PROS: I can see.
CONS: Process slows down once you pay. Be prepared for high-pressure tactics asking you to leave a positive review.
I've been thinking about LASIK surgery for 20 years, yes 2-0. Fear of all things eyeball kept me from taking the plunge, but I finally felt fed-up with my contacts. I narrowed down the surgery to Dr. Loden & Dr. Wang. I think they are both fine choices.
THE CONSULTATION:
I started with the seminar (25% off), which you will need because apparently for the price of LASIK you could buy a used car. The consultation takes 2.5 hours. During that time, they numb your eyes, poke, prod them, & torture them with various lights & apparatuses. They were understanding about the fact that the process sucks & to their credit, I was never sitting around waiting. They then connect you with a patient coordinator who hands you the price tag & suggests which way to go before you are passed to Dr. Wang. He will look over your test results, look at your eyeballs, & tell you everything you've already read on his website but in a soft-spoken manner.
THE POST-CONSULTATION PHASE:
For some reason, I started panicking after the consultation. Dr. Wang had mentioned that most of his patients get plugs that will dissolve. According to the internet :), plugs should be used as a last resort. Then I found an article about a whistle-blower doctor who blew the lid on a LASIK center for up-charging customers for plugs in the name of profit. To be blunt, this made me lose a lot of trust & I felt sick to my stomach and nervous. I ended up emailing my concerns to Dr. Wang's office, & he called me that night.
During our call, I voiced my concerns about the plugs & also other things that I had started to freak out about. After reading on the internet (don't do that) I also started panicking about flap LASIK vs PRK non-flap surgery. And I really wanted PRK.
I was able to talk to Dr. Wang about both concerns. The fact that he personally called me & had zero ego about my concerns meant a lot. He explained that plugs are preventative & as so many people have dry eye after surgery, they're worth it. He said I could choose the surgery I wanted (PRK or LASIK), & to let them know what I wanted the day of.
THE SURGERY:
The day of the surgery I was scheduled to come in at 10:30, I didn't leave until 2:30 = long day.
I arrived, they got me in, I told them I wanted PRK, they talked me out of it :). I ended up getting LASIK. They confirmed my prescription & asked me to finalize my payment. I did. Then things slowed down. Ironically or because they had my money? I will never know. But my husband & I did have a good laugh about it. We waited and waited and when they called me again, it was time.
They had given me a Valium in advance, it didn't do a damn thing. I told them so, they told me I'd be fine. Did it hurt? No. Was it uncomfortable? At times, it was. A Valium that worked would have been welcome. The clamping of the eye isn't pleasant, & then they do this suction thing which makes everything go black. I'm not going to lie, I flat-out panicked. I wasn't calm, but tried to use yogic breathing, & I managed to stay still enough that it was over before I knew it. I had a teddy bear & a husband. I recommend bringing both if you can as they brought me a lot of comfort.
When the surgery was over, I was in complete shock, & I was shaking from hyperventilating during my panic attack. Even though I expressed that I was dizzy, they tried to hurry me off the bed. They moved me to another chair to insert plugs. Before I had even left the operating room, they had another patient in the bed prepping for her procedure. I wasn't into this part at all. Seems like an assembly line.
FOLLOW-UP
That night there was slight discomfort for a couple of hours.You have to keep your eyes closed for the day.
Day two I could see pretty well & I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Wang, which was a joke. He's so sweet, but the whole visit consisted of waiting for him, a quick look at my eyes, & then a marketing recruitment. "Post this pic on Facebook, write a review here & write one here." Not going to lie, this freaks me out! I want honest reviews, not forced reviews written by half-blind recovering LASIK patients that feel obligated because they were put on a time crunch to write a review before leaving the office.
6 MONTHS LATER:
My eyes took forever to heal. They were dry & I feared they would be like that forever. It wasn't until month 3 that I noticed my life might not consist of eye drops every hour. But, they didn't actually heal for 6 months! My advice to others is to remember that you may wake up & be fine the next day, but it may take 3-6 months. Be prepared for that, don't get discouraged if this happens to you. Tips: Take fish oil pills, get a humidifier, & get the surgery done in the summer. They didn't tell me until AFTER my surgery that those that have surgery in the winter usually suffer dry eye more. read more