lasik

One Month After

2004-11-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

Went to see Dr. Gordon today. She was pleased that the healing is well though not completely healed. There were no dry spots (thanks to Krissy the Lasik Specialist who was adamant that I put tear drops before my eyes get dried ever). I will see her again in 2 months from now for a three months check up.

My eye sight is 20/25 in one eye and 20/20 in the other so it is not too bad. The strength is still in variation. I went to dinner tonight at Trader Vics. Those candle lights again -- but either the menu font is bigger or my eyes are getting better adjusting the candle light, I can read the menu now.

A few things I learned from others who have either done lasik, planning to or can't this week.
One friend who has done lasik need to do enhancement again after 3 months. She can't see even the bigger fonts clearly after having wavefront done. Perhaps it was her dry eyes, or perhaps the surgeon she used wasn't that great, she had to get it redone with regular lasik surgery. Her result is better the next time.

The other co-worker is signed up to do wave front at Dr. Hyver. The quote he got was $4800 so it seems the price is much lower than $7000 I heard earlier.

Three other co-workers/friends went and checked with Dr. Hyver before they put money into their FSA account. They were very disappointed that they can't do lasik due to one reason or another.

FAQ

2004-10-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Questions to ask your potential doctor

1. What is his.her credential? Degree? where did he/she get his/her license?
2. How many sugeries did he/she perform so far for classic lasik/wave front/or interlace?
3. Which lasik am I qualify for? Why?
4. Let him/her explain you different type of lasiks.
5. How much would he/she charge for the lasik? (Usually, this will come from the business mgr and you will get a quote.)
6. How long should you wait to get your lasik? Esp. if you wear contacts today...
7. Is there any way they can correct both far sight and near sight issues that you might have?
8. Any reference that he/she might provide you?

Is Lasik a Luxury Product? (WSJ 10/26/2004)

2004-10-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Marketing Vision
Eye Doctor to EliteBlazes New TrailIn Selling Surgery
In a Patient-Pays-All World,Dr. Maloney Treats Lasik Like a Luxury Product
He 'Didn't Like Sick People'
By RHONDA L. RUNDLE Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 26, 2004; Page A1
LOS ANGELES -- Robert K. Maloney, seated on a low stool, peered through a microscope as he operated on a man's left eye. "Chris, I'm just working to get it into position," Dr. Maloney gently reassured his patient.
This wasn't an effort to save Christopher Robin's sight, or even to improve his vision. Dr. Maloney was implanting a tiny platinum jewel, shaped like a star, into the corner of the white of his patient's eye.
For Mr. Robin, a 30-year-old rock musician with tattoos and a braided ponytail, the payoff was a radical new glint in his eye. For Dr. Maloney, who didn't charge for the procedure and has yet to interest anyone in paying for it, the 20-minute operation yielded another precious dose of public attention. Thanks to Dr. Maloney's publicist, a television crew was on hand to film the surgery for a local Fox news show.
The hunt for patients willing to pay thousands of dollars for surgery not covered by medical insurance is thrusting more doctors into a new world of hype and promotion. Plastic surgeons pioneered this terrain. Now, like upscale hoteliers and retailers, eye doctors are also depending heavily on marketing and word-of-mouth. As they jockey to keep their names in public view, they are promoting unusual new procedures like the JewelEye cosmetic implant, along with more practical new ones like corrective lens implants.
The transformation of ophthalmology into a business requiring acute consumer-marketing savvy was sparked by a single surgical innovation. Nearly a decade ago, eye surgeons received regulatory approval to use lasers to reshape the cornea so that patients would no longer need their glasses. Since then, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (Lasik), has become the most popular form of vision correction, or refractive, surgery. Although insurance almost never pays for it, more Lasik surgeries are performed every year than nose jobs, face lifts or tummy tucks. More than eight million laser eye procedures have been performed in the U.S. since 1995, including 1.2 million last year. Partly as a result, the median compensation for ophthalmologists jumped last year by nearly 18% to $300,020, the largest year-over-year increase for any medical specialty, according to the trade group Medical Group Management Association.
The 3,900 eye doctors who specialize in Lasik surgery, about 25% of all ophthalmologists, have discovered that their practices behave more like luxury-goods businesses than traditional medical practices. Because insurers won't reimburse them, doctors must persuade consumers to reach into their pockets for eye surgery instead of some other discretionary purchase. And when U.S. consumer confidence plummets, doctors have learned, so does the number of refractive surgical procedures. Volume dropped sharply a few years ago, and many laser-surgery chains went bankrupt. This year, volume has risen 18%, according to Market Scope, a Manchester, Mo., market-research firm.
Selling Aggressively
In coming years, as health insurers continue to press for more medical costs of all types to be shifted to patients, more and more doctors may need to learn how to sell their services as aggressively as Dr. Maloney does.
Dr. Maloney, a 46-year-old eye surgeon who practices in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood Village, graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University and attended the University of California at San Francisco's medical school after a Rhodes scholarship. But then, he says, he came to a disquieting conclusion: "I really didn't like sick people." He wondered whether he should even become a doctor. Then he discovered the budding field of corrective eye surgery, where he could treat healthy people willing to pay a lot of money to see and feel better.
Even as a young faculty member at the University of California at Los Angeles, Dr. Maloney had a knack for translating medical jargon into snappy sound bites. After going into private practice in 1998, he hired a publicist to get media exposure. Two years ago, he was invited to join the cast of a new ABC television show, "Extreme Makeover," on which cosmetic surgeons operate on volunteers.
At first, he says, he was concerned that a show devoted to glamorizing plastic surgery would be "appalling." But after talking to the other doctors who had signed on, including a cosmetic dentist whose spouse Dr. Maloney had treated, he decided that participating might be fun.
He isn't paid for his cameos on the show. But in the first half of this year, about 12% of his new patients reported choosing him because of the show. "Extreme Makeover," says Shareef Mahdavi, an ophthalmic-device consultant in Pleasanton, Calif., "is a one-hour infomercial in prime time every week."
Dr. Maloney has concluded that it also pays to pamper his customers. At one time, patients walked away from a trip to the eye doctor with little more than oversized plastic sunglasses to protect their dilated eyes. Today, Dr. Maloney's 25-person staff includes a suit-and-tie clad concierge who serves pastries and coffee in the waiting room. After his patients return home from surgery, Dr. Maloney sends a gift box packed with gourmet chocolate chip cookies and a mug bearing the invitation: "Wake up and see the coffee."
He is not the only eye surgeon vying for attention. Andrew Caster, a refractive surgeon in nearby Beverly Hills, signed on with another television makeover show, Fox's "The Swan." And Kerry Assil, who practices a few miles away in Santa Monica, recently performed a new surgical procedure on "Good Morning America," helped by his own Hollywood agent.
Thirty years ago, doctors and lawyers who advertised were viewed with disdain. But ethical standards have changed, and advertising and public relations are widely accepted now in both professions. "Promotion is OK," says Bradley Straatsma, chairman emeritus of UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute. "Part of our American medical system is to inform the public of their options and to try to get information to them that is valid and accurate."
When Dr. Maloney was training as an eye surgeon, many eye doctors considered it barbaric to operate on a healthy eye merely to free someone from glasses or contact lenses. But Dr. Straatsma, then director of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, says he recognized that the emerging technology was certain to become important. He hired Dr. Maloney, who became one of the first full-time refractive surgeons at a major university.
The university's public-relations people loved him. When they paged him, he responded quickly, and he was always eager to talk to the press. "I saw the effect of the stories," Dr. Maloney says. They attracted patients, generated revenue for the department, and ensured a flow of candidates for clinical research.
In 1995, the Food and Drug Administration approved laser vision-correction surgery. Refractive surgery quickly became a huge profit center at the UCLA hospital. To accommodate all of Dr. Maloney's patients, the Jules Stein Eye Institute set up a new laser surgical center. Patients coming in for corrective eye surgery would no longer have to share waiting areas with patients suffering from cancer, corneal ulcers and other eye maladies.

By 1997, the refractive surgery center was generating 40% of the institute's revenue. But Dr. Maloney was chafing under the university system. Unpolished medical students, he says, didn't provide good enough service to his affluent customers. Dr. Maloney grew frustrated by long waits for the approvals needed to launch research studies or to print marketing brochures.
"Ophthalmologists weren't used to marketing," says Bartly Mondino, Dr. Maloney's former boss and now the director of the Jules Stein Institute. The university insisted that marketing materials be fact-based and tasteful, and promote university services rather than individual physicians. "We didn't want anything that might be considered sexist," or that showed "beautiful people walking on the beach," Dr. Mondino says.
Fed up with the hassles and eager to make more money, Dr. Maloney says, he left UCLA in mid-1998 to launch the Maloney Vision Institute. He says he now earns more than the $1.2 million in salary and bonuses he made during his last year at UCLA, but he won't say how much more.
After hanging his shingle, one of his first moves was to retain a part-time publicist. "When I started working with him, I didn't know any other independent doctor who had their own PR person," says Gemma Cunningham. She arranged interviews with trade publications, newspapers and television reporters. Dr. Maloney had the resulting articles framed and hung throughout his office alongside glowing letters from celebrity patients like model Cindy Crawford, comedian Drew Carey, and former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen.
Dr. Maloney makes no apologies for such self-promotion. Along with word-of-mouth referrals, it keeps patients and dollars streaming in the door, he says. "To be a great surgeon, you have to do a lot of it," he says. He doesn't do any advertising, because he says it attracts customers who care more about price than performance.
Over the years, he has conducted clinical testing on a variety of new products, including the implantable corrective lenses that recently won FDA approval for treatment of nearsightedness.
Disappointing Devices
He has also promoted devices that turned out to be disappointing. In 1999, shortly after the FDA approved a new ring-like device designed to change the curvature of the cornea without surgery, he invited reporters to watch him implant the new product, called KeraVision Intacs. The procedure, he claimed, had "the potential to help the more than 22 million adult Americans that have mild to moderate nearsightedness."
But the technology never took off, and Dr. Maloney stopped implanting the devices because he didn't think the results were as good as Lasik. Then, he says, he turned a profit by shorting, or betting against, the stock of the manufacturer, which eventually sought bankruptcy protection. Dr. Maloney says because he was not working as an investigator or consultant to the manufacturer, and because his financial interests were aligned with his responsibilities to patients, the investment was proper. The technology was subsequently acquired by another company for treatment of a different condition.
In 2001, he and another surgeon established a second office in Irvine, about 40 miles south of Los Angeles. Several other corporations were rushing to open Lasik centers. Price wars erupted, with some chains advertising prices of as low as $499 per eye, far below the $2,400 that Dr. Maloney was then charging. To make matters worse, complaints began surfacing about troubling side-effects to Lasik surgery, including night glare and halo vision.
Then the economy tanked. More consumers faced hard choices about their discretionary income. "Will I have Lasik, or take a trip to Hawaii, or remodel the bathroom?" says Mr. Mahdavi, the ophthalmic-device consultant, describing consumers' dilemmas. More people opted to skip the eye surgery, sending many Lasik specialists into the doldrums.
Dr. Maloney's patient volume dropped by 42% between 2000 and 2002. His dream of managing a chain of upscale, research-oriented centers died. Many laser-surgery chains went bankrupt. A notable survivor was TLC Laser Eye Centers, the company that employs golfer Tiger Woods as its spokesman.
Despite the tough times, Dr. Maloney never cut his Lasik prices. He now charges $2,800 per eye, a price at the highest end of the industry range. Many people are willing to pay top dollar for surgeons with "star quality," says David Harmon, president of Market Scope, the market-research firm.
Today, with industry volume recovering, Dr. Maloney is excited about the prospects for the new implants for correcting nearsightedness. Among the other new technologies are surgical treatments to eliminate the need for reading glasses and bifocals.
Dr. Maloney started offering JewelEye implants earlier this year after talking to the Dutch eye surgeon who invented the procedure and is selling the cosmetic implants. The thin platinum hearts, stars and half-moon crescents are safe and don't threaten the structure of the eye, Dr. Maloney asserts. He decided to get involved, he says, because the jewels are "neat" and "I love innovating." He has set the price at $3,900.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued a statement in April warning that the JewelEye wasn't proven to be safe. "We can't really say it's bad, because there aren't any studies," says Academy spokeswoman Michelle Stephens.
It's a ticklish situation. Dr. Maloney is a member of the academy and one of its designated spokespeople. He has performed surgery on many colleagues, including Ms. Stephens. "Refractive surgeons definitely know the value of publicity," she says.
Write to Rhonda L. Rundle at rhonda.rundle@wsj.com

How well am I seeing?

2004-10-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

A common frequently asked question...

1. Compared against my eye glasses?
No comparison for far sight.
Activities such as reading newspapers, my glasses were better because my doctor has adjusted my left glass to compensate more near sight so that I don't need a reading glass.

2. Compared against my contact lens?
For far sight, lasik is good.
My contacts were equally good too.
For near sight- ie reading newspapers, I was used to my contacts. The jury is still out for lasik.

3. While driving, reading sign posts, small street signs etc..?
Lasik is great. I see them clearly.

4. While driving, at night?
I do see halos around car headlights and breaklights. Traffic lights also.
They are not really bad -- but the street seems more festive with all these Christmas bright lights.

5. Reading menu, under a candle light?
That was hard. I can read the entre -- Scallops but I can't read what is in that dish.
The same is true for Paella and Chicken.

The colors look great. I still wear sunglasses since my eyes are still somewhat sensitive to the bright sunlights.

At nights, I wanted to take off my glasses or contacts or turn off this device that making me see things clearly -- too much sensory inputs -- need to turn it off!

The day after the Surgery

2004-10-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

First the business, second my experience.

What to do the day after your lasik procedure

Continue 1 drop of antibiotic, and 1 drop of anti-inflammatory separating them by 1 min. Continue this application for the next 5 days.
Use artificial tears as much as you need.
Wear the protected shields to sleep for the next 10 nights. Wear saftey goggles for raquet or contact sports, or any hazardous work. Wear sunglasses as needed.
Do not wear eye make-ups for the next 7 days.
Do not swim for the next two weeks.
Do not rub your eyes for the next 2 months.

Dramatic improvements in your vision over the first 24 hours, and a gradual improvements over the next 3 months. You may experience a few weeks to a few months of eye dryness, halos around lights at nights, reduced vision in dim illusions, vision fluctuations, and some difficulty with reading and computer vision.

What is my result?

I woke up seeing things clearly and the first time in my life, I can read the clock without needing my eyeglasses. I didn't expect much as Dr. Hyver's office warned me that with my eye sight, they don't expect me to get more than 20-40 the day after the surgery.

I had my eye examination at Dr. Gordon's office this morning at 10:00 AM. She proclaimed my eye to be 20-20 on my right, and 20-30 on my left. She thinks my recovery is above average. This is a long way from my previous nearsightness of -7.75 on my right and -8.5 on my left.

My husband was a bit concerned about my driving so he took me to the doctor's office. Dr. Gordon claimed I can drive and I can read/write as I pleased.

Today is a day of rest ... even though it is a small surgery, just as any surgery, it does take a lot out of me.

I hope my blogs are useful for you all!

Wish you the best on your lasik venture. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or write your comments.

Immediately after Lasik Surgery

2004-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

What to do Immediately following your surgery

First, we will provide you with post operative pouch containing sunglasses, bedtime shields, and artificial tears (Bion Tears), and anti-inflammatory dorps (Flarex). We will enclose your own glasses in the pouch for safekeeping. Please retain the antibiotic drop that you started before surgery for use during the post-operative period. Observe the following immediately after your procedure.

Try to keep your eyes closed as much as possible for the next 4 hours. Sleeping is encouraged. If you do plan to nap or when you go to sleep for the night, be sure to wear your bedtime shields. (My visit to the Doctor's office on the surgery day was 4:30 PM. The doctor started the surgery aroudnd 5:30 and was finished by 5:45 PM. I got home around 6:30 PM and slept until 9 PM. Got up to eat dinner and went back to sleep again for the night. I feel very refresh the next day.)
It is common for your eyes to feel irratated for the first few hours following surgery. You might experience burning, scratchiness, "hair in the eye" sensation, light sensitivity and/or tearing. To help soothe those conditions, you can wear the provided sunglasses, take Tylenol or Motrin (as directed on the label), and/or use the provided artificial tear drops (Bion Tears), one drop in each eye as often as you like. (I felt all of those sensations plus sands and lemon juice in the eye sensation but since I tried to go to bed very early, by the next day, all those feeling were gone.)
On arriving home (or at your lodging) after your procedure, place in each eye, 1 drop of your antibiotic followed by 1 drop of your anti-inflammatory (Flarex), separting the two medication by one min. Continue the application every four hours until bed time. Make sure you shake the bottles of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory before use.
Be very careful not to poke your eye with any thing: fingers, eye drop bottle tips, sunglasses, etc. Do not shower the night of the surgery. The next day, you may.
If at any time after your procedure on surgery day, you experience any substantial vision or comfort differences between your two eyes, or you have any concern about your recovery, please don't hesitate to call your doctor.

I wished I could have a glass of wine or a strong drink immediately when I got home. I didn't know whether it was allowed. I only asked the next day whether it would have been ok. The answer is "YES".

Forget about reading or doing anything the hours after the surgery. Tearing was constant. The pain was constant. The best remedy was sleeping.

The Surgery

2004-10-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am going to give you what the Doctor's office say and what my experience is. They will give you a leavelet on the day of your surgery. I didn't have much time to read and I wish I get this earlier. I will give my commentary in blue.

What to Expect During Your Lasik Procedure

The overall procedure takes about 10-15 mins. The first thing we'll do is numb your eye with drops, after which we'll use a device to hold your eyelids open. because your eye is anesthetized, you won't need to blink. We'll place you under the laser's microscope, where you'll see a linking light. Look at this light throughout the entire procedure.

As we prepare your eye, you'll experience about 20 seconds of pressure on the eye, during which time the blinking light will disappear completely. (The leaflet nor the doctor didn't tell me - but when the pressure is applied on your eye, the immediate reaction is squeezing or muscle contortion. That's when the doctor is flapping your cornea so he really want you to be stilled. The numbness won't prevent you from that so you really should pay attention to it. And don't move or no jerked reaction during this time.)The blinking light will then reappear bigger and fuzzier. Concentrate your focus on this light at all times. Even if it appears to be moving, you must follow the blinking light, always trying to look at its center. The laser itself will operate between 20 and 90 seconds, depending on the level of your prescription. During this time, you will hear a clicking noise from the laser and may sense an odor. You will not, however, see or feel the laser.

Those 20 to 90 seconds were the longest seconds I felt. I was paying attention to what the doctor is saying to pay attention to the laser light and you wish your mind won't go astray from the light. I also was paying extra attention not to move, not to have any reaction or any muscle contortion. I was glad this was done. I had my right eye done first -- yes, I had a muscle squeeze and that's why I could tell you what not to do. I was more prepared for the left eye.

I don't mean to scare you but reporting to you as I felt. I felt the high stress during the surgery that after it was done, I felt the neck-ache and shoulder muscle tenseness. My eye doctor Dr. Gordon said I should have asked for muscle relaxer for the surgery. I didn't know any better but you might want to ask your sugeon about it.

Surgery Preparation

2004-10-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ok. I am typing this for the first time since I got my lasik surgery. More to that later for the surgery itself and after the surgery.

1. Contact lenses
Depending on your eye sight and how long you have been wearing your contacts, the doctor will recommend you not to wear any contacts for 2-5 weeks prior to surgery.
The hardest prep for me as a contact wearer for more than 10 years is wearing eye glasses.
I got to get used to the idea of wearing glasses all day including wearing them during my runs, high aerobics classes or yoga classes. You do get used to it and for me, the 5 weeks went by fairly quickly.

2. Antibiotic
The doctor will give you a perscription for either Vigamox or Ocuflox.
Beginning the day before surgery, apply 1 drop of those antibiotic in each eye every four hours (eg. at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed). On the day of surgery, apply the same way. Antibiotic is supposed to help you avoid infections after surgery so after the surgery, the doctor will ask you to apply the same usage for the next 5 days.

3. Skin Prep
On the surgery day, do not wear any perfume, cologne, or facial make-up.

4. Transportation
The surgery and prep time is 2 hours on the surgery day. Someone needs to drive you home so you need to arrange a driver.

5. Two visits to Dr. Hyver office
Initial visit for Doctor's evaluation of your eye as a potential lasik candidate
Based on your eyesight, thickness of your cornea, and pupil size, the doctor will evaluate whether you are a candidate for lasik, and furthermore what type of lasik can he perform - ie. wavefront or classic lasik. The first visit took me about 2 hours. Multiple tests will be done using various machines and you also get to meet with Dr. Hyver and can ask him all your questions you might have. I am putting together a sample of questions you might want to ask. A business office manager will also go over with you on the pricing. Amber is a very nice helpful lady from Dr. Hyver's office.

The second visit is typically three days prior to your surgery. Typically, the surgery is on Friday and this second visit is on Tuesday. Multiple tests will be done again. If you have additional questions concerning your eyes, surgery or pricing, you can ask at this time again.

There may be other preperation that the doctor might suggest but these are the one that I got to do prior to the surgery.

Lasik Pricing

2004-10-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

VSP recommended pricing

Laser Vision Correction Discount
VSP also offers a discount on laser vision correction surgery. This discount is approximately 20% off.
VSP has arranged for members to receive PRK, LASIK and Custom LASIK at a discounted fee, which could add up to hundreds of dollars in savings. Discounts vary by location, but will average 15% off of the contracted laser center's usual and customary price. Additionally, if the laser center is offering a temporary price reduction, VSP members will receive 5% off of the promotional price. The maximum fee a member will pay is $1,500 per eye for PRK, $1,800 per eye for LASIK and $2,300 per eye for Custom LASIK.
Call VSP at 800-877-7195 or visit VSP's website for details.

I am paying about $3600 (the maximum VSP recommended price) for my Premium Classic Lasik. This includes bi-lateral procedure (the surgery), post-op prescription medication, post-op exams, and extended enhancement (Free up-to 12 months from date of procedure $250/eye 12-36 months from date of procedure. Regular fee after 36 months).
They have already given $400 discount as a referral discount to keep their fee within the VSP price range.

I heard that wave front could be as high as $7000 but I didn't get a quote from anyone so I can't tell you for sure.
Dave paid $4500 for his interlace surgery.

Since Dr. Hyver is a non-VSP, I am told I can still get $250 per eye for reimbursement. I will let you know how difficult or easy it might be.
Here is the statement from the benefit plan.
"If you use a non-VSP provider – you must pay the bill in full at the time you receive the services. Then, submit a VSP Out-of-Network Claim Reimbursement Form or an itemized statement to VSP. VSP will then reimburse you according to the schedule of allowance for non-VSP providers. Be sure to submit this information to VSP within six months of your visit."

What would I have done differently?
1. VSP doctors lasik could be covered for more. I am told none VSP doctors will charge similar price to get the patients. I will interview VSP and none-VSP doctors and go with the doctor for his/her reputation, past experience, and the person of your liking.
2. I would have submitted a flexible spending account prior to my surgery. Now that I have gone this far, I don't feel like waiting. A flexible spending account is taking out of your pre-tax salary so it is like saving $ from your tax money.

Lasik Doctors

2004-10-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

I will be getting my Premium Classic Lasik (Yes, even eye doctors are marketers with creative names) done tomorrow (10/22/04).
Lots of people asked me where am I getting it done and if I will recommend.
I got my recommendation from my ophthalmologist (Dr. Gordon) from Milpitas Optometric Group. Since I have a very bad near sightness and stigmatism, she recommended me
Dr. Scott Hyver from ScottHyver Vision Care, Inc.

Why did I choose Scott Hyver?
I didn't do too many research or comparisons. I picked him because of my ophthalmologist's recommendation, I thought I wanted to get wavefront lasik and he is one of the few pioneers in this technology (I couldn't get it because it isn't FDA approved for my type of eye sight, I am told). Him having the Santa Clara campus closed to Cisco was also a major factor.
I also read his bio and his web site and sold to his amt of experience he had.

One thing to note is he is not part of VSP but his rate are similar to what VSP members cover.
More about prices and VSP recommendation later.

Scott Hyver Vision Care, Inc.
http://www.scotthyver.com/
They have three offices and one of them is near the Cisco campus on Tasman Drive.

Here is the complete list of Scott Hyver VisionCare Inc. locations.
2901 Tasman Drive, Suite 208, Santa Clara CA 95054
2171 Junipero Serra, Suite 170, Daly City, CA 94014
210 Porter Drive, Suite 215, San Ramon, CA 94583.

I also got a recommendation from a friend, Dave Fylstra who is very happy with his lasik surgery.
Bart Carey M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Carey Vision Medical Group, Inc. 2485 Hospital Drive Suite 361 Mtn View, CA 94040 650-969-6300 Bcarey@careyvision.com www.careyvision.com His office is in one of the pavilions behind El Camino Hospital. He performs the surgery at the Stanford Eye Laser Center. Dr. Carey's biography is at http://www.careyvision.com/index.cfm/doctors/bartcarey

VSP Doctors
http://www.vsp.com/vspcom_doctor/html/doctor_home.jsp

Lasik Background Reading

2004-10-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.users.fast.net/~behanna/lasik.html http://www.med.stanford.edu/school/eye/laser/index2.html http://www.lmarie.com/lasik.html http://www.lasikinstitute.org/ http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK/lasers.htm http://www.surgicaleyes.org/Index.htm http://www.intralase.com/ http://drjoeross.com/refractivesurgery.htm

Thank you Dave for giving me these links.