Dr. Lin and his team at Pacific Laser Eye Centre have destroyed my eyes and ruined my life. I should never have been deemed a candidate due to my underlying conditions fully disclosed to them pre-op and a very mild prescription, yet they were dishonest with me and deemed me a candidate anyway. They downplayed all my concerns and outright lied about risks I inquired about. They didn't disclose a lot of serious risks especially in my case. They promised me "vision as good as glasses or better"..Immediately post op I got all kinds of terrible visual distortions, both day time and night time. My concerns were dismissed every time and I was told it's normal part of healing and should go away by 3-6 months. Several months post op now, I have a long list of awful complications, from visual distortions to horrible chronic pain, severe dry eyes which all led to severe depression. This nightmare could have been easily avoided if Dr. Lin and his team (Winnie, Gina, other techs) were honest with me and ethical people, disclosing all the risks properly, rejecting me as a candidate based on my condition and certain measurements they've done that proved increased risks of complications in my case, something they never disclosed to me. Instead, they chose to deceive me and destroy my life for profit. Shame on all of you. read more

If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would! I waited a month to write this review so I could share my full experience, including aftercare and medical outcomes. I have a long history of chronic uveitis, which has required numerous eye surgeries and treatments, including cataracts, vitrectomy, and laser for retinal tears. My vision deteriorated rapidly in the affected eye leaving me with a significant imbalance in my vision which couldn't be effectively corrected with glasses, and I had been wanting laser correction for many years. However, my retinal specialist advised waiting until my uveitis was stable, which took over 20 years. Throughout that time, he consistently recommended Dr. David Lin as the only surgeon I should consider, provided he deemed an eligible candidate. From the very first interaction with Pacific Laser Eye Centre, I was impressed by how knowledgeable and informative Tiffany was. This level of professionalism and competency continued with everyone I interacted with at the clinic. All my questions, and I had a lot, were answered thoroughly and promptly. When I met Dr. Lin, I instantly felt confident in his expertise and reaffirmed that I had made the right choice. The procedure itself was quick and painless, and the aftercare was exceptional. After removing the bandage lens, I did experience some discomfort and when I called the clinic, they got me in to see a technician and Dr. Holland within an hour. The issue was quickly identified and resolved. I've since had appointments with my retinal specialist and optometrist, and the results have exceeded expectations. Dr. Lin was able to achieve a level of vision correction beyond what was able to be achieved with glasses. I am an extremely happy patient and would highly recommend Dr. Lin for anyone considering laser correction! read more

Dr. Lin and the entire team at Pacific Laser Eye Centre are fantastic! It has been about 2 months now since my surgery and I'm currently seeing 20/20 in both eyes! I believe it takes up to 3 months for vision to completely settle post-op, so it may even get a little better over the next month or so. I'm very happy with my decision and choice in doctor. The staff makes the process very easy from start to finish. I had several questions leading up to the surgery and always received very prompt responses to my inquiries. The surgery itself is quick and painless. Dr. Lin and his team do a great job making you feel comfortable and relaxed. Everyone is very attentive, so you feel very well taken care of as a patient. I live in the states and flew in for the surgery, so I was initially concerned that might pose some logistic challenges. That didn't end up being the case at all. They were able to coordinate pre and post operative care with my optometrist at home, and the process has all been fairly seamless. I highly recommend Pacific Laser Eye Centre for anyone considering corrective eye surgery. You won't regret it! read more

I had PRK done by Dr. Lin in September 2020, and am writing this review after my 3 month post-op appointment with my optometrist. I will try and do an update a year later. I am very happy with my results so far and am enjoying my new and improved eyes. At my latest post-op, my optometrist said my eyes have healed really well and vision was surprisingly good for someone who used to be around -8.0 in each eye plus astigmatism. She said that anyone who looks at my eyes now will not be able to tell that I had laser eye surgery: 20/20 vision, no haze, and no visible dryness. Note that at my 1 month and 2 month post-ops, I was also testing at 20/20 vision. She was expecting it to take longer to get to this level, due to my previously high prescription. In terms of the procedure, I have no complaints. There were some changes due to COVID-19 - no more consultations, they now get your optometrist to pre-qualify you before you can come in for the pre-op and do tests in their office. However, I had a consultation here 3 years ago so felt comfortable with this. Their office is very efficient; I had to wait little to no time before being seen in all my visits, which I loved. The staff are all knowledgeable, professional and helpful. Prior to the surgery, I was very nervous so I made a really long list of questions and went over them with a patient counsellor who answered all of them in a 30 min phone call, which I appreciated. The surgery itself was quick and painless. I was in the office for an hour at most, and was in the surgery room for about 10-15 minutes. The laser really only takes 45 seconds per eye, and it is completely touchless. It was not painful, but I would say it is uncomfortable. Afterwards, amazingly, I could see well immediately, although I had some double vision and it was slightly blurry, which is normal. They test your vision the same day, and with lots of lubricating eyedrops, both eyes tested around 20/25. The checkup the day after, one eye was at 20/20 and the other at 20/25. One week post-op at the contact lens removal, vision was flucuating at one eye 20/20 and the other 20/30, but I was assured it would improve over time. All future post-op appointments would be done with my own optometrist. Recovery was estimated to be at least a week, so I took a full week off work. I woke up a few times when sleeping at night and felt slightly uncomfortable and teary during the first few days, but other than that, recovery went pretty smoothly. The eyedrop schedule is pretty strict but manageable. The most difficult thing was showering quickly with swimming goggles. During this recovery week, my vision was good enough to make me think that I was wearing my prescription contacts. I was able to work 8 days post-op, with regular breaks as my eyes were easily tired. And I was cleared to drive; however at night I did notice some slight halos around lights. But all this improved exponetially day by day. Now 3 months post-op, my vision is great! I do have dry eyes when I first wake up and if it is really late at night, but other than that, no side effects. My only regret is that I didn't do the surgery sooner. It is amazing to not wear contacts or glasses after over 20 years of glasses and 13 years of contacts. I am looking forward to having 20+ years of good vision. I would recommend anyone who is looking to do laser eye surgery to do their research, it is life changing. read more

Smart Surface PRK Procedure Dr. Lin is the man! A little bit of back story... A couple years back I had a corrective eye surgery performed in Los Angeles that went terribly wrong. The previous surgery left me with 20/100 vision in my left eye and scarring that resulted in seeing up to 5 ghost images of everything I looked at. My vision in that eye was only correctable to 20/40 with glasses. It was hard to function and I went through a period of bad depression I was referred to Dr. Lins office and Dr. Reinstein at London vision clinic for PRK surgery to fix my eye. Both of these surgeons are known as two of the best corrective eye surgeons in the world. I chose Dr. Lins office because he was able to perform the operation in a single surgery whereas the London office wanted to perform several operations. Leading up to the surgery I had a conversation with Dr. Lin over the phone. He was polite and addressed all of my concerns. The day before the surgery his technicians took a few measurements and checked my vision. I showed up the next day and waited for an hour while Dr. Lin and his team carefully planned for my procedure. It took them longer than usual due to the complexity of my case. Dr. Lin sat down and reassured me before the procedure as I was very nervous. The actual procedure was over very quickly. I layed down on the bed and stared at the green light for what felt like only a few seconds, while the laser followed its programmed procedure. I felt absolutely no pain and it was over very quickly I had heard the recovery from PRK could be rough so I anticipated the worst. The first day and night my eyes stung a little. I remember waking up in the middle of the night as my eyes were tearing up. But overall the recovery was pretty painless compared to some stories I had read about. Over a year later. I now have 20/30 vision in the one eye which is better than it could be corrected to before Dr. Lin performed the surgery and the ghosting is also gone. I feel like Dr. Lin has given me a new lease on life. My vision is much better than it was before. When I throw in a contact lens it is about 20/25 and nearly indiscernible from my other eye which is 20/20. My whole experience with Dr. Lin and his staff was excellent! He was patient and all of his staff were very professional. If you need a procedure done I would full heartedly recommend Pacific Laser eye Center and Dr. Lin. read more

First I want to apologize to anyone who hasn't read my review early enough, since I was told everything will be better for a long while. I finally knew the wait will only favor them, not you and me. When time proves there were just lies after lies, finally I decided to tell everything I've experienced. I'm currently experiencing wrong prescription, halo, astigmatism, phrase difference. I will be totally honest because the things are already too bad to be exaggerated. While I type every letter here I'm still suffering from the consequence every single second. Before the Surgery I should have given up like some other reviewers did after noticing how unprofessional the front desk was. The phone calls were inefficient at all and they were really impatient to answer questions. So I sent my eye exam report to their email. I got no reply. I had to call to ask them to check the email. This happened several times before they finally figured out there's some problems with their outgoing mailbox and almost all email they thought delivered was not actually sent out, after I insisted them to check. I wonder if they noticed that every single person who contacted them dropped out of the conversation. Maybe they just don't care. This is just their front desk. Lesson of life: If you find a facility that the front desk doesn't know what they're doing, there's a high chance the rest of them don't either. Pre-surgery check I made a regrettable decision to move on with them. There Are two reasons: 1. The newest laser device were only available in their clinic and some Asian countries. I shouldn't have been that pro-technology. 2. Like others said, there's no yelp review saying they got bad results. I trusted yelp, and that's why I felt obligated to tell my story (or I would never tell my saddest story, this may be the reason others didn't). Also, I even highly doubt the fact that the chance of the exam going wrong is low. I've seen some patients who did surgery the same day. I will address that later. As others mentioned the whole place is shabby, the pre-surgery check is the most dramatic part. If I have taken photos, my chance to win any lawsuit will be 100%. When they were trying to get my corneal topography (using the device with many circles and a lens at the center), guess what, THERE IS A BUG ON THE LENS. If I were to lie I would have chosen a lie that everyone is likely to believe. But this was something I don't even believe in my own eyes. How can they even tell precise corneal data with a bug blocking a large area of the lens? Funny part is that the bug is on the internal side of the lens, so it wouldn't go by a blowing or so, and may have stayed there for a while. I did what I could do. I interrupted the exam and pointed that out. The lady who performed the exam, was just extremely upset. She used a very impatient attitude, blaming that I made her "had to start over again". I stated that there's a bug, and she was just like don't give a xxxx and commanded me to sit back and don't be a nob this time. Please understand, being in a hospital-like environment full of unknown devices, you will be highly self-doubt and couldn't be certain about yourself being right or wrong. I also reported it to the optometrist there and he didn't express any opinion. The whole place was running like clockwork, one patient out another patient immediately in. They do at least 20 surgeries each day. I guess it's too costly to break the assembly line and really take care of anyone's concern. With no medical background, my first reaction was being convinced and chose to trust. The surgery I won't waste your time with tiny details, but the thing that made me most uncomfortable is while the doctor pretended to be warm and nice, he will be IMMEDIATELY impatient if you have more questions than he wanted to answer. I understand his time is precious, but with all I have experienced, I may have asked more questions than expected. All I got was 'shhhh'. That's the last conversation before the surgery. During the surgery, I don't know and won't comment how it really went. But after the surgery, the worst thing happened, everything was blurry. The doctor asked me to see the clock on the wall like others pointed out on yelp, but I couldn't read any number. The doctor was like "Well, it's still better than before right?". The thing is, I had high myopia that I couldn't even find my glasses on the table, so I didn't deny that it was better than before. The doctor was satisfied by my answer and went away. I was then taken to the optometrist. First, on the eye prescription machine, I guess the number read by the machine was bad, so he did multiple times, however, all results are same. I was then asked to read the letter on the screen. I couldn't even make it 20/30. All the optometrist did is putting eye drops in my eyes(I will explain their purpose later), and ask me to read harder. (continued in the image attached for full experience) read more

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Two years ago in August, I had my PRK laser done by Dr. David Lin. He used the new SmartSurfACE PRK machine, which was a completely touchless procedure - no scraping, no cuts, no incisions, no alcohol, on my eyes to do the surgery. The PRK procedure which lasted less than two minutes for both eyes was painless. However, the recovery from the surgery was tough because I had to be very careful not to rub my eyes and I had to put a lot of eyedrops into my eyes. For the first couple of days, I couldn't even get water into my eyes. Now, this is standard for all PRK surgery. As a result, I had to take two weeks off from work. Since it was PRK, it took me almost one year after the initial surgery to achieve stable 20/20 vision and I don't have astigmatism in my eyes anymore! I'm seeing 20/20 vision for both of my eyes right now and my vision is completely stable and sharp! Dr. David Lin is ranked #1 laser eye surgeon in the world and his clinic was super busy with patients, but he was profoundly down to earth, personable and friendly. His office staff, especially the receptionists were professional, efficient and polite. My only complaint was that their wrap around sunglasses that they provided me totally did not fit my large-sized head, and I had to use my own Solar Shield sunglasses after the surgery to protect my eyes. read more

I've had an incredible experience for my Laser Eye Surgery (PRK) here at the Pacific Laser Eye Centre. I can't thank the staff enough of how well they all took care of me from the pre-operation and to the post-operation. Had my bandage removal today and I can basically see 20/20 and I know it'll take some time before it stabilizes. Even if it's far from where I lived, my optometrist recommended me the best of the best. It's been a dream of mine to get these and I'm thankful that I was able to get it done at the Pacific Laser Eye Centre. They truly are the best of the best!! Dr. Lin and the whole staff (Jean, Winnie, Vin, Ricky, Joe, Renee and everyone else!) were so friendly and explained every step of the process. They are very thorough and did multiple eye tests to ensure they have the most accurate prescription all the way up to my surgery date. I love my checklists and organization, so this team was so organized on what prescription I needed to get and was very detailed. I really loved the checklist and the colour-coding for the schedule of which eye drops/prescription meds needed to be applied that day. They also gave me a heads up on when there may be some burning eye pain on day 3 to 5 so I was mentally prepared for that. It really was a great experience and so thankful I chose Pacific Laser Eye Centre. I haven't been able to see clearly for almost 24 years and I'm so thankful to the whole team that they were able to give me the gift of sight! I highly recommend Pacific Laser Eye Centre! From the organization for the whole process to the friendliness of the staff, you truly get the best of the best! They are all phenomenal! Thank you all! read more

After cataract surgery in both eyes I can see well once again. The Lasik correction is still working just fine. It is obvious my diminished sight for a few years was only due to the cataracts. I found on a Mayo Clinic webpage that not needing reading glasses can actually be one of the symptoms of "nuclear" cataracts. This surprised me, and talking with others I find this is a useful fact which is not common knowledge among middle-aged adults in my circles. If I had known this I might have pursued the cataract surgery a year earlier. Looking back, in regards to cataract surgery the sooner one can get it the better. Here is a quote from nvisionscenters dot com: Nuclear cataracts can occur in one or both eyes, and they often impact distance vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that they can even initially cause what's called "second sight," when close-up and reading vision actually improves for a time before it worsens again. read more

Before surgery, both my eyes were worse than -5 PLUS more than -2 astigmatism. I could hardly see anything honestly, maybe 20/200 or 20/400 vision in each eye. I did a ton of research and I know that although it's more hassle and expensive here, they have better laser and technology than other places. Anyways, went ahead with surgery (PRK), followed the eyedrop schedule very precisely post-surgery. Rested my eyes as much as possible, did everything I can to keep them well lubricated. It's been a little over 6 months and now I can easily see 20/15 in each eye when I had my 6 months follow up with my optometrist. Since I felt like I could do better. I did my own test at home and found that I can see all the letters at 20/13 in each eye with a tiny bit of struggle, not quite 20/10 (only got 3/8 letters correct). My vision since birth has never been better than 20/20. This is literally an upgrade! Supervision upgrade. I can see things my friends can't, feels pretty damn incredible. I do have very mild glare at night, but my optometrist said that's common for all laser corrections. It's so mild that it doesn't affect my driving or light sensitivity. Something I've gotten used to. Absolutely worth it as a trade-off for supervision! read more

Nov 2018 - PRK procedure completed with Dr. David Lin. Pushing 50, and a long-time wearer of contact lenses and eye glasses, decided to seriously investigate the PRK procedure - companies/Dr's in the Lower Mainland. Once I had completed all of my research and decided on Dr. Lin (and his Team) as my first choice, went on to meet and talk to my Optometrist and discovered that Dr. Lin would be her first choice as well if she needed the PRK procedure. Procedure went well - resulting in what I would consider perfect vision. Beyond the actual surgery, the big thing to keep in mind are the week or two following the procedure. I planned my vacation days around this procedure. Multiple /various drops must be taken on a strict schedule, along with protecting your eyes from sunlight /water. You will be given special protective glasses to wear following the procedure. I decided to stay close to home (short walks only) for the first week after surgery, and avoided water completely (ex. Face wash and showers). Also wore the protective glasses for 2 full weeks following the procedure just to be safe - including sleeping with them on at night so you do not bump or scratch your eye like someone I know did (another eye car centre and Dr.) and which resulted in a required follow up surgery and extra months to heal.....not good.... Thank you Dr. Lin and Team! Rob in Vancouver read more

I had PRK surgery with Dr Lin 4 months ago. I have been near sighted for as long as I can remember. Before surgery my left eye was -10.75 and my right was -7.75. I'm in my 50's so I had some dry eyes before surgery. At my 3 month check up with my optometrists my left eye was 20/25 and my right eye was 20/15. I'm very pleased with the results. I did have some dry eye issues in the beginning. But the eye drops help and I found the dry eyes not to difficult to manage. At the 4 month mark my eyes feel the same as they did pre op. I was fortunate and have not had any problems with light sensitivity. My day time vision is crisp and sharp. I did notice some halos around some lights at night. Mostly during the first and second month. Now it's more of a soft glow around bright lights and at certain distances at night. All and all I'm finding my night vision to be very good. It's hard to explain but the night sky looks brighter to me. I'm able to see more at night then I could before. read more

All the Laser Clinics would not grantee a good or even fair result due to my high level of myopia. Dr. Lin said he could do it and he did, I went from -14 and -11 to 20/20 vision in both eyes. Higher in cost but a very high level of service and quality. When it's your eyes don't make a decision based on price alone. read more

I had PRK surgery in March 2016 and now 3 months later I swim daily, hike every weekend, and just went camping without glasses (that was awesome!). I have been wearing glasses since I was 14 years old. I had really bad astigmatism. I tried soft contact toric lenses in my mid 20's, and I can only describe that as a struggle. I wore them occasionally, but they were not comfortable to wear while working at a computer, or for reading because my astigmatism was so bad. Also, they were expensive. My partner had PRK surgery last year, and witnessing the process and results he experienced is what motivated me to look into for myself. Smart pulse (co developed by Dr Lin) makes it possible for people like me with bad astigmatism to have such a fast recovery, and excellent results. Some facts about my experience: -The procedure took 40 seconds per eye, truly! -I saw Dr Lin's face clearly immediately, as well as the clock on the wall behind him. -Rest, Audio books, and drops for relief from any discomfort and boredom during the first 5 days. -I was able to try working after 1 week, although for me it was 2 weeks until I could work comfortably at a screen for a full day. -I now have 20/20 vision (without glasses or contacts!). read more

Hi I went in for a eye exam recently and I was sooooo shocked to see how out dated this place is. They have boxes and boxes stacked everywhere. The place seems lost in translation. It seriously needs an over haul! If this place is that out dated what makes me think I should get laser eye surgery with them, like really? My optometrist has better, move advanced equipment than they do and their office is beautiful, but unfortunately they do not do laser eye surgery. The staff at Pacific Laser was friendly but looked frumpy for working in a professional office. First impressions are huge, but this place was disappointing to say the least. Also, this place is not easy to get into... Good luck! Very dissatisfied! read more

I got my eyes lasered in the summer of 2006. Before, if I put my arm out straight, everything farther than my wrist was blurry. I don't remember what that calculated to... I seem to remember 4.5 and 4.75 as my contact lens strengths. Not sure. I chose this office and Dr. Simon P. Holland, because he was recommended by my regular optometrist. That's important, since my optometrist would be the one to do my post-operative checks, and I felt safer that they trusted each other. I had heard of cheaper laser clinics advertised on the radio (almost too casually, it seems), but price wasn't my main concern. Dr. Holland also has (or had at the time) a clinic closer to the VGHospital for people who have actual eye diseases, so I'm confident that he knows what he's doing. My pre-operation state was measured by my optometrist, Dr. Holland, and Dr. Holland's assistant at various times. That was to balance out any irregularites based on my tiredness or measuring error. That gave me more confidence. They told me that my cornea was too thin to perform LASIK, but that I was a good candidate for PRK. (LASIK is when the layer covering your cornea is peeled back, and the PRK is when the layer is burned off by a different laser. They both culminate in the main laser being applied to reshape your cornea. The flap is returned to its place afterwards for LASIK patients, but PRK patients get non-prescription contact lenses to act as a bandage until the layer grows back.) Six years later, my eyes are now great, usually. I notice astigmatism in my left eye when I am really tired, but it is good enough that I don't feel unsafe driving at night. I feel like I am more sensitive to brightness than before, which was mentioned in the information package. Part of it may be because my office now gets too much sun... This sensitivity saves my iPhone's battery, because I keep it at lower brightness :) Anyways, it was more than worth it. If you're budgeting for a laser operation, remember that you need to pay, not only to this clinic for your laser treatment, but to your optometrist for later checkups (something like 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year). My optometrist had a discounted package if I paid for them all at once. Someone in their 50's asked me about this clinic, and she went there for a consultation. They honestly told her that yes, they could operate for her "can't see far"-ness, but the cost probably wouldn't be worth it for her, because she may soon need glasses for "can't see near"-ness, which can't be fixed by this laser surgery. So if you've been debating, get it while you're young to get the most years out of your No Glasses phase. read more

I had PRK surgery last week. The process was pain free, so was the recovery. I had prepared myself for the worst and bought pain killers, as suggested by Dr.Lin, but ended up not using it. The actual PRK operation lasted less than 1 minute. The staff is very professional. The price is not bad. I would defiantly recommend this clinics. read more

I would highly recommend PLEC to any of my friends or family! I had Smartsurface PRK done here about 4 months ago - am all healed up and seeing 20/20! Do not miss contacts and glasses one bit. Things you should know: There will be several appointments required before and after the surgery. With PLEC but also once a month with an optometrist afterwards. I recommend Mount Pleasant Optometry but that's for another review! The surgery is quick and 100% painless - they will give you some anti-nausea meds and I found it helpful because you will taste the bitterness of the numbing eyedrops in the back of your throat a bit. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open for the whole procedure but it was easy because I couldn't feel a thing, so my eyes didn't feel like they were getting dry or needed to close. You stare at a small blinking light, it's like a little psychedelic light show! And then you're sent home with a prescription and lots of instructions. The few days after were tougher. It felt like there were grains of sand behind my eyelids and I wanted to rub them so badly (do not!). There is one day following the surgery where your vision will be completely blurry - be sure to increase the text size on your phone before this happens! Mine came 1-2 days earlier than expected because the cells were regenerating faster than normal. There is an extensive regimen of hygiene, eye protection, medication and drops that you have to stick to. It tapers off after the first few weeks but you will be using drops for like three months. And likely wearing sunglasses all the time. My life is changed and I feel the cost is really reasonable considering I got a few quotes to compare when living in the US. I would spend $3000 on vision care in the next 6 years, whereas my eyes now are good for 20+ years when I may need reading glasses. read more

Received PRK procedure from Dr. Lin in December 2013, with pre/post-op check-ups from Dr. Kim at Ironwood Optometry Clinic in Richmond. My initial impression at Pacific was a good one. I like the fact that they base their introduction on providing information, rather than what seemed like sales pitches at other clinics. It was especially impressive that Dr. Lin saw me in person that day to talk and ask me questions about my motivation for wanting the surgery, and any medical factors that could affect the outcome. An interesting bit for me was that he suggested that I could do fine with Lasik, despite the fact that I had requested the more expensive PRK method. During the process, Dr. Lin identified and provided me a resolution for a condition on my eyelids I'd lived with for over 30 years, despite having seen a number of optometrists and opthalmologists. The simple resolution, hot compresses, and fish oil supplements ("no specific brand, just pick something of good quality"). Now, a year and a half post op, and my vision is as good as I'd hoped for, but my health is better than I'd imagined. My only regret is that I hadn't done this earlier in life. read more

My review is only based on a consultation I had at this clinic. PLEC was strongly recommended to me by my optometrist. I was told to anticipate the consultation being 2 to 2.5 hours long, and blocked the necessary time from my day. 15 minutes into the consultation, I was told I was not "a good candidate for laser eye surgery" because I am farsighted. When I inquired the technician if my poor candidacy was just for PRK (a technique PLEC specializes in) or for other laser procedures as well. I would consider this a basic question for any experienced clinic. The answer I got was, "I don't know." The clinical staff weren't able to tell me specifically which procedures I wasn't a good candidate for, nor were they able to recommend procedures that I would be good for. I am moderately farsighted with astigmatism - tricky, but well within the correctable range of modern laser eye surgery. I didn't even get a recommendation to another clinic/surgeon who would be able to help me. I was straight up told, "We don't do far-sighted patients". Why couldn't this be screened earlier in the process? For example, when I first called to set up the appointment? A simple "are you farsighted?" would have save time and money for both myself and PLEC. I emailed my concerns to the clinic, but received no response. I got the feeling this place doesn't really care about helping prospective patients if they can't squeeze money out of them. If you're not an easy patient that they're not able to do PRK on, go somewhere else. I think they're probably very good at what they do, but they don't seem to have a very broad range of procedures which should be a red flag to anyone considering this place. Always get a second opinion somewhere else before deciding on your surgeon, because PRK may not be the best procedure for you. My consultation fell far short of my expectations for a clinic with a renowned reputation like PLEC. The one thing I was impressed by was the presentation of the clinic. It felt like a normal clinic, not a car dealership lot with shiny brochures and advertisements for financing. read more

I got SmartSurface PRK done in summer 2018 and literally wanted to wait a few years to write a review to see how my eyes healed and performed over time. After getting the procedure my eyes healed with minimal fuss. I actually went for an easy hike with my dad about 4 days after the procedure and had 20/20 vision by the time I left Vancouver and went back home. Since coming home I've had a handful of eye appointments -- every single optometrist I've seen has said my eyes are wonderfully done. I can still see quite perfectly with no complaints. I breezed through the healing process without any real pain. I want to give this place a shoutout: they were super kind and helpful, guided me through the process, gave great advice, and did a fantastic job on my eyes and made it super easy. Truly the best. read more

As laser eye surgery may seem expensive, it really pays for itself in the end. I had surgery here 3 years ago, and have had 20/20 vision ever since. All at the cost of what 3 pairs of glasses would have cost me. The staff here are extremely knowledgable, and helpful to any needs pre or post surgery. My husband will be getting this soon as he and our three kids have glasses. The local Opticians are a joke and are constantly looking for more money. Pacific Laser will help you even long after you've already paid. read more

I was most fortunate to have Dr. Lin perform PRK on both my eyes mid October of this year. There has been no pain whatsoever, not during the surgery or anytime after for that matter. Maybe a very slight itchiness in one of the eyes but it was fleeting. The surgery itself was quick and painless. It felt like a total of 10 min or less in the operating room and a lot of that time was spent calibrating the laser, since Dr. Lin wants to make sure everything is perfect before proceeding. All the staff that I have met are courteous, friendly and very professional which reflects Dr. Lin as well. My eyes are close to 20/25 after almost one month and am very happy about it as there is no need for reading glasses, my long distance vision is good, and my stigmatism is gone! There is still more improvement (healing) to be done over the next month or so, so hoping for 20/20. In addition I have to mention that one of my best friend's mother had surgery preformed from Dr. Lin in 1992. She is still happy about her results after all that time, and I believe her vision is better than 20/20 still to this day! Also my best friend's wife and my cousin had their procedures done by Dr. Lin and they are both happy about the results! If you are wondering about the price it might be a bit more than other clinics that like to advertise their special rates, but, seriously its your eyes, and the old adage of 'you get what you pay for' is totally applicable here. I have also heard that eye doctors themselves come to see Dr. Lin at PLEC to get their eyes done as well. That speaks a lot right there. Just wanted you to know the truth, thank you for taking the time to read this. read more

Had my surgery on Dec 13th with Dr. Holland and I could not be happier with my results so far. I wanted to wait a while before I wrote a review because after getting lasik eye surgery your eyes tend to adjust over the period of 1 year. I was referred to Pacific Laser Eye Centre by my manager and a friend who both had their eyes done here. I had been contemplating getting the surgery for a few years now (my eye doctor told me 3 years ago that my eyes were stable enough to do it but I was too scared and my work/school schedule weren't flexible enough). So the timing was finally right and I called in to book a consultation (They are free). Their process is run like clock work. When I came in for the consult they line you up with others there for a consult as well and take each person one by one to go through the preliminary tests to see if you're even a candidate for the surgery. I don't know how they do it but they are so meticulously organized that they are able to coordinate like 7/8 different patients to go in and out of rooms with two different technicians in the time span of one hour and then they seat everyone in a room for the orientation where they deliver general information and details about the two kinds of surgery. I was told by Dr. Holland that I was a good candidate for the PRK (This is the one where they don't actually slice the cornea instead they just laser directly onto it). He gave me a rough quote based on my prescription but then they send you to your regular optometrist for a detailed pre-op exam. I felt so comfortable and confident after the consultation that I booked my appointment on the spot haha (it's like I magically grew a pair) When I came in for the surgery, the staff was so patient and again SO well organized I can't even guess how many patients they see in a day because the place is run like CLOCKWORK. They gave me some pre-op pills (i think ibuprofen and some anti anxiety) and then they got me ready. The surgery itself was over so quickly and I didn't feel a thing. In the operating room the staff were quiet and diligent and Dr. Holland constantly checked to make sure I was comfortable and he talked me through the whole thing so at every moment I knew what they were doing and what was going to happen next. I went back the next morning for the follow up and my eyes were healing normally. It's been about 6 months now and I am SO happy and SO relieved that I did the surgery at Pacific laser. I talked to my manager and some other friends about it and I heard that other places don't provide you with the same post-op drops. My optometrist told me that the reason why Pacific Laser gives so many drops is because they take a more proactive approach to the pressure buildup in your eyes in contrast to other places that say they will just monitor the eyes and intervene when something goes wrong. I've had about 4 post-op follow ups with my optometrist now and my eyes are adjusting well. I have 20/10 vision right now (this is normal because they do over correct in case of regression) and I'm sure at the one year mark my eyes will be even more perfect! I am so happy I chose to come here, yes they can be considered pricey but honestly when it comes to your eyes can you really afford to look for a discount? lol I would totally recommend Dr. Holland to anyone who is thinking of doing the corrective eye surgery (Even my family doctor knows who he is because he does corneal surgeries at the hospital and he also teaches I believe at UBC) He is so kind and so professional!! read more

The best in the city. Don't bother going anywhere else.

I had Lasik in Los Angeles and my left eye decided to be stubborn and I ended up with an "island" that the laser here couldn't fix. So, I went to Pacific Laser Eye Centre and Dr. Lin and his exceptionally professional staff, immediately identified the problem and fixed it. For laser eye surgery, this place is probably the best in the world (seriously). Dr. Lin is world renown for his skill. If you are thinking about laser eye surgery, definitely give them a call. read more

So disappointed with my experience here given their high ratings and success They had me watch a 90's old school video describing procedure options rather than having a real technician talk me through. They charge based on prescription which is ridiculous cause its the same procedure and machine regardless, they don't care to follow up with you..they want you to pay out of pocket to see your own optometrist, they seem to be bias towards prk. I met the surgeon for 2 minutes at the end. He was a nice guy but barely told me anything..just that i should do prk. prk is for people with thin or soft corneas...mine has above average thickness and i also work and do school. prk takes a long time to heal and provide proper vision.up to 6 months. I wanted lasik, which I'm an ideal candidate for and this guy insisted prk. I felt like i was looked at as cash flow. i went to london eye centre and LOVED them...go to them! they do intralase, have all inclusive fees including post follow ups with their specialists and same cost for all prescriptions. They have 2 technician specialists that will describe every detail to you. they were great. read more

I am almost done my eye drops so I felt it was ok to write a review. I had PRK from Dr. Holland on Aug 14 and it was WAY less dramatic and scary than I expected. I was in total bitch panic before the procedure and now I feel silly for being so scared. The consultation takes time but it isn't super salesy which was great. They test your eyes repeatedly so they get the correct prescription. I had to go to my own optometrist for the pre and post op which adds cost to the overall procedure. Dr. Holland had a great bedside manner and I really appreciated his warmth while I was terrified. The surgery itself was like 5 seconds per eye and didn't hurt. When I got home my eyes were a bit sore but I just took a T3 and they were fine. My eyes watered the rest of the day but didn't hurt. The next morning I had a follow up to make sure my eyes were ok and they were right on time and I was out in about 20 min. My eyes have progressed exactly as they told me they would so I'm happy about that. It was terrifying on days when my eyesight got worse but that was expected. Highly recommend Dr Holland and the crew at Pacific Laser, I can't say enough nice things about them. read more

Drs. Lin and Holland are excellent Cornea Specialist Ophthalmologists. Recognized among North American ophthalmologists as the best for treating Keratoconus with Crosslinking and PRK. Excellent consult for patients with post laser eye surgery ectasia. I flew my daughter from Southern California for treatment of her newly diagnosed Keratoconus with Dr. Lin after review of Ophthalmology Literature and conversation with University Ophthalmology Research Coordinators across the US. Excellent results continue six moths post procedure. See the PLEC, Vancouver website for current inflormation. read more

Life changing eye care experience for our son who was diagnosed with advanced keratoconus (degenerative eye disease)! We called Dr. Lin at Pacific Laser Eye Center for a second opinion after the first Doctor we saw tried to scare us into INTACS. Dr. Lin was professional, competent, caring doctor with great knowledge about keratoconus. He was very honest and straight forward about what our son could expect. He performed cross linking (CXL) and PRK procedures with excellent results. Our son just had a 3mos follow up with our regular eye doctor who commented Dr. Lin did a really good job. Our son's vision keeps improving with each week visit but most importantly it seems that the keratoconus progression has stopped. Best decision ever made. If you are looking for CXL + PRK for treatment of keratoconus or just regular laser correction, this is definitely the doctor to use. read more

I am now 3 months post-Eye Surgery and couldn't be happier with the result! I just had my 3 month eye check-up and I'm seeing better than 20/20 in both eyes. It's quite hard to believe actually. When I was considering Eye Surgery, I did my best to do my due diligence and visited several different eye laser surgeries. Dr Lin was firmly my number one choice once I had met with him and heard about the process. I was initially very resistant to having PRK due to the recovery time and having read some horror stories online about month long recovery times and tons of pain, but the Pacific Laser process is unique and they assured me there would be little to no pain and the recovery time would be about a week. It was also hard to believe that the other laser clinics couldn't even tell me who my surgeon would be on the day, and I found that disconcerting. Here is my story bottled down: * My eyes were -5 and -3.75 pre surgery * The PRK Surgery was quick and painless. It was VERY weird indeed but very well done. * Immediately after the surgery I was completely exhausted from the experience and just wanted to sleep * My eyes were extremely light sensitive the day after the surgery to the point that I literally couldn't open them. This was only a problem on the way to my follow up appointment the next day and was fine once I was sitting in a dark room again * I don't remember being in any pain following surgery. I took ibuprofen and Tylenol only, following the post-op guidelines, but there was no significant pain at all.... I kept waiting for it to happen and it never did. * I noticed starbursts around lights the day or so following surgery which was scary for me but they dissipated fairly quickly * The information sheet they give you says that day 5 is the worst, but I found day 3 to be the worst as far as my vision went, but I could still see text messages VERY close up * My eyes felt heavy and very tired, for the first few days after surgery, TV was out of the question for me as I got too tired too quickly, audiobooks are your friend! * I was back to work one week after surgery and had no problems sitting in front of the computer all day FAQs: * I have noticed halos around lights at night. These have improved dramatically over the last 3 months. Now they are barely noticeable. * My eyes are still quite dry. I use artificial tears regularly and the lacri-lube at night. I have woken up in the middle of the night with very sore dry eyes, but this is easily alleviated with some drops. * The dryness is a little bit worse than before surgery, but my eyes are still healing from a massive trauma so it is understandable *On my 1 month check up after surgery, one of my eyes had some minor astigmatism and I wasn't seeing 20/20 yet. It was a bit worrying! But be patient, my vision has improved each and every day so far which is amazing. * My optician is incredibly pleased with my progress and VERY happy I went to Dr Lin as Pacific Laser Eye Surgery is world renowned in their field. * All in all I could not be happier with the results and my choice to go to Pacific Laser! read more

I`m extremely happy with my results and would recommend Dr. Lin to anyone considering surgery. My nearsighted eyes before surgery were -7.75 and -7.50 respectively and after surgery was 20/20 and 20/15. Perfect vision in one eye and better than perfect in the other. My surgery used PRK and was done by DR. Lin on Nov. 22, 2015. read more

I've heard lots of people say Pacific Laser eye is the best but my experience with them was not favorable. When you first get there they let you watch a 15min presentation about the details and risks of the procedure and then a whole bunch of testimonial interviews. After you are asked to go into another room where your eyes are tested to see if you are a good candidate. The testing was done by this guy who was probably around 20 yrs old. All he did was map my eye and some other test where a bright light goes in your eye. Afterwards another guy takes you to the room where your prescription is tested . All the tests were really quick and I was a little concerned they didn't prescreen me enough. I thought they would at least dilate my eyes to check my eye more thoroughly but even this was not done. The one good thing is that I met with the actual surgery doctor, Dr. Lim. He seemed impatient when I asked him questions and was ready to leave the room before I even finished with my concerns. He ended up recommending PRK because my prescription was high but said Lasik would be okay too. The last thing i did was speak to a lady who explained the cost to me. I ended up leaving not feeling very confident with the business and decided to go to coal harbor eye centre instead. I ended up going with Coal Harbor Eye Centre, please see my review there! PS. My prescription is -6.75, -8, the cost at Pacific Laser was $1950 per eye with no post follow up consultations. Seems like they laser you and don't give a crap after. You have to follow up with your own optometrist and pay out of your own pocket. Maybe this is why all optometrists recommend them, it's money in their pocket as well. read more

I was referred to Dr. Lin for lasik in 2000 when I was 39 yrs old. I was very near-sighted my whole life, 20/800, with very thick glasses and mostly wearing contacts (first hard lenses, later soft). For at least ten years following this amazing (and easy) surgery, I enjoyed 20/20 vision. A miracle for the price and a decision I have never regretted. Now in 2013 (almost 52 yrs old) I have lost enough of my distance vision in past two years that I again need corrective lenses. Going back to glasses has not been fun, so I consulted Dr. Lin for an "enhancement". These are much more affordable than the first surgery ($600 per eye; I just paid over $600 for a pair of eyeglasses!) but requires your corneal thickness be sufficient. I had hoped for lasik again in both eyes, but Dr. Lin is recommending PRK for my enhancement instead. Further, although I hoped for this PRK distance correction in both eyes, Dr. Lin has suggested correcting one eye only for distance, leaving my other eye as it is, with best sight for close up, reading etc. due to my age. I trust the man, my PRK is scheduled, and I will take his advice on only doing one eye although I want both done. I currently don't suffer from far-sightedness (I can see up close well), but when they correct my distance vision these days, they must then also correct for up-close. So rather than bifocal glasses or bifocal contact lenses, PRK on one eye may indeed be the best bet. I will post again after my 'enhancement' surgery and recovery. read more

This place is touted as the best in the business, even across Canada. They do get a lot of business. I had PRK with Dr. Holland and it went very well. It's not cheap, but I think it's worth it when dealing with something like this. You can tell that they have a lot of patients, because they have a kind of mechanized or industrial way of working people through the necessary steps. It wasn't overly negative, but it might be helpful to be prepared for the vague feeling of being moved along the assembly line. Nonetheless, everyone was helpful and the procedure and check-ups went well. read more

Dr. Lin did my PRK surgery in July 2014. The results are fantastic! He is a very nice person and I felt confident every step of the way. Would not go anywhere else. He is worth the slightly higher cost! read more

Dr Lin and his team did a amazing job. So impressed with the rate of recovery, today marks the 5th day since my surgery and i already have 20/30 vision and able to drive. I didn't feel any pain throughout the week or the actual procedure itself... Was expecting the worst! A few of my friends, well 3 to be exact also got the prk done but from london eye centre, and they are all shocked with the fact that i recovered so quick, one of them said they had blurry vision for 6 months, the other 2 said about 2 months and said they had really dry eyes and didn't really do much for a week or two after the surgery whereas i was watching tv, on my computer like nothing even happened. Pacific laser eye centre did charge more than others, BUT it was my eyes and i didn't mind paying a bit more for absolute excellence, and i don't have 6 months to recover. This is my first review ever for anything, and i normally don't care enough to write one but i felt like i had to write one so others who like me are busy and need a quick recovery have some insight. Hope the best for everyone looking to get laser eye surgery and a BIG BIG THANK YOU to Pacific Laser Eye Centre. T.R read more

I have Recurring Keratoconus. I have had 4 cornea transplants since 1972. I am eternally grateful to Dr Holland who, over the last 24 years, has performed numerous surgeries to improve my eyesight. But as a consequence of the surgeries, my corneas are scarred. My sight has been blurry with glasses. My activities have been limited by eye strain and headaches. I haven't seen the stars for decades. The moon looks like 5 slinky toys. After my latest cornea transplant, Dr Holland said he could help me and told me about the new excimer laser technology at Pacific Laser Eye Centre. Dr Holland performed the surgery 3 weeks ago in June, 2018. He used the TOPO-guided PRK (smart surface) on my Right eye (which has had three cornea transplants). I refused sedation before surgery because I wanted to be fully there. It was interesting and very short ( a few seconds). Nothing hurt. Even in the days following surgery, the most I needed was an extra strength Tylenol for a pressure headache because I watched too much TV. A week after the surgery, I could see 20/40 with my R eye. In the waiting room at PLC, I was amazed at how beautiful and vivid the colors were in the clothes people were wearing! That evening, I was excited to see the variety and depth of colors of green in the forest, the brilliant colors of flowers, and the texture of fabrics in my living room. I marveled at the thousands of little squares in our screen door. Getting eyesight back is awesome. I can't remember ever seeing this well. Dr Holland ordered a cell count of my L cornea which was transplanted in 1972. I tried not to be hopeful because the cornea is so old. I just got a phone call from PLC and it's a go! I'll have the surgery on my L cornea ASAP. I don't have the words to express my gratitude for Dr Holland and the Pacific Laser Eye Centre. I've got my life back and it's only going to get better. read more

I have had vision problems for as long as I can remember and have seen countless eye doctors over the years. 17 years ago I was referred to Dr. Simon Holland for a corneal transplant on my left eye. My right eye was not bad enough to need a transplant or good enough to have laser surgery. At my annual check ups , Dr Holland would keep me up to date on the latest technologies and inform me if they would be able to fix my right eye. In July 2015 we met and he said that there was finally the technology available to help my vision. I went for a pre test at Pacific Laser Eye Centre and decided to go ahead with it after the consultation. I had PRK surgery on my left eye and PRK Cross Link on my right eye on a Friday morning . They both went very smoothly. Dr Holland was very calming and talked to me through the whole procedure to reassure me that it was going great. He even went the extra mile and called me at 9:30 that night to see how I was doing. My eyes healed quickly and I have had 20/20 vision ever since. Over the years, I have seen other Doctors and they all tell me how lucky I was to be referred to Dr. Holland so many years ago. He is very well respected in his field and I would recommend him to anyone. read more