My wife had lasik surgery and she was impressed by the amount of professionalism shown by the nurses and Doctor Porter The office is spotless and pleasant atmosphere prevails starting with the ladies at the front desk. Dr.Porter is very methodical in his work and thorough in his examination read more

I had been thinking of LASIK for years but only recently decided to follow through. I had searched the local Raleigh area and found Porter Ophthalmology had the best and highest reviews. The lower star ratings I read seemed to be related to insurance related issues so I ruled those out. I initially tried to make an appointment online but never heard anything so I called a few days later. The receptionist was friendly and immediately sent me forms via email to complete prior to my consultation. My wife and I went to the consultation and met Dr Porter and his wonderful staff. After completing all the required tests and asking Dr Porter more questions than I probably should...we scheduled the pre-op appointment and my surgery. The pre-op lasted about 2 hours, which included dilation of my eyes. I drove home afterwards with little issue. Surgery day (yesterday). We showed up just prior to my 0910 appointment and we were sent to a small room just outside the inpatient surgery room (or whatever you want to call it). Friendly staff came in and spoke with us and put some numbing drops in my eyes. Shortly thereafter I was in the room and having the surgery. I will note now that I am 54 and wore progressive lenses so we went with monovision for my surgery. Meaning that my left eye is for reading and my right (dominant) eye is for distance. Seems weird, right? After the surgery, which lasted less than 10 minutes, we received some final instructions and we were on our way home. My vision was cloudy but I could make out pretty much everything. I rested for a few hours in a mostly dark room, putting drops in every hour as directed. After 4-5 hours the cloudiness was almost gone and I could see TV and read fairly well. My eyes were slightly itchy but the eye drops seemed to alleviate the issue. Later on in the evening my left eye began to ache slightly so I took Motrin and went to sleep. Woke up today and vision was even better than the day before. We went to my 0900 appointment and again met with Dr Porter. After a series of checks he stated my eyes were between 20/25 and 20/20, which I haven't had in about 11 years. I was worried about the blended vision but my brain is quickly adapting. Dr Porter said that my vision will continue to improve over the next 4-6 weeks. My only regret is that I waited so long to have this surgery. read more

The lowdown: Ok, I want to start off by disclosing that I work here so I already was well aware of the top notch work done by Dr. Porter and the excellent customer service that is provided by the staff. Experiencing it for myself just verified what I already knew to be true from our patients! LASIK is life changing! The strangest part about this surgery is you will be glasses/contact lens free during the day, but need to wear glasses at night for the first week! For those that don't know, there is more than one type of refractive surgery and when you come into the office the team will run various tests which will help you and Dr. Porter determine which type is best for you. I have not been able to see clearly since 2nd grade, immediately after surgery , although it appeared foggy/Smokey, I could tell that once that went away I would be able to see clearly! It is 3 months later and sometimes I still reach for my glasses in the morning when I wake up! read more

Just got LASIK done this past week. Overall a great experience. Dr Porter was kind and thorough and talked me through the entire surgery. The nurses and other in office staff were professional and also answered all of my questions. Recommending to all of my friends. The teddy bear to hold onto during surgery was also a great idea as it helped soothe me when I was a little scared. read more

Decided to go to Porter Ophthalmology because they offer PRK, LASIK, and SMILE (few places offer SMILE in the area). Initial consultation was a couple weeks before surgery. They take a look at my eyes and determined that LASIK would give me the best possibility for success. For me I personally decided to schedule my appointments right there on the spot; expect to put a deposit down to hold your spot. A couple weeks later I had my preop and the day after that I had my surgery. The surgery may be a little scary but Dr. Porter was a very calming presence and was very patient with my concerns. After the surgery took place I could see without glasses and vision was blurry but that is normal. A couple hours later and I had no discomfort and I could see without significant clouding! As I write this it is the day after surgery and I am very satisfied. Currently I am seeing around 20-15 with some haloing and some trouble focusing my eyes (both normal) but I am excited to see how my vision improves over these next couple of weeks. Results may vary but my results and experience are absolutely better than what I expected! read more

Went to this place and they said I wasn't eligible for LASIK due to a thin cornea and instead had to pay $10,000+ for a contact implant (EVO). I was a bit frustrated about that but decided to do it since i'm sick of glasses and contacts. The lady I spoke with who went over the procedure claimed they had appts coming soon and would contact me. Never received any contact. I called back months later to check in. The lady informed me that they basically lied and there had been no appointments, but she would email me - presumably to stay in contact since they can't seem to call to give me any information as they claimed. Surprise surprise I never received an email, so that's another lie. I'm questioning if my cornea's are even too thin. It's been a few months and still no contact, so needless to say this awful costumer service has me looking at different options. Most of my reviews are on Google (including this one), but I figured this would be a good time to start using yelp too. read more

In hindsight, the operation (LASIK) was far less intense vs what the legalese would imply. The 20 min operation was in reality only a matter of 20 ish seconds per eye on two machines. The apparatus that holds your eye lids open wasn't as uncomfortable as I imagined. The suction/cutting was barely a discomfort. The healing afterwards was quite fast. My eyes burned/were scratchy a lot for 5-6 hrs after, but I just sat in a chair with my eyes closed. Though they were dry for several days after, it was very manageable with the eye drops. My vision improved very rapidly (minutes after the op) and I could read long distance again coming from a -4.00 in both eyes. It was fantastic. Everyone involved was very thoughtful and happy to explain everything in detail. I highly recommend this practice and I highly recommend this operation based on the impact it's had in my life so far. After ~ 20 yrs of wearing corrective lenses. You don't think glasses/contacts are much of a hassle until you no longer have to wear them. It's very freeing. read more

I went in to determine if I am a good candidate for LASIK. They put me through about 5 machines to test my eyes and determined I have thin corneas. Despite that, they said I was still a good candidate for LASIK and I was able to schedule the surgery in under a month. The cost was high ($4k) compared to other places but I really liked Dr. Porter and I really liked knowing that he'd be the one performing the procedure and they were very open to communication about any questions or concerns I had. LASIK institute and LASIK plus are cheaper but my understanding is that you have little to no relationship with the person performing the procedure and that made me nervous. Overall the surgery went well and I'm free of any sort of corrective lens only 1 day after surgery! read more

My experience here has been amazing. I was extremely anxious about having LASIK. Everything was made simple by their scheduling process and knowledgeable staff. Comfortable office, great people! Will recommend to anyone! read more

I recently had PRK procedure completed with Dr. Porter. I attended my first consult in January 2021. That initial consult was very impersonal but all of my questions were answered and Dr. Porter came very highly recommended. So, I scheduled my procedure for two months out (I wanted to use up all the contacts I had already paid for before getting the procedure). I didn't qualify for LASIK as my corneas were too thin and shaped irregularly. I was a little disappointed that the healing time would be prolonged, but was told the outcome would be the same. I showed up for my Pre-op the day before my procedure. This visit seemed a bit more personalized. All of my lingering questions were answered. All of my prescriptions were called into the pharmacy and ready for pickup almost immediately after leaving the office. The next Morning , I went into the office for my procedure. I am an anxious person naturally, so you better believe I was clenching every muscle walking into the office. The Valium helped tremendously, but as the doc pointed out, I still clenched during the procedure (can you blame me? I only have one pair of eyes!!). Anyway, the procedure was 5 minutes per eye, if even. I felt absolutely nothing but some cold in my eyes when the doctor flushed them out. Dr. Porter explained each step as he went through the procedure and did his best to keep me calm. The procedure itself was a piece of cake! The follow up appointment was just as smooth. I am now 3 days out from the procedure. I have experienced NO pain at all during the healing process. Definitely some watery eyes. The worst day I was not able to open my eyes because my lids felt heavy and the frequent watering. That lasted only one day. Today, I'm able to see with some blurriness, which is normal. I still have a way to go until full recovery, but so far, I am very pleased with how everything played out!! I will update this review as I move along in the healing process. read more

I had limited experience with this doctor. His diagnosis several years ago was diabetic retinopathy, borderline eye pressure which could lead to glaucoma, and significant infiltration of blood vessels. But things didn't seem to be adding up. Lowry recommended a lens replacement (even though I couldn't tell I had any cataracts) and was very non-committal about a prognosis for improved vision, or how long the replacements would last. After a couple of visits with him it became obvious that he did not like to give up information easily and he could not or would not discuss recent advances in treatments, so I dumped him. My current eye doctor is an experienced MD in a leading practice that also participates in research. The exam was thorough. He found no signs of retinopathy, higher pressure, or abnormal blood vessel growth. He was willing to discuss the pros and cons of various treatments, and recommended against the lens replacement procedure suggested by Lowry several years ago. That's why I'm writing this today. Whoever you go to, if it involves cutting into something as important as your eye, get a second opinion. read more

I had my prk and everything went smoothly. Dr Porter explained every step during the surgery and my 24 hour follow up also went well. Staff were kind and very mindful with keeping everything clean especially during the pandemic. Dr. Porter was also available on call the weekend after I had my surgery. Felt very lucky to have been referred here. Prior to committing getting my prk with Dr Porter, I did my homework and and researched him and his patients' experiences. If you're curious about any eye surgeries, Watch his YouTube videos! read more

if there was an option to give a minus, I would give this hack minus 5 stars! This man should not even be allowed to speak to a possible patient without a lawyer present. He told me he would not do lasik on me with "a 10 foot pole", B/c i had a possible confition called caritacomas (a thinning of the pupil). which was total bs. He is absoulotely horrible and his practice is not even up to standards with technology. read more

There are no words to describe how wonderful my experience with Dr. Porter has been. He was very reassuring and professional while explaining the procedure & discussing options. There was no pain and the results were beyond my expectations. The staff is wonderful, I admit I may have been a problem patient trying to schedule my appointments, they were so patient! I wish I hadn't waited so long to experience the gift of excellent eyesight for the first time in decades! Five stars for Dr Porter and his staff!! read more

In my occupation as a pilot, eyesight is critical to my continued employment. So deciding to have LASIK performed was a decision I certainly did not take lightly. I had initially gone to DR Porter (after being referred by extremely pleased patients) to simply update my prescription, but after years of flying with glasses I decided to inquire as to my candidacy for LASIK. DR Porter performed an assessment, answered every one of my questions beyond my satisfaction, and was incredibly informative. His professionalism and obvious knowledge made it an easy choice to schedule the procedure with him and his stellar staff. The procedure itself went even better than I had expected. The staff was well organized, seemingly experienced (based on the efficient organization and seamless flow to the operation), and focused. Understanding the fact that all patients will require different amounts of time to complete the procedure, I can report that mine lasted no more than 20 minutes. Throughout it all, DR Porter explained what he was doing (although he gave me the option to NOT hear any narrative) and was encouraging. DR Porter is an exceptional physician. Beyond his medical expertise, he is friendly and engaging. So impressed was I that I suggested that my wife have LASIK as well with DR Porter, which she did and is also very pleased. I can recommend him categorically and enthusiastically. read more

I came her for a chalazion on my eyelid that had gotten really painful and swollen. I was able to get an appointment the same day and everything went really well. I was seen on time, all of my questions were answered and was sent home with a prescription and samples to help my problem. I came to this office because of great reviews on other sites so I was very surprised to see the negative reviews here. I would definitely recommend Lowry Porter to anyone looking for an ophthalmologist in the area! read more

His bedside manner is one of apathy. I think part of the problem is that he can't hear well, and the other part is that he wants to move on to the next patient, because he will interrupt you rudely if you go off track in the least bit. He is always trying to push reading lenses on me. When I had LASIK by him in 2004, he said it would put me in reading glasses. But I had just started taking the supplement lutein, and here it is 2012 and I am still not in reading glasses. But my distance vision was not completely stable, so I needed glasses for distance again 8 years after my LASIK. But just enough correction to read signs driving, so nothing like the complete blindness I had before, so the surgery was still worth it. But again he tried to tell me I needed these glasses to be bifocals, even though I assured him I could read tiny fonts at 8 inches from my face. He said it didn't matter, that this distance vision correction would ruin my close-up focus. Well, I got single-focus lenses anyway because that was my budget. Plus I didn't want to learn to cope with bifocals at my new job. Seems easier to just take my glasses off - DUH! Turns out he was wrong anyway. I can still see tiny, tiny fonts with these glasses no problem. Obviously he was just trying to make money. TAKE YOUR LUTEIN 20 or 40 mg starting in your early 40s, as soon as your vision focus starts to slow down,, and you too can cheat the ophthalmologist out of money. read more

After going to another ophthalmology center and getting a diagnosis on my eyes. It was determined that I had cataracts in both eyes, my left being the worst. Like looking through wax paper. I did not feel comfortable with the staff at this previous place. It was a late appointment and they seemed to rush and hurry me through, just did not get the warm fussies. After everything was completed no one sat down and explained anything, just that I needed Toric lens. When I went to pay for the pre-op I find out it the cost was twice what the Doctor said it would be. I did not know there were other options. This is a very important decision I have to make about one of my main senses and that is of sight. Trust has lot to do with this decision. When I made a second opinion appointment with Lowry Porter Ophthalmology, I was greeted by a professional, organized and friendly staff. I went through the diagnostic procedures in a relaxed, and friendly way. When I met Dr. Porter he confirmed that I had cataracts in both eyes with the left being the worst. From this first meeting I really felt comfortable and trusting of Dr. Porter. After going over the options with Dr. Porter, he had one of his staff come in and help me with the pricing. This was a really refreshing experience. I have since had cataract removal surgery and astigmatism fixed and had multifocal lens put in. I could not be happier!! The procedure went off with out a hitch. Dr. Porters office calls me the day before follow ups. Everything is going very well. I Very highly recommend Dr. Porter and his staff at Lowry Porter Ophthalmology. Great Job read more