leave me with “less than perfect” eyesight. However, after meeting with the doctor and going through the preliminary testing, I became comfortable enough to go through with the procedure. For me, the entire procedure took less than 5 minutes, 23 seconds for one eye and 21 seconds for the other with some prepping time in between. There was literally no time for me to freak out or become too uncomfortable. And if you’re worried about your pricing, well, $1,500 per eye is the norm for the procedure, although you might be able to find it for less. Then again, these are your eyes. Do you really want to take a chance of losing your eyesight just to save a couple of hundred dollars?
Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!
I had the procedure done 4 years ago and had a similar consultation. I got a discounted price ($1k/eye) because I had been referred by someone — if you know someone who got the surgery done at that office, you should mention that and maybe they will recalculate the price. Also, the price depends on how bad your eyesight is. They will ask you to come the next day, a week later, a month later, 3 months later, 6 months later, and a 1 yr. later make sure everything is healing properly.
Many of my ophtho MDs-in-training said that each laser costs about $1 million, so don’t be too freaked out by “LASIK factories” where there is a steady flow of patients. It’s probably better because then the doctor can recoupe the costs and buy the most advanced lasers. Make sure your doctor went to a real class, not just a weekend class. There are so many doctors doing the procedure, you can afford to pick the most qualified doctor and still get a competitive price.
You should read up on the possible effects of the surgery, including scarring on the cornea. One person I know had this problem and became blind for a few years. After many surgeries at JHU, they’ve regained some vision. The 30 page waiver I signed before the surgery definitely gave me pause, but I’m extremely satisfied with the results.
I couldn’t see them running any procedures while I was there but I had an 8am appointment, probably too early in the day for most people looking for the surgery since they recommend taking a nap afterwards. You probably want to do it around lunchtime or something and take a half day off.
$1400 sounds good for LasikPlus. Does it come with a year post-op visits, and minor corrections too? I would also recommend intraLasik rather than microkeratome. I think it adds a couple hundred per eye (I believe it was $400/eye when my wife had it done), but hey they are your eyes and anything that increases probability of success and reduces complications, especially as it pertains to the flap, is worth the added expense in my book.
We opted for carecredit, too. It was painless, quick and easy. I’d recommend them. 0% for 18 months is great. Moreover, you can use your carecredit credit line for other medical procedures, too.
I’m looking into getting the Lasik also and I”m having a hard time finding a doctor I can trust. I just don’t want to pick anyone seeing these are my eyes. If something goes bad, I’d hate to lose my eyesight!
Where do people suggest you turn to for a good doctor? Recommendations? Internet?
I read a bunch of pf blogs, so I don’t remember your health care situation, but if you have a flex plan account, you might want to consider waiting until January and putting a bunch of money into the account next year. You get the Lasik pre-tax that way. (Unless there’s been some tax change I don’t know about. But you should definitely look into that option)
Tim: Yeah, it includes post-op and corrections.
Katie: Yeah, I’ll definitely be waiting, if anything, but it’s like if you put it in your FSA, you are basically forced into doing it because it’s so much money that you can’t use it on anything else.
A small word of caution: Before you decide to do this, spend a bit more money and see an opthamologist. My eyesight is very bad and I was considering lasik. I asked my opthamologist during a routine exam and she said, and I quote, “Look at me. I am wearing glasses. I wouldn’t get it, won’t let my mother get it and I certainly don’t recommend it for you or anyone.” Her reasons are: Most folks who have LASIK done find that they have difficulty during the night - driving at night, double-vision, and so on. Next she said that twenty years of doing this procedure just isn’t long enough to determine overall aging of the process. If you are 30 when you have LASIK done, you still have, say, 50 years to live with the scarring in your eyes… what happens if you have problems later? You’ve already voluntarily scarred up your eyes with LASIK.
My little two cents is this: You only have two eyes. Bad vision is correctable through contacts and glasses. Why mess with your lifetime of vision?
~fm
I’m not sure where the opthamologist is getting her facts and figures, but is a bit off when saying “most”. Yes, folks who get basic LASIK or PRK may get a halo effect. Yes, people may get double-vision, etc, etc. Those are some of the risks. people do much better with night sight if having wavefront lasik (lasikPlus). yes, there are potential longer term side effects. there are risks in every procedure.
i’ve had prk for over 11 years, and i know people who have had prk for nearly 20 years. not an issue. although, i getting starring effect at night, it’s sometimes annoying, haven’t found it to be problematic. my wife has had lasik done and we did do wavefront for her and she has no night sight issues. of course we are two out of many.
FDA says conventional and custom lasik complications occur in 1-5% of cases, with the majority being corrected within 6 months. if the halo and star issues concern you, then opt for the custom lasik.
As for being forced into spending the money, that’s true. I know a lot of people who do the final consultation in November/December (before final FSA selections) and the surgery in January. That way you’re sure you can get it and you use the money right away.
[...] Jim is looking into Lasik. [...]
My wife and I both had Lasik done by the only independent surgeon in New England (in other words, he was not affiliated with a hospital — he was the only surgeon in New England who had enough money and experience to buy his own equipment). At the time, 2003, that my wife had hers done, this doctor had over 7000 surgeries to his credit, including a number of famous athletes, etc. — people who rely on their eyes for their super high incomes.
This meant that he did not come cheap, but it also meant that the quality was very high.
This particular surgeon turns away a large percentage of the people that come in for consultations because either their eyes can’t be helped by him or (and this is important): they have unrealistic expectations of what the outcome will be. My wife desired to be able to see the alarm clock in the middle of the night, and to be able to see her legs to shave them when in the shower. She had horrible vision and considered any improvement to be worth it. My eyes were a lot better, and therefore easier to get back to 20/20.
The surgery itself takes very little time. My wife had her eyes done about a year before I had mine done (separated for Flexible Spending Account purposes). I got to watch her surgery on a video monitor. Let me tell you: watching it is far worse than having it done. They numb your eyes and give you a valium, so the worst part is actually the speculum that holds your eyelids open, rather than anything they are doing to your actual eye.
I had halos immediately after my surgery that lasted for about a month. They were annoying but not debilitating. I had, and still continue to have, dry eyes, however after having worn contacts for a number of years, this is no big deal. I always carry eyedrops with me, though I find that I use them less and less frequently. I also often use a product that keeps my eyes moist while sleeping.
My eyesight is 20/10 at this point. My wife needs to wear glasses for certain things, like driving at night, but the prescription is very light. She has something like 20/30 vision.
We both strongly endorse Lasik, but encourage anyone considering it to really think about what they want to get out of it, and then find the right surgeon for themselves.
We took advantage of FSA accounts as well as 0% interest financing to make the process that much less painful.
I had Lasik eye surgery in 2005.
My vision was 20/350 in my left eye, and 20/400.
My vision is now 20/25 and 20/20.
I did the 0% financing for 1 year. Cost was $2200 total. So my eyes are paid for!
I do use rewetting drops a couple of times a day to keep my eyes moist–which I didn’t do before.
The first 24 hours after the surgey was a bit rough. When you wake up on day 2 your vision is 20/20 or close to it, but things are foggy….it took about a week for that to clear up….you have to put special drops in your eyes for a week, and wear these silly goggles at night so you don’t scratch your eyes–but that is just for the first week.
It is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO OPEN MY EYES IN THE MORNING AND BE ABLE TO SEE!!!
No more asking my kids to find my glasses, cause I can’t see them, no contacts, no solutions…
If I had it to do allover again–I would in a heartbeat.
Check out this site, though, before moving forward:
fda link
Twice I’ve come really close to getting this surgery done…like, how cool would it BE to be able to make your way to the bathroom in the morning without having to put on a pair of glasses to find it? But… y’know, contact lenses can be removed; surgery can’t easily be undone.
dear terrified…
i just had my LASIK done yesterday morning… I have researched and saved for about 6 months now and what helped my was having my procedure done the day after my exam. I know that sounds fast to many people, but with proper research and no surprises financially, it really helps to just get it done and work through the fear. I heard them offering same day LASIK to certain qualified eyes with early enough preliminary exam appointments. I, personally, chose to go with LasikPlus in my hometown of Milwaukee, WI. They were all very friendly and helpful and performed the procedure both quickly and effectively. The procedure, at worst, is uncomfortable. If you wish they offer a valium ahead of time to chill you out. Also, if you have good muscle control, the procedure is less uncomfortable.
As for the procedure itself, you go into the room for a final check to make sure their all set with your eyes. LOTS of eyedrops and such during the procedure. They tape gauze over the eye they aren’t working on at the time and go to work. First your eyelids are taped up and down respectively which was really no big deal because they didn’t stretch them so far as to really even notice. You stare at a blinking red light while they put in what I hear were some hooks and such to keep you from blinking and then they pry them open a little bit. Although it sounds disconcerting, I have to say they dont feel anything like “hooks” at all, just kinda like you have a shot glass on your eye I guess. Like a round object you can’t close your eyes around. Then they put a suction cup thingie on your eye (which feels much like another shot glass) to keep your eye from moving. If you get the eye cut with a blade (which I did) they dr. tells you that you should see black now and then you get your eye covered up. A tiny mechanical noise and some very slight vibrating and then you can see the light again. They tell you that things will get blurry now and then lift back the flap. Everything is extremely blurry now. The laser reshapes your eye which sounds like electricity zaps but feels like nothing. Then they put the flap back and move on to your other eye. There are about 50 eyedrops used during that one eye and most of the time it just looks like you’re under water. One eye from taping to done took a grand total of about 2 minutes. The only discomfort at all really was when I couldn’t control my muscles and tried to close my right eye around whatever was holding them open. You honestly feel nothing but some suction and minor pressure on your actual eye.
I hope this was informative from my 30 hour old experience. I had a follow up today and am already 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other which, I was told, was very good and relatively rare for a checkup less then 24 hours from the procedure. No discomfort they day after for me at all (although taking a bajillion eyedrops a day is a minor inconvenience). But if annoying eyedrops are all it takes for me to never wear glasses again, then I’ve won this war
Procedure is highly recommended. Don’t let your fears talk you out of glasses free life.
Take care,
Jason
I had Lasik surgery with Dr. Anthony Salierno at Lasik Plus in Orange, Ct. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. Dr Salierno is absolutely outstanding and did a great job in restoring my vision. He actually changed my life!!! The surgery was done on both eyes taking less than 10 minutes. I was uncomfortable a couple hours after the surgery, but the next day I was able to see, drive and go to work. It is a miracle! I highly recommend Dr Salierno and his team of professionals. 5/3/08
Just a note to those wearing contacts. Complications in Lasik surgery is less than one sixteenth of 1%. Infections and complications for contact wearers is a much higher percentage.
Just a note regarding contacts versus Lasik surgery. Complications from Lasik surgery is less than one sixteenth of 1%. Infections and complications from contacts is much higher.
If I could give this place no stars I would!
My husband who is 25 went in for the exam to see if he could get laser surgery. It was suppose to be quick so I was going to wait in the car for him. For whatever reason I decided to come in with him at the last min. and I am SO grateful I did. Of course they have you sign the wavier and all that jazz before they begin. They put several different drops in his eyes and began the testing. Once they were finished we sat in this small little room with a tiny TV explaining all the “side effects” of the surgery. Interesting that we didn’t watch this until AFTER they put all the drops in his eyes. They were so dilated he had to close them since the light in the room was so bright. About 60 secs after he sat down he grabbed his stomach and said he didn’t feel good, I looked over at him and his eyes rolled back in his head and he slouched over. I started to scream for someone to come help, as he slouched he started to gurgle and shake violently. The “nurses” tried to shut me in a room so that the other patients didn’t hear what was going on. I was telling them to call 911 and no one ever even picked up the phone! My husband regained composure after about 15 min. of being on the floor. Other then an eye Doctor coming over to “look” at my husband no one did a thing for him! The staff just stood around and watched him lay on the floor while some lady got a wet rag from the sink to put on his head. They kept hushing me down every time I would ask why no one was calling 911. I pulled the car out front and took him right over to the ER as his lips were BLUE! The Doctor was pissed that the staff, for one did not inform us of some of the side effects you can have from the drops they put in your eyes or seek medical attention when my husband could have died on the spot. That wouldnt have looked good in the Startrib and Im sure thats why they never called 911 for him.
I called the next day to get the name of the drops they used in my husbands eyes and the nurse was rude and short with me….she rambled off about 5 different drops they put in his eyes and never once slowed down long enough for me to spell the mile long name of each drop. I kept asking how to spell it and she would go a mile a min. While we were at the ER The Doc. who treated my husband said he has heard some similar reports for this Lasik Center… All they are concerned with is you giving them your money. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH and go with a reputable company. Not the one who offers the cheapest financing!
I have my initial eye exam on Saturday (2 days from now) and I am a bit scared. I am a lifetime contact wearer and the thought of someone slicing my eye is a little scary. If anyone has had LasikPlus near the Galleria (Marietta, GA) by Dr. Eugene Smith…please give me some feedback. Thank you for all your comments, they’ve helped me tremendously…I’ll definitely need the valium!
Hi Shelia,
The initial exam is not a big deal at all. Having my eyes dialated for 24 hours was a little inconvenient, but worth knowing that I am a candidate for the surgery. My only advice…do as much research as you can before you go in and write down as many questions as you can think of. They were happy to answer all of mine. I haven’t had the surgery yet, but have scheduled for August. (I’m still doing as much research as possible to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything.)
Good luck!
My husband and I are getting our consult on Thursday….if anyone has had Lasik done at the LasikPlus in Marietta, GA at Galleria, please post some feedback on your experience!! Thanks..
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