If you're considering getting Lasik at Aurora, DO IT! I had my procedure done yesterday and can't say enough positive things about my experience. I'm going to write a long review because, if you're researching getting Lasik, it is a big decision and I want to give all the info I can.
[Research]
To start, I researched numerous different Lasik centers in Thurston, Pierce and King counties and ultimately narrowed my search down to three different options (Aurora being one of them). I did consultations at all three places and all three had a very similar consultation process. They all involved asking some initial questions, doing some scans, and doing an eye exam. Even though the steps were similar, I had the best experience (by far) at Aurora. While doing the scans, they did a great job of explaining what information each machine was gathering and prepared me for what the experience would be. During the eye exam, they were able to get me to a place where I could see the 20/15 line very clearly which made me feel confident that they had a good reading. After that, Dr. Rudd came in and talked a bit about the procedure and answered any questions I had (one of the other places just had me watch a video of the Dr. talking about Lasik instead of having me actually meet with them). After that, I met with the patient counselor who provided me with additional information. She was awesome and had thorough answers for every question I could think of. After all my consultations were done, I knew I wanted to go to Aurora. I actually even looked through the Google reviews and noticed reviews from a couple people I know, so I reached out to them to ask about their experiences and they highly recommended Aurora (perks of living in a small-ish town). That made me even more confident in my decision.
[Surgery]
Fast forward to the morning of my surgery. I took my first valium 20 minutes before arriving. When I got there, I was still a little nervous, so I took the second one when I checked in. I was then brought to a waiting room where they had music from my favorite band playing (they asked about my favorite band in the new patient paperwork). I waited in there with my wife for a few minutes and was then brought to the surgery room. The surgery room has a glass wall and my wife was able to watch the whole thing from the other side of the glass. Someone actually even stayed with my wife to explain everything as it was happening (I thought that was a really nice touch). I felt no pain and the whole thing was done in probably 5-7 minutes. When it was done, everyone in the room clapped which was also kind of a fun touch. Dr Rudd even sent me a text in the evening to check in.
[Recovery]
When the surgery was done, I went straight home, took ibuprofen, and went to sleep for about 2 1/2 hours. I was a little concerned about being able to sleep after surgery, but I think the valium helped with that. When I woke up, I was shocked at how good I felt. Aside from feeling a little groggy, I felt totally fine and was already seeing great! The next day (today), I went to my post-op appointment and found that I now have 20/15 vision which is better than I expected!
[Final Thoughts]
Again, I can't say enough positive things about my experience at Aurora. Every single person I interacted with was so pleasant, kind and attentive. Seriously, everyone there is awesome. Not only did they do an amazing job with the big things (the surgery itself... I mean I'm seeing 20/15!!!), but they also did an amazing job with the unexpected details (my favorite music playing while I was waiting, someone staying with my wife during the procedure to explain everything, a stress ball to hold during the procedure, a text later in the evening to check in). All I can say is I wish I did this sooner! read more