Jun 30 2008
The Lasik Vision Institute: Money Over Service
I went last Thursday for a supposedly free Lasik evaluation at the Lasik Vision Institute and have so many complaints.
First, the advertised price of $299 per eye is bullsh*t. That price is advertised to people with a limited problem with their eyes, and although my prescription was not far from the $299 one, I was initially offered a price of $1750 per eye. The “counselor” is basically a salesperson (in my case a loud Italian with an obnoxiously large nose and a few missing teeth) that tries to take as much money from you as possible. I was able to get this price down to $1250 per eye, which really doesn’t make sense since one eye was much worse than the other.
Second, I was quoted a price without seeing a doctor. Two different nurses, used a couple machines to check out my eyes and I was then put in the back with the “counselor.” First of all, I don’t trust a couple of nurses with BS degrees to check out my eyes. Second, the LVI states that you must have a doctor look at your eyes before you are quoted a price, which obviously did not happen.
I was then told that my prescription has changed from just 6 months ago, meaning my eyesight is still changing at a young age, and they still opted for surgery. From my understanding, if you eyes are still changing, they will continue after surgery, and it is usually difficult to get multiple operations on your eyes.
When I finally did see a doctor, the only thing she did was put plugs in my eyes. The plugs basically stop the draining of tears through your cornea so that your eyes stay moist. That was Thursday, and my surgery was schedule for today, Monday. I read up on this and found out these plugs are solely for post-surgery and are optional. When I went to bitch out everyone at the office today the bulbous-nosed “counselor” told me that this is done to every patient before surgery. I talked to a family friend who happens to be a Lasik surgeon at Woodlands Custom Vision, where I will soon be going to, and she said that doing this is dangerous. Performing on someone with plugs can cause a serious eye infection.
Finally, I was initially refused my $100 deposit from my “free” evaluation, but once I began yelling in the lobby in front of everyone else there, I got it back.
The Lasik Vision Institute is a company that uses sales people rather than doctors to evaluate your eyes and get every dollar from you. They put plugs in your eyes based on commision and must see a set number of patients per day to get their full commision. This type of service for something so vital to life is outrageous, and everyone should beware and do their research. It is disgraceful that a company supposedly working to help the everyday person have the luxury of Laisik. The reason I went in the first place is because at that location, Dr. Bruce January is one of the best Lasik surgeons in the country. Unfortunately , the Lasik Vision Institute and its employees make him look bad.
