> kpatter9[at]hotmail.com (lasik advocate with flap melt) wrote in message news:<b0866067.0403021753.4bcb755b[at]posting.google.com> ...
> > Don't MOST people have 20/15 or BETTER best corrected vision with
> > glasses or contacts?
> > 20/15 or better corrected vision is the exception, not the rule.

> Don't MOST people have 20/15 or BETTER best corrected vision with
> glasses or contacts?
20/15 or better corrected vision is the exception, not the rule.

> > All of this leaves me wondering
> > what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.
> > That's a very good question. If there are Doctors who lie
> deliberately and blatantly (and I've met at least one) and will say
> anything to make more money (and I've met at least one), then what's
> an educated person to do too? Why take a risk with a surgery that's
> strictly cosmetic like LASIK?
> "Wayne S. Hill" <hillw4[at]asme.org> wrote in message news:<Xns94A067E344FF18ch[at]127.0.0.1> ...
> > SickRick wrote:
> > > > "Wayne S. Hill" <hillw4[at]asme.org> wrote:
> > > > > > Any comments on the quoted price range of $2250-2900 per eye
> > > > at Laser Eye Center of Boston?
> > > > > I was quoted $4,250 for both eyes [at] TLC in Ft. Lauderdale.
> > > My referring optometrist negotiated this down to $3,700 for
> > > me. I don't know if it involved reducing HIS co-management
> > > fee or not, but it does demonstrate that there is enough
> > > margin in there, to attempt to negotiate, or if you're
> > > friendly with your Opto, ask him to see if he can arrange a
> > > reduced fee.
> > > Ah, interesting. Thanks.
> > > > As many people have commented, you can't put a price on your
> > > vision. I have friends locally that paid ALOT LESS at other
> > > vision centers. But I also have a friend of the family that
> > > TRAINS the Doc's [at] TLC on the VISX equipment, and her
> > > recommendation of the particular surgeon that did mine, was
> > > enough for me, on top of my Opto's recommendation.
> > > Boy, getting a recommendation like that would be nice.
> > > > The practice of diefying Doctors is falling by the wayside
> > > in this country. Many people take advantage of the
> > > resources available on the internet to better educate
> > > themselves, and are less prepared to take a Doctors word as
> > > gospel anymore. I base my judgments upon the relationships
> > > I build with professionals over time (as my clients also do
> > > with me - I do Law/CPA office networks and computerization).
> > > Trust is no longer a given, but must be earned.
> > > True, but I think getting the right information is still awfully
> > difficult. When my wife needed shoulder surgery, she saw 3
> > different surgeons. The first 2 were nice enough guys and
> > seemed knowledgeable and authoritative, but we just weren't
> > sure. My wife asked to see someone at a sports medicine clinic,
> > and we got an appointment, but had no idea about the doctor. I
> > asked a physical therapist I happened to know, and he told me
> > this 3rd doctor was the "best shoulder man in New England".
> > This doc's assessment was quite different from the other 2,
> > which would have bothered me if I hadn't gotten the
> > recommendation from the PT. We went ahead with him and were
> > proven justified in the end. All of this leaves me wondering
> > what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.
> > > > Again, don't think with your WALLET when it comes to
> > > something as valuable as your vision.
> > > Loud and clear.

> > All of this leaves me wondering
> > what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.
> That's a very good question. If there are Doctors who lie
> deliberately and blatantly (and I've met at least one) and
> will say anything to make more money (and I've met at least
> one), then what's an educated person to do too? Why take a
> risk with a surgery that's strictly cosmetic like LASIK?

> All of this leaves me wondering
> what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.

> SickRick wrote:
> > "Wayne S. Hill" <hillw4[at]asme.org> wrote:
> > > > Any comments on the quoted price range of $2250-2900 per eye
> > > at Laser Eye Center of Boston?
> > > I was quoted $4,250 for both eyes [at] TLC in Ft. Lauderdale.
> > My referring optometrist negotiated this down to $3,700 for
> > me. I don't know if it involved reducing HIS co-management
> > fee or not, but it does demonstrate that there is enough
> > margin in there, to attempt to negotiate, or if you're
> > friendly with your Opto, ask him to see if he can arrange a
> > reduced fee.
> Ah, interesting. Thanks.
> > As many people have commented, you can't put a price on your
> > vision. I have friends locally that paid ALOT LESS at other
> > vision centers. But I also have a friend of the family that
> > TRAINS the Doc's [at] TLC on the VISX equipment, and her
> > recommendation of the particular surgeon that did mine, was
> > enough for me, on top of my Opto's recommendation.
> Boy, getting a recommendation like that would be nice.
> > The practice of diefying Doctors is falling by the wayside
> > in this country. Many people take advantage of the
> > resources available on the internet to better educate
> > themselves, and are less prepared to take a Doctors word as
> > gospel anymore. I base my judgments upon the relationships
> > I build with professionals over time (as my clients also do
> > with me - I do Law/CPA office networks and computerization).
> > Trust is no longer a given, but must be earned.
> True, but I think getting the right information is still awfully
> difficult. When my wife needed shoulder surgery, she saw 3
> different surgeons. The first 2 were nice enough guys and
> seemed knowledgeable and authoritative, but we just weren't
> sure. My wife asked to see someone at a sports medicine clinic,
> and we got an appointment, but had no idea about the doctor. I
> asked a physical therapist I happened to know, and he told me
> this 3rd doctor was the "best shoulder man in New England".
> This doc's assessment was quite different from the other 2,
> which would have bothered me if I hadn't gotten the
> recommendation from the PT. We went ahead with him and were
> proven justified in the end. All of this leaves me wondering
> what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.
> > Again, don't think with your WALLET when it comes to
> > something as valuable as your vision.
> Loud and clear.

> Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > With such little astigmatism, why haven't you tried soft
> > contact lenses? In soft lenses I have run in the Texas
> > summers, whitewater rafted, mountain biked, etc., and have
> > never had an issue with any sport, including swimming.
> > Haven't tried kayaking. I just fit a guy who does extreme
> > biking with bifocal soft lenses because he needed to be able
> > to read his maps and his wristwatch as well as be able to
> > see obstacles in his path.
> > > Good luck in your decision.
> I did give that some thought. I used to wear gas-permeable hard
> contacts (not the same as soft, obviously), and got sick of them.
> I had a lot of trouble with sweat and lotions getting in my eyes
> in hot weather (and had similar problems with chemicals in my
> work). I didn't like having to fuss with them, either, but it was
> problems with spring allergies that ultimately drove me away from
> them.

> > I'm 47 years old, have fairly mild myopia (-2.5 and -2.75) and
> > mild astigmatism (-.5 both eyes), and currently have 20/15 or
> > better vision with glasses.
> Given that you're accustomed to spectacular corrected vision of 20/15,
> you might be disappointed post op. Post op vision of 20/20 to 20/40
> might be considered a success for the surgeon but a disappointment for
> you.
> Glen Hagele who frequently posts here is in the same boat as you, but
> doesn't want to risk his very good corrected vision to Lasik. You
> might want to compare notes with him.

> All of this leaves me wondering
> what the average Joe is supposed to do to get good care.

> I'm 47 years old, have fairly mild myopia (-2.5 and -2.75) and
> mild astigmatism (-.5 both eyes), and currently have 20/15 or
> better vision with glasses.

> "Wayne S. Hill" <hillw4[at]asme.org> wrote:
> > Any comments on the quoted price range of $2250-2900 per eye
> > at Laser Eye Center of Boston?
> I was quoted $4,250 for both eyes [at] TLC in Ft. Lauderdale.
> My referring optometrist negotiated this down to $3,700 for
> me. I don't know if it involved reducing HIS co-management
> fee or not, but it does demonstrate that there is enough
> margin in there, to attempt to negotiate, or if you're
> friendly with your Opto, ask him to see if he can arrange a
> reduced fee.

> As many people have commented, you can't put a price on your
> vision. I have friends locally that paid ALOT LESS at other
> vision centers. But I also have a friend of the family that
> TRAINS the Doc's [at] TLC on the VISX equipment, and her
> recommendation of the particular surgeon that did mine, was
> enough for me, on top of my Opto's recommendation.

> The practice of diefying Doctors is falling by the wayside
> in this country. Many people take advantage of the
> resources available on the internet to better educate
> themselves, and are less prepared to take a Doctors word as
> gospel anymore. I base my judgments upon the relationships
> I build with professionals over time (as my clients also do
> with me - I do Law/CPA office networks and computerization).
> Trust is no longer a given, but must be earned.

> Again, don't think with your WALLET when it comes to
> something as valuable as your vision.