I had LASIK done on both of my eyes in 2019, Dr. Lim and Dr. Tran were both fantastic to work with. My eyes are still doing great. The pre and post operative care they recommended made it a really pain free and easy process. Working with the office for scheduling was very easy. 10/10 would recommend read more

I am one-year post operation for LASIK and I have been thrilled at the results. I am overdue for a review here, as I had the best experience possible. I am so glad I chose Cal. Dr Tran was wonderful from consultation to final post-op appointment. She was incredibly thorough and caring, and was there on the day of my surgery to stand next to me in the machine. The day of, my surgeon was incredible. He had great bedside manner, was very relaxed and friendly, and put me at ease immediately. I loved that he was playing music on the surgery room speakers. A year later, my eyes are perfect - no dry eyes, no issues. I am so grateful to the team for giving me vision! read more

It has been 5 years since my initial procedure! Things are still going strong. Father Time has decided that I do need glasses for computer screens. I apparently have a +0.75 and +0.50 prescription now, but this is normal, since other parts of my body are also starting to slightly go downhill too (my hands get colder a little faster, my mile time is getting slower, and my lifting numbers are little by little going down). But for anything unrelated to computer screens, I can still see perfectly fine. Sometimes I wear my glasses just for fun or when I want to look more well-mannered. I come back to this page sometimes because I'm still so thankful for the life-changing procedure. I'm so thankful for the process the team had me go through pre-op and post-op, and so thankful for how much of life I've been able to experience without glasses/contacts. Also, it's always funny to read comical reviews by people who either 1) get mad that Berkeley refused to operate on them because they aren't good candidates for the procedure(s), or 2) have eyesight within the tolerances of LASIK results and are still mad. When you go into their profiles, you just see a ton of negative reviews everywhere. Just sad man. read more

Dr. Tran and her staff are so wonderful! The consultation for LASIK was very thorough and thoughtful and felt comfortable with Dr. Tran's recommendations. She is very honest and only has the best interest for the patient in mind for the best outcome. I can't speak highly enough about the care during each step of the process including during the procedure with the ophthalmologist. Highly recommend for great care! read more

Just had lasik there 3 month ago. Dr Tran and all the staff there are really nice and professional! Amazing experience overall! :)) Loving my new sight! read more

I had a refractive surgery consultation with Dr. Tran. It was a very positive experience. She was both friendly and professional. She carefully explained how improving my near distance vision with LASIK surgery would negatively impact my long distance vision and used a machine to demonstrate what that would be like. During her evaluation she noticed that cataracts were slowly developing. Taking everything into consideration, she left the choice to me but advised me to hold off for now and consider lens replacement surgery in 4-5 years as (a) it will be safer in old age (less risk of retina detachment) and (b) likely be a non-elective procedure by then, e.g. covered by insurance. Commentary: Aside from the high degree of competence you will find at a university, I think that it is really important to remove the profit incentive from these sorts of evaluations. You are also more likely to have your vision assessed holistically, not just with an aim to sell you on a specific procedure; to that point, when I got evaluated at the Oakland Vision Center, they said nothing about cataracts - they weren't interested in my overall vision health, they were just interested in selling me overpriced glasses. read more

I have been a patient at the UC Berkeley Eye Center for 4 years and recently underwent PRK refractive surgery. The quality of care during my time as an annual exam patient gave me the confidence to seek PRK surgery here compared to other surgery centers. Dr. Tran gave me all the information I needed and answered all of my follow-up care questions thoroughly. The healing process was easy and pain-free for me because of the care and guidance from refractive surgery team. The office is responsive and timely with communication about all the appointments pre- and post-op. read more

I got LASIK a month ago in April 2024 and had such a positive experience that I've already recommended the UCB Refractive Surgery Center to a number of friends and family. The entire process (scheduling, initial consultation, pre/post-op exam, the actual procedure) was incredibly easy and streamlined. What stood out the most to me was the level of care and attention to detail that I experienced from the doctors here; Dr. Tran, Dr. Sorenson, and Dr. Kamo very thoroughly explained everything that was going on and had very calm demeanors which made me feel relaxed and at ease with the procedure. My regular optometrist (who has handled my 1-week and 1-month post-op exams) remarked at what an excellent job Dr. Sorenson did with the surgery because the inflammation was so minimal/the healing has been very speedy. I'm thrilled with the experience I had at the UCB Refractive Surgery Center as well as with the results (I was seeing 20/20 vision by the morning after my procedure!). read more

TL;DR: if you are a woman of childbearing age, please don't get LASIK if you are planning to get pregnant within 2 years. If you have any complications with life events, they are not flexible with their policies (but expect you to be flexible with theirs) and have so many communication failures. It was September 2020, and I was committed to getting LASIK ASAP, because my husband and I were planning to get pregnant soon (this becomes important later), and I didn't want to be blind without contacts or glasses while taking care of a baby. I told my optometrist AND the doctor at the pre-op appointments about this. My LASIK surgery was originally scheduled for Thurs 11/12/2020 (they only do surgeries on Thursdays so they have Friday available for checkup). Two days prior to my initial surgery date, I got a call saying they needed to postpone the surgery due to supply chain issues (apparently they didn't have enough gas to operate the lasers). That was extremely frustrating for multiple reasons: (1) Both my husband and I already took PTO from work for Thurs & Fri. (2) I had to reschedule all of the follow-up appointments and take even more time off of work. (3) I was concerned with the possibility of the procedure potentially being postponed again, because I had a LOT in my 2020 FSA that at the time wouldn't roll over to 2021. (4) To prepare for LASIK, you can't wear contacts or wear eye makeup for two weeks beforehand. You also need to take fish oil supplements. I despise glasses and usually wear makeup, so doing this for another month was frustrating. (5) I had already paid a deposit/pre-care fee to the referring optometrist, and it was pretty substantial. (6) The pandemic at this point had been happening for more than half a year. Could they really not have prepared for this issue or informed me of potential delays/issues earlier than merely two days prior to surgery? I bit the bullet and scheduled for 12/17/2020 and had the operation. While I appreciated my much improved vision, my right eye had a persistent haze and was blurry. Doctors said that the haze would dissipate, which it eventually did, nearly two months later. By then, I was pregnant with my son, and that was when I discovered that apparently, being pregnant can change your vision. Fast forward to June 2021 - I moved down to Southern California, and then had my son in September 2021. In December 2021, I saw another optometrist down here in SoCal, which is when I discovered that my right eye was overcorrected - my prescription was -5.50 prior to LASIK, but now it was +1.75.... When I contacted my optometrist in and he relayed the message to the UC Berekley Refractive Surgery Center, they were initially going to book an appointment/consult because I was within the two year warranty period. When the receptionist gave me instructions, I asked about medications and told her that I was still breastfeeding....which was when she told me that she needs to inform the doctor and cancel my appointment. They can't operate on anyone who is still breastfeeding because hormones will continue affect vision, and I need to wait at least two months after I stop breastfeeding. December 2022 will be when my two year warranty period ends, so I asked for an extension because I likely will still be breastfeeding by then. The request was denied, because the optometrist said that my vision after surgery was within the acceptable ranges (besides the haze), so it must have been my pregnancy and hormones that changed my vision so dramatically. Why did they not tell me about this possibility prior to surgery?! Sigh. I guess we'll see what happens after I stop having children. The silver lining of this is that I can pretty much get by with a +1.75 in my right eye by only wearing glasses when I'm working, watching TV, or driving. read more

I got Lasik PRK in November and finished my last follow up appointment yesterday with a stable 20/15 vision (better than 20/20!). The whole process was the best that I could ever hope for. No one here is motivated "to make the sale" and they tell you like it is for your unique situation. I was able to choose between Lasik and PRK even though I had astigmatism AND an old deep scratch on my iris (but it wasn't in the way of the surgery) in one eye. So definitely go get a consultation if you have any hang ups! They had the latest Wavefront tech that maps out your eyeballs so your laser procedure is custom to each of your eyes. Dr. Tran and the whole team have been ultra clear about options, expectations, and care procedures. I followed everything to the "T," absolutely zero cheating and zero deviations. Online a lot of people say PRK is bad and so on, but this is the kind of procedure that military and athletes get, so I figured it was the best option and would be worth it to get it even though it takes longer to heal. Just be honest with yourself and suffer through the inconveniences that the healing process entails because you only get one shot to heal perfectly and hopefully get perfect vision too. Good luck! read more

I had an amazing experience with Lasik. I was a contact lens wearer for many years with dry eyes due to a lifelong hobby of sports. I really wanted to get Lasik done but was apprehensive about going to any provider. Dr Tran and the team here were nothing short of amazing. They were able to heal my dry eyes before the surgery, work with me on a extremely tight timeline to make sure my eyes were properly prepped, and provided extremely detailed aftercare instructions and follow ups. I had no complications, Dr Tran's post surgery checkups and care instructions made sure I had no dryness, and my vision is perfect. I felt adequately informed every step of the process. I highly recommend anyone curious or nervous about Lasik and its alternatives to get their procedure done with the talented team here. read more

This place quite literally changed my life! Glasses were always causing me headaches and bothered me to no end. I was so impressed by the professionalism and how easy the team at the surgery center makes the process. Dr Tran is truly a great doctor and made sure I understood all parts of my treatment and what to expect. She is so available to questions and very thorough with her answers. I would recommend this place to anyone considering treatment! Plus the initial consultation is free so you have nothing to lose! (except maybe your glasses) read more

A few months back did PRK, my vision is now 20/15. My experience here was more than excellent. Hats off to the whole team, everyone was awesome (from scheduling to surgery and follow ups). Dr Kathy Tran is the best, very knowledgeable and will listen and explain with throughout details each step of the process. Surgery was done by Mira Lim which went really well, everyone on surgery day made feel very calm too. Dr. Tran did the initial consultation and follow ups (she even call over the weekend after surgery to check how I was doing). Also, the center has all safety measures for COVID. Can't thank enough UC Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center. Amazing experience! read more

Belated review from 2018: Just another positive review-- they told me I was not a candidate for Lasik with such a high plus correction, which was not what I wanted to hear-- but it was the right thing to do. And they did this just from looking at my eye clinic chart-- the scheduling person just passed the info along, I didn't waste time or money going in for a visit. They said to feel free to ask other places about their policies, but they have found over the years that results are not satisfactory over +2.75, and to ask lots of questions... When I asked about whether any more complicated surgery might be an option (like Refractive Lens Exchange), they gave me the name of the father and son practice of the eye doctor who does many of their surgeries: Sorensen and Sorensen. That practice wasn't very responsive, so I think I'm actually going to go down to Southern California to get RLE done at a place that inspires a lot of confidence (Dougherty Laser Vision) and has a young doctor who knows about how RLE interacts with lazy eye and vision therapy. So five stars to Berkeley for integrity (not trying to sell me on inappropriate Lasik), providing alternate resources, and being efficient with my time. read more

I've waited 4 years to write this. After surgery my eyes were better than with contacts, but one eye was a little worse than the other. About 1.5 years after I was -0.5. Four years out I am at -1.0 and need glasses to drive at night or if I want to be able to enjoy sporting events, presentations, movies, golf, etc. TVs at sports bars are hard to read greater than 8 feet away. Reading street signs is annoying and draining while driving. For the money, this is a poor result. Bottom line. I will look into a "touch up," but it looks like only less than 5% need them statistically. It looks like I was unlucky. As far as know, the procedure went fine and their were not complications during my follow up visits. The staff were nice. I just sucks to have spent so much and need corrective glasses 4 years later. It's great to see all of the other good reviews, but feel I need to put this one i the mix so no one thinks they have a perfect track record. Good luck to anyone getting the procedure! read more

I got Lasik done at UCB Refractive Surgery Center 1/10/19 and so far, it's been pretty good. The entire process took around 1.5 months 11/30/18 - Initial Consultation This was a quick 30 minute diagnostic, checking pupil size, degree, astigmatism, dry eyes, etc. Was told to take thera-tears fish oil and use a warm eye compress 10 minutes a day for my dry eyes for 1 month (they really make a difference) 12/28/18 - Comprehensive Consultation This was similar to the initial consultation but my pupils were dilated this time. Dry eye-ness was also measured again and were markedly improved (Thanks fish oils). Also was given a prescription to pick up 2 eye drop medicines- Anti-inflammatory(prednisolene) & antibiotics(ofloxacin) 01/10/19 - Surgery Day Read a form, sign it, and then pay the fee. The form lists all the things that could possibly go wrong with Lasik and absolves the center from responsibility. But it looked like the odds for the really terrible things to happen were 1/2000 so I signed it - it did give me slight pause, though. Fee was $6000. Having VSP discounts 1000, FSA knocks off another 2700. I had Dr. Mira Lim perform the procedure day of. Dr. Lim and her staff were professional and precise. There was a part where they decided to reset the placement of the AMO IntraLase Laser on my left eye in order to get a better opening around my pupils rather than just go with "good enough". Much appreciated. Surgery was done in what felt like 10 minutes. Afterwards, they gave me some comfy goggles and let me chill in another room for about 20 minutes. Dr. Lim checked my eyes to make sure that the corneal flap was set properly then sent me on my way. I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening sleeping because Valium. 01/11/19 - Post-Op 1 Quick Check-In with Dr. Tran. Made sure that things are set and healing properly. Explained to me that the blood in eye(subconjunctival hemorrhage) will go away within 2 or so weeks. 01/15/19 - Post-Op 2 Eyes healing great. 20/15 vision. Also bought sunglasses at the optometry center down the hall. (VSP covers it if you just got lasik surgery) 02/01/19 - Post-Op 3 TBA Final thoughts: I found Dr. Kathy Tran and her staff to be courteous and professional in every step of the process. It went as smooth as I could have hoped for. 5/5 will recommend all my friends to get their procedure here. read more

I had lasik performed three months ago by Dr. Sorenson. At first I was nervous but after my consultation I knew I was eligible and this would be great for my poor eye sight with astigmatism. Dr. Tran did my pre-op visits and spoke to me in a knowledgeable, direct way. On the day of my surgery, I was very nervous. They gave me medicine to relax me and before you knew it I was in the room. I met Dr. Sorenson and his team for the first time and felt at ease when I saw Dr. Tran would be there. They gave me a ball to squeeze. I felt pressure and a little dizzy but after a few minutes it was complete! The post-op visits have been helpful to determine how much eye drops I should use. I recommend this center for lasik! read more

The doctors and staff at the UC Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center are awesome! My husband and I both recently decided it was time to have Lasik, and the team was helpful, honest, and caring...everything we needed to make the right decision about the surgery and have a successful recovery. After just 3 months, we are both back to 20/15 vision and couldn't be happier. I'd recommend this team to anyone looking to change their life forever by leaving their corrective lenses behind! read more

I had my LASIK procedure performed here 1 month ago tomorrow. And I could not be happier! The entire process, from beginning to end, was seamless. I had went to NVISION for a consultation about a month before my consultation at UCB, and was not impressed with the sales pitch they gave me. I gave it another shot here and was blown away by the professionalism and expertise I was shown by everyone I interacted with. Once my tests were completed, I was sure this was the best place to have my surgery. Isiah was AMAZING at getting all the pre and post op appointments scheduled for me and coordinated with another, closer doctor so I wouldn't need to cross the Richmond bridge any more than necessary. They explained everything very thoroughly and answered all my questions. I even got to see the room and machines that were going to be used while they detailed what I was going to be experiencing. They gave me handouts to reference with FAQs and made me feel comfortable with a very scary idea. I was so scared, my parents came to my consult with me, and the staff didn't even mind and explained everything to them too. The surgery was performed by Dr. Sorenson, who was perfect- just like my procedure! I believe he said it was a "textbook operation" which was reassuring. I slept for about 5 hours afterwards (this is very, very important) and kept my eyes closed as much as possible for the rest of the day. (This meant "watching" Thursday night football with my eyes closed, but it was worth it in the end.) The next day, the wonderful Dr. Tran took a good look and said I was healing great, especially for as high of a prescription as I had, and I haven't had to go back in! According to my last follow-up appointment, I now see 20/15- for the first time in my life. LASIK is life-changing (I had been wearing glasses since I was 8, contacts since 6th grade) and absolutely worth every penny. So much so, that my husband just had a consultation and scheduled his procedure this morning :) read more

Ultimately I did not get my lasik surgery from UC Berkeley. I tried for a year to improve my dry eyes as noted below. The fish oil and heating pad did not sufficiently improve my tear production, so Dr. Tran recommended that I did not get lasik. While I appreciated the honest feedback, I wanted to talk to other lasik professionals to see if their recommendations lined up. One thing I found out is that Dr. Tran is the head of dry eye research at Berkeley. I am confident that she is a quality researcher in her field, but many opthalmologists (both LASIK specialists and non-lasik doctors) and optometrists to whom I recounted my story told me that they did not see dry eye as a concern for me. I received my procedure from Pacific Vision Institute in SF with very very good post-op results. The only dry eye symptoms I have is the standard dry eye after surgery, which is treatable with over the counter eye drops. The dry eyes have already improved dramatically over time. I am thankful for Dr. Tran's advice, and to those who get denied procedure at Berkeley, I recommend that you don't give up and seek consultation from other renowned clinics. read more

I did my research with pricing, reviews, and a general gut feeling about the different institutions that offer refractive eye surgery in the Bay Area- UC Berkeley was hands down the only place that I felt was safe to perform this serious procedure on my precious eyes. I called around to dozens of places and no other place put me at ease like they did in the Bay Area. Refractive eye surgery is no joke- you need all the staff at a location to be on it and tell you everything you need to know so that you can take care of yourself properly before and after the surgery; UC Berkeley did a fantastic job with this, especially their front desk person Issaias who coordinated all the appointments in an organized manner and gave me all the needed information. All their support staff were lovely, friendly, knowledgeable, and personable- I did not feel like a number but very well taken care of. Stephanie was great, too! I got both my eyes done at once and trusted the doctors wholeheartedly. Dr. Kathy Tran was fabulous during the initial consult and day of the surgery. Dr. Sorenson performed the surgery itself and I'm able to see so, good job Dr. Sorenson! They veer on the conservative side so if you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly and don't want to take any chances, then UC Berkeley is for you! They are sticklers about going above and beyond to prevent complications and infections which, at times, was annoying and felt extreme but I am grateful for their attention to detail. This surgery is no joke and they take your eyes as seriously as you do. Issaias should get a raise as he had to coordinate most of this and it could not have gone as smoothly as it did without his knowledge and guidance. They're only getting five stars because their front desk person, Issaias, is the the best! Oh, and I can see perfectly now- 20/15 according to my great ophthalmologist Dr. Jane Hafen at In Vision Optometry. read more

My family's been going to UC Berkeley's Merideth Morgan Eye Center for several years now. The care we've been receiving here has been phenomenal; the attentiveness of the newer students, combined with the experience of the senior optometrists has given us such wonderful comprehensive care. When I made the decision to pursue PRK after consultation with my optometrist, the care I received from the PRK Specialists met and exceeded my experience in the optometry center. The pre-procedure eye care, surgery and followup were all performed seamlessly, with constant feedback and patient explanations from Dr Tran. I think the best complement I can give is that now, 2 months after my procedure I actually have to remind myself I had glasses once upon a time. No fogged lenses, no slipping on my nose. No awkward running, or itchy eyes from contact lenses that have been in too long. Living life is pretty great in 20/20! (Or in my case, 20/15!!) read more

I got LASIK a couple of months ago, and it has been smooth sailing ever since. My vision is...well, more than perfect now, and my life has truly changed. The staff of the UC Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center have been more than helpful in achieving this. Actually, from day one, they impressed me with their professionalism - which is why I chose them over different places to have my surgery. It is really a routine operation - especially if one has it at the UC. Do not hesitate to pay them a visit! read more

I am more than satisfied with my Lasik surgery here!! It was easily one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I am happy that this center was so easy to work with. I initially wasn't sure what to expect when I told my eye doctor that I was interested in Lasik, but the entire process was incredibly smooth and so fast. It only took two weeks for my consultation and then my surgery was 2 weeks afterwards. On top of that, I loved how much the student discount saved me. Not to mention, the staff was so friendly and accommodating and definitely know what they're doing. I saw Dr. Tran for my pre-ops and post-ops and she has been such a pleasure to work with, I can't thank her enough for reassuring me every step of the way and helping me feel comfortable with the whole process and welcoming any questions or concerns along the way. I was confident that everything would go well. Dr. Sorenson performed my surgery and he did an amazing job in helping me feel safe and comfortable on the day of the surgery. My healing process was so easy and quick! In my post-ops, Dr. Tran has told me that everything looks perfect and the incision looks like it's barely there. I'm still in shock that I can wake up and see clearly after having to wear glasses/ contacts for over 10 years. Overall, I can't stop telling everyone I know to get Lasik, especially here! read more

I highly recommend getting your LASIK procedure done here. Out of the random choices you'll find on the internet (and friends who offer you ridiculous groupons for other facilities), it's important to visit a professional, expert, caring, and diligent team of awesome doctors who you can rely on. That's exactly the service you'll receive here. I can't be happier with the results, and I feel confident that the intelligent and experienced doctors knew exactly what they were doing during the procedure, in their extensive preparation and in the information provided to me, as well as in their thorough follow up care. I love my new eyes, and I feel very grateful for their service! I feel like a superhero! read more

After getting a quote at Pacific Vision Institute for $7400 I sought out cheaper alternatives. Their screening process was pretty quick and harsh and made me feel like I was getting scammed big time. They appeared to have a very high quality process but I seriously doubted you'd actually get the return on the extra cost there. So I went to the Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center and WOW, they are so nice. Because its an academic center it really feels like they have your best interest in mind. In fact they said we turn down people all the time that are not well suited for lasik. Kathy was my doctor and she was just the best! She remembered every little detail about me and every time I saw her she asked such nice questions. Overall a very comfortable office and they have very friendly staff. Couldn't recommend them enough in terms of the people management. In terms of the surgery, they were very communicative. I knew everything that was to be expected and they really prepped me going in. I don't get too squirmy about these types of things but they made sure I was very comfortable. The staff even recorded the entire procedure on my phone. It's so gross and awesome. The surgeon absolutely crushed it and now I can see 20/20. It was by far the best way to spend $4800. read more

I was not a candidate for Lasik so I got PRK instead. I was a little worried because the recovery time is longer BUT it was a breeze actually. I've only been wearing glasses for about 10 years and I dreaded it.. that and contacts. About 3 years ago, I started looking into eye surgery but I was always so scared because... well, it's EYE SURGERY. I would do research and jot down different eye surgery center that I thought would be THE ONE for me but then I would get so scared thinking about it, I just ended up tossing the paper. Even just thinking about the procedure, I would get clammy hands and weak in the legs. One day last Fall, I was so fed up with my vision that I had the urge to gauge out my eyes... I know, super dramatic but i'm serious... i was so fed up that I started looking online AGAIN and I stumbled upon UCB Refractive Surgery Center. I made the call, spoke to Isaias and that's where my awesome journey began. He really made me feel so comfortable and at ease, I just had to trust him and go in for a consultation. I went in for the consultation, met with Dr. Tran and she made me feel even more comfortable. Seriously, I can't thank Dr. Tran enough for being so thorough, informative, comforting and just overall amazing. The actual surgery was performed by Dr. Lim and it went by quickly (3-5 minutes per eye) and i felt no discomfort or pain whatsoever. After surgery, I wore the protective goggles close to a week, slept A LOT, and took one week off work to recover. It's been 2 months and i'm now seeing 20/15 and I am soooooo happy. Thank you Dr. Tran, Dr. Lim and Isaias! read more

I got PRK done here and have loved the professionalism and care they provide. Plus, I got a discount for being an alumni. Above all, I was looking for a place that I trusted would do a good job and do what's best for my precious eyes... so far they have. I can see for the first time since adulthood without contacts! read more

As a recent retiree, I was shocked that annual eye exams were not covered under Medicare or my supplement plan. I contacted my eye doctor and learned an exam would cost about $300. I'd heard such good things about the UC Berkeley Eye Clinic that I decided to try them. The total cost for the most comprehensive eye exam imaginable was $116. The facilities were clean and cheerful, the employee (Elizabeth) who conducted the exam was pleasant and cheerful. The total experience was much better than my eye doctors! read more

I had my lasik surgery here and felt really comfortable in the expert hands of dr Sorensen and dr Tran. Dr Tran is so professional and really helped me in the months preparing for the surgery and in the post op care. The office staff were all extremely helpful and kind (Isias and Daniel) and I would highly recommend getting your eye care here. Go bears. read more

Honestly, I can not believe that this place doesn't have more great reviews. I went here for my lasik surgery last thursday (review is on sunday after). I can see great - vision is at 20/15 using both eyes (20/15 in left and 20/18 in right) which is the point of lasik, right? Through all the steps (consultation, prep, and then actually surgery) everyone was great. Understand that you are on a UC campus but I'm ok with that when the doctors are some of the pioneering minds in lasik and have performed thousands of procedures. I didn't have a terribly bad prescription so what I wanted was to have cost savings when compared to using contacts and glasses. Some places are charging $6000 for the same procedure that I got here for $4000. And they have a pretty easy payment plan. So obviously this is a positive review - but I want to make sure I get a couple of people out there. Dr. Aaronson for the initial great consult (this guy was doing lasik back when they were doing flap slices by hand and the procedure wasn't even FDA approved - too cool). Stefanie - my coordinator for going above and beyond by making sure I had all my appointments down pat before leaving the first appt. Dr. Severin for a great procedure. Very comforting and not the slightest bit pushy - he's given the same speech a thousand times but I could tell he actually wanted to make sure I wanted the procedure. And once we did it - it was quick, well done and he talked me through the whole thing. Obviously it feels weird to get your eye sliced, burned and then reattached but you know exactly what you're getting here and I love that. Plus, you get to hold the lucky Cal bear during the procedure. Not to mention they let my girlfriend come in after the procedure and take a look at the finished procedure through the eye magnification machine. Very nice. I would recommend to anyone, whatever the eye disorder because if they can't help you, you'll be told so. read more

Laser eye surgery is the closest thing to magic that I've ever experienced. Before the surgery, I was chained to my contacts like a crackwhore to her pipe. I would wake up at the morning, squint at the alarm clock and move it as close to me as I could before I could make out the geriatric-sized numbers. Then I would shower in a blurry haze, missing spots while I shaved and getting a headache from not being able to see, until I stumbled out of the shower and managed to poke those lifesaving little pieces of plastic into my eyes so I could make out the world in reasonable clarity. But then my eyes started to reject my contacts, and I thought maybe it was time to investigate a more permanent solution. The people at the UC Berkeley Refractive Eye Center, from the receptionist to the surgeons, were really great about putting me at ease, warning me of potential risks, and making sure I knew what I was getting into. There were a few pre-op appointments - at one they had to give me 24-hour dilating eye drops, which was no picnic, but I don't blame them for that. The surgery itself was literally about 20 minutes. They give you numbing eye drops, clamp your eyes open, which is the most uncomfortable part of the whole thing, cut a flap in your eye, flip if open, vaporize some of your eye tissue with a laser, flip your eye back shut, and then you can see. Oh, and you're awake for the whole thing. But the seeing at the end - it's magical. Things are a little cloudy for a few hours, and the recovery day is really boring, because you're not supposed to use your eyes much, which means no TV, movies, reading, or looking at anything, really, but every morning that I wake up and can see my clock across the room I praise the refractive surgery center. This is NOT to be confused with the regular optometry center there, which is actually a learning facility where your exams always take over an hour because they have to teach the students how to do every possible test, even if there's virtually no chance that you have glaucoma or cataracts because you're 23 years old. But it is in the same building. read more

Writing my first Yelp review here because I had such a great experience with my Lasik surgery about a month ago. It was probably the best patient experience I've had. From my consultation, pre-op, surgery, to follow-ups, everyone I encountered at the clinic was friendly, professional, and knowledgable. I felt very comfortable and trusting of the procedure, which was explained to me in clear steps beforehand so I knew what to expect. Dr. Tran, Dr. Sorenson, and the staff took great care of me. Dr. Sorenson (my surgeon) is very experienced and informative. I had to visit his own practice down by Alta Bates a few times for my follow-ups because my left eye had some extra inflammatory response. I appreciated him being prudent in making sure my condition was improving, asking me to return for frequent follow-ups until it was cleared. I will be returning to the University clinic for the rest of my check-ups. Currently, I'm seeing 20/20 with my right eye and 20/25 with my left eye (also my worse eye pre-surgery). I still experience night vision with some halos and starbursts, especially in my left eye (night driving is okay but does need extra caution and strain my eyes a little bit). It is supposed to improve over the next couple of months. If anything special changes, I'll post an update here. P.S. If you're a student with SHIP, you also get $2000 off which is more than a 1/3 discount to the regular cost. read more

I had never considered corrective eye surgery until my fiancé who is a PhD at Cal said he was interested. He wound up deciding to get LASIK and had excellent results. Was cleared to drive the next morning! Flash forward one month and here I was getting PRK surgery! The recovery for both of us went exactly as the doctors had informed us. Definitely listen to the staff with regards to pre and post op instructions - as well as having an open mind with regards to which surgery is for you. Despite my recovery being a bit longer than his, my eyes are definitely less dry and the discomfort was higher for him right after. In hindsight, both side effects were nothing that would've deterred us from getting it. There are pros and cons of both surgeries which you should read about online and/or ask the doctors if you're interested. (Warning: the procedures are definitely odd but it's manageable and certainly worth the few minutes of weird. Note that whoever takes you to the surgery can film it; again, strange to watch later but cool if you're not squeamish) The staff was very attentive and friendly throughout the whole process. We are both very happy we went to the best and got it done at Cal Such a life changing procedure to not need to worry about contacts anymore... and with about an 8-10 year payback if you're a contact user I would recommend to anyone considering! read more

I had my Lasik surgery nearly 3 years ago, and I have no big complaints. I really did think the procedure was awesome, but the post-op visits did underwhelm me. I felt that they provided you with unbelievable care leading up to the procedure (the testing, the procedure itself, the immediate after care), but your visits to check your progress/recovery seemed to be rushed. They did give you a discount if you were part of the Cal Alumni Association, and that was great. I don't wear glasses anymore, and my vision is much improved but not perfect. That is not why they are getting only four stars, by the way. read more

Had an amazing experience here! It's now two weeks after surgery and I see perfectly. Dr. Tran has a wonderful, assuring, and knowledgeable air to her and she did a fantastic job of guiding me through the whole process. It's a bit more pricey than other places, but I'm very glad I went for it! read more

To be clear, this is purely a review about the administrative and scheduling side of things. I have no experience with the procedure side. As a Cal alum, I wanted to explore the possibility of having refractive surgery at Berkeley's facility. I called and left a message, and it was two days before I received a call back. A bit slow, but okay. The person seemed a bit flustered and uncomfortable. I made an appointment for about two weeks in advance, and arranged to take the day off of work. The day before my appointment, they called and cancelled the appointment. They said the doctor had a medical emergency. Because I already committed to taking the day off, I asked if anyone else could see me. Apparently everyone else was taking the day off. One star for the poor management, and lack of people to fill in. read more

My experience with Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center was awesome. I went through a few consultations with some other lasik centers in the area and UC Berkeley was by far the most professional and comforting. Angie and the other administrative staff were extremely nice and knowledgable. Dr. Melrose was extremely professional and trustworthy. My surgeon Dr. Sorenson was also awesome because it's been 2 months and every day since the surgery has been a positive experience. The main difference between UC Berkeley and other lasik centers is they aren't in it for the sale... well business is business but there's a bit more purpose here, one being to educate the students and the docs are very serious about only performing surgery on qualified patients. Not going to get into too much detail but trust me when I say THINK TWICE about going to a corporate lasik center. There's a world of a difference between a small or school affiliated program and other corporate centers. Remember, this is your eyes your thinking about cutting open and reshaping with a laser! It's important you go to a place that makes you feel comfortable. Money shouldn't be an option when thinking about refractive surgery. Anyway, kudos to UC Berkeley. read more

I've been a patient for years and I accepted their recommendation of having the PRK eye surgery to fix my vision. They were great! Very helpful and attentive. Dr. Kathy Tran was so extraordinary that she even called me on a Sunday to know how I was feeling. I really appreciate her dedication to her patients and her follow up care. I would definitely recommend her. read more

I just heard a report on NPR Morning Edition on Lasik Surgery, and problems that people have had with it. I just want to say that NONE of these issues apply to my experience with the UC Berkeley Refractive Surgery Center in Minor Hall. My vision was tested 5 times (maybe even more) while I was in the process of being evaluated. The risks and issues (like presbyopia) were explained in detail. Since lasik surgery is elective surgery, I felt that they were working with me to identify any issue that might cause a problem and that they actively try to dissuade anyone who is not a prime candidate from having the procedure. (This is the major reason I went to UC for my lasik). In any event, I had my lasik done (at age 51) in the winter of 2009. Neither eye went to exactly what I wanted, each is about -0.25 diopter from the desired prescription. But I can see much better than before. My eyes get dryer more than when I wore contacts, but the benefits definitely outweigh the downside. Two thumbs up. I'd do it again. My optometrist is Channon Kao (Four Eyes in Berkeley), and I recommend her as well. PS--My latest test is 20/15 read more