Damn it all...
So I just came back from my consultation with Clearly Lasik. The difference between the consultation process there and at Pacific is night and day.
Pacific Laser: 6-8 people are booked at a time, and it starts out with a 1/2hr movie presentation.
Then a consultant comes in and talks to the group about the different types of procedures, available options, talks about the process (pre, during and post op) and answers everyone's questions.
Everyone is sent to the waiting room, where we're called one at a time by a technologist for various tests and exams.
The tech is efficient and professional (but none too personable).
Because of the different tests, I'm back in the waiting room 3 or 4 times in between tests.
Finally there's the meeting with the surgeon who will perform the operation. He exudes confidence, and is both personable as well as professional. Everything about him screams "I've done this a million times, and you're going to be a piece of cake". He's open to questions, and didn't bristle when I mentioned that this was one of three potential centers I'd be talking to. His response was "That's a good idea - I don't care where you get it done, but I want you to be informed." He tossed out one final question, and told me to see if any of the other surgeons asked me that.
From there I was shown into what I'd normally call "the closing room", only there's no pressure to sign on the dotted line. They go over pricing, various options, and give me a piece of paper with some instructions and a number to call when I want to book. Also, they reiterate that I will need to see an optometrist (on my own, at additional cost) for a thorough pre-operative exam, as well as 5 follow ups. They have names if you don't have a regular eye doc.
Total elapsed time, ~3hrs (with well over an hour of that having been spent in the waiting room)
Impression: This doc knows what he's doing, and runs a no-nonsense, professional shop. Clearly Lasik: I arrive nearly 30min early, having had zero traffic to contend with and good directions on parking.
The (very pretty) gal at the desk smiles, knows exactly who I am, mentions that she spoke with me on the phone earlier, and gives me some paperwork to fill out. It's quite a comprehensive medical history survey. I fill out the paperwork and hand it in.
Very shortly, a tech comes out and takes me into an examination room. She tells me about the test she's about to perform, explains what's involved as well as what it measures and how they use the data, and then performs the test. She performs maybe a half dozen tests on me, each time explaining what it is, how the test will go, and what sort of data they're collecting. This takes place over several different rooms, but I'm the only one there and there's no waiting. We just go from room to room to room, gathering key data for the Dr to make his assessment & recommendations. When she's done with me she tells me that an optometrist will see me next.
I'm waiting all of 30s when the optometrist comes out takes me through a series of tests - this examination appears to be what Pacific wants me to go out and have done on my own. Like the tech, she explains what she's doing, each step of each test, and shows me some of the data from the previous batch of tests. We talk about both procedures, which I'm leaning toward, the pros/cons of both, options, timing/follow ups, etc.
Once she's done she takes me to see the consultant (the "closing room" again). Back with the pretty gal (who's
very personable), and we discuss options, pricing, available dates, etc. We talked about a bunch of other stuff too, but that wasn't really part of the process, methinks. :p Again, no pressure to sign. She gives me an information package, tells me I can book a slot and cancel it at any time with no charge if I just want to hold it, and we chat a bit more (about farmer's markets, pies, etc). She also tells me a bit about the surgeon, whom I don't get to meet. (Dr King has done over 50,000 procedures)
Overall time ~2hrs, and I spent a lot more time asking questions and discussing specific points as well as just general BS conversation.
Impressions: These guys have the "feel" DOWN. They're super friendly, explain EVERYTHING to you, and involve you as a patient throughout the entire process. One walks out of there thinking "That was a really great experience."
BUT - I never did get to meet the surgeon...
Comparison: Pacific Laser gives the impression of a no-nonsense, fully professional outfit. They're there to do a job, and that job is to fix your eyes. All data collected is there to aid them in making the best recommendation possible, to give you the best possible outcome. If there is a choice to be made, they'll let you make it - but it's their show. The surgeon sees every single patient both before (during the consultation), and after the procedure (follow up visit). They have a reputation for being the place where ophthalmologists go to get their eyes done, as well as the place to go if someone else fucked up the job and you need to have your eyes fixed "for real".
Clearly Lasik involves the patient much more, and makes the entire process very enjoyable. They seem every bit as professional as PL, but are also friendly, and share the information as well as the process. It just makes you feel good. They have an in-house optometrist so you can get everything taken care of on-site. They have packages and financing. They make it
easy and comfortable.
If it wasn't freakin' eye surgery (or any surgery, for that matter), it would be a no brainer. I'd say CL wins hands down. Everything about my experience today was so much more enjoyable than at Pacific. However,
this is eye surgery, and Drs Lin & Holland have the best rep in the business (ar at least that's what I keep hearing from independent sources). The prices are within a few hundred bucks of each other at most - so not a factor whatsoever. This isn't to say that Dr King might not be awesome - I'm sure he's a damned good surgeon. But he doesn't have the rep (as far as I know).
I think I'm still leaning toward Pacific, but all of a sudden my decision is harder than I had anticipated. And I've still got one more place to visit!
<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter! Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?
Dr. David Lin received his medical training at McGill University. After his ophthalmology residency, he further pursued two years of postgraduate corneal training at Pacific Medical Consultants in San Francisco and Louisiana State University in New Orleans. While at LSU, Dr. Lin trained with Drs. Herb Kaufman and Marguerite McDonald. He was involved in the original research of excimer laser surgery and corneal topography. Upon his return to Vancouver in 1989, Dr. Lin set up one of the first excimer laser centres in Canada and has been specializing in the field of refractive surgery (Please refer to his personal results in "statistics"). 