Lasik Eyes Surgery - Dallas Texas

Author

Dallas Texas

Charlie H.

2005-03-19, 6:22 pm

I am considering LASIK surgery.
I have been evaluated at UT Southwestern Medical Center and I am scheduled
for an eval at Tylock Eye Care & Laser Center.
Are there any doctors / surgery centers in the DFW area to avoid ?
Is there one that is clearly the best choice ?

On another note, I am somewhat shocked by the prices.
I have been getting quotes over the phone for the procedure that was
recommended by UT Southwestern Medical center which is the Intra-Lasik
procedure (custom is not required and is not recommended).
Prices from several places are all in the ball park of $4000 to $4500.
I can pay this much but I was expecting it to be in the 3k range instead of
the 4k range.

Regards,
Charlie

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:22 pm

Anyone who has had a bad surgery experience would probably say that
you should not go to their doctor, and since surgery and doctors are
not perfect you will find that all doctors have had patients with a
bad experience, so if you look hard enough you will find someone to
tell you to not go to every doctor of every kind on the planet. This
is probably not the best way to determine which doctor to select.

I suggest you use our 50 Tough Questions For Your Doctor at
http://www.usaeyes.org/faq/tough_questions.htm to help you step by
step evaluate a potential doctor.

Pricing varies widely in refractive surgery. You will see ads for
$299 per eye, but it is the rare patient that would actually qualify
for this low rate. One of the national discount chain's internal
reports shows their average to be closer to $1,250 per eye.

Additional services will incur additional costs. Wavefront-guided
surgery is almost always more expensive than conventional surgery, and
is often more than worth the cost. Using a laser microkeratome to
create the LASIK flap is often more expensive than a mechanical
microkeratome. Some clinics offer different "warranty" plans that
will include enhancements for one year, two years, or "lifetime" with
different pricing.

Nobody wants to pay more than necessary for anything, but then you are
talking about having microsurgery on your eyes. My suggestion is to
evaluate the best available surgeon for your particular circumstances.
If you can afford that surgeon, then great. If you cannot, then wait.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Ragnar

2005-03-19, 6:22 pm

You might want to get a price on a place that does not do intra-lasik.
That intralase flap maker is probably what is putting your price up so
high.

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 09:30:32 -0600, "Charlie H."
<dontsendspam2hinton@comcast.net> wrote:

>I am considering LASIK surgery.
>I have been evaluated at UT Southwestern Medical Center and I am scheduled
>for an eval at Tylock Eye Care & Laser Center.
>Are there any doctors / surgery centers in the DFW area to avoid ?
>Is there one that is clearly the best choice ?
>
>On another note, I am somewhat shocked by the prices.
>I have been getting quotes over the phone for the procedure that was
>recommended by UT Southwestern Medical center which is the Intra-Lasik
>procedure (custom is not required and is not recommended).
>Prices from several places are all in the ball park of $4000 to $4500.
>I can pay this much but I was expecting it to be in the 3k range instead of
>the 4k range.
>
>Regards,
>Charlie
>

ecstaticallyhappy

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

You should visit Dr. Boothe and Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. Dr. Boothe
is probably the most experienced IntraLASIK surgeon in the world as well as
the DFW Metroplex. I had my procedure there and a wonderful experience.

www.boothelasercenter.com

theOmega

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

If I was going to have the procedure done, I'd feel more comfortable
with the use of the IntraLASE over the microkeratome.

I'm sure the microkeratome is safe when used by the right surgeon, but
something about laser precision is more comforting than even the
sharpest blade. IMHO, its worth the cost.

Sandy - LASIKdisaster.com - LASIKmemorial.com

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

ecstaticallyhappy wrote:
> You should visit Dr. Boothe and Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. Dr.
Boothe
> is probably the most experienced IntraLASIK surgeon in the world as
well as
> the DFW Metroplex. I had my procedure there and a wonderful
experience.
>
> www.boothelasercenter.com

I had heard that the IntraLase made it possible that surgeons could do
lasik on themselves, but had doubted it until now.

sktmom44@grandecom.net

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Charlie,
Before you go to see Dr. Boothe be prepared for an assembly line. All
this man cares about is how many patients he can schedule for surgery
day. He then pays his employees bonuses if he reaches the right amount
of surgeries for the week. I suggest you look at the following link to
see what other paitients of Dr. Boothe have to say.
http://www.co.collin.tx.us/ShowCaseLookupServlet this is the Collin
County sheriff dept case look up. If you care about the type of
employer he his then I would also stay away because the employees leave
due to the harrassment by Dr Boothe and the long hours on surgery day
of 18 plus hours.

Charlie H.

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Howdy to everyone,
Thanks so much to the people that took the time to reply.
I had my second opinion yesterday, and quite to my surprise I got a much
different diagnosis than I had expected.
It turns out that I have a condition where the epithelial layer is loose.
This can cause problems with the healing of the flap and in worst case
conditions can cause the epithelial layer to detach and come off.
My left eye is affected to the point that any eye surgery requiring a flap
to be made is not recommended at all, my right eye is a marginal candidate
for an interlasik procedure.
If a surgical procedure to correct my vision is chosen over glasses, PRK is
the recommendation.
A positive side effect of PRK is that the procedure will also repair the
loose epithelial basement membrane.

Based on this new information I have some further thinking to do about the
whole situation.
I went from ideal, slam dunk candidate to; Lasik / Intralasik not
recommended.
The PRK costs a lot less than the Intralasik so I see no conflicts to
suggest that this diagnosis is anything less than accurate.

My experience with the Tylock Eye Care & Laser Center was outstanding.
The staff and doctors are very professional and friendly.
I was examined initially by Dr. Hayes and was very impressed with him. He
spent a lot of time with me going over the diagnosis he had made. He gave
complete answers to my questions and followed up with information I didn't
know to ask about. He had Dr. Tylock examine my eyes and consult with me
about treatment options too. Dr. Tylock was impressive as well. He too spent
a lot of time with me and we discussed my eyes extensively. He answers to my
questions were also complete and lead to further conversation.
These people have the best attitude, they spent as much time with me as I
required, my appointment ran much longer than expected due to the unexpected
diagnosis and me needing to talk to them, even though they were locking the
doors, never once did I feel like they rushed me. Everyone seemed genuinely
happy to be working there.

I am very conservative when it comes to doing something like this. I knew
going in that I would get at least two opinions. At this point I do not know
if I will elect to have surgery or not.
If my first diagnosis had indicated my personal issues that go beyond the
"normal" risks associated with the procedure, then I may not have sought a
second opinion.
While a medical diagnosis is really just an opinion based on observation of
a particular patient, I personally find it impossible to dismiss the less
than ideal opinion.
Even though the exam takes a lot of time, I would suggest that anyone
considering corrective eye surgery get at least two opinions. Especially if
the first opinion declares you as a slam dunk candidate.

Regards,
Charlie

"Charlie H." <dontsendspam2hinton@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:gPKdndfcVbCFMIXfRVn-tA@comcast.com...
>I am considering LASIK surgery.
> I have been evaluated at UT Southwestern Medical Center and I am scheduled
> for an eval at Tylock Eye Care & Laser Center.
> Are there any doctors / surgery centers in the DFW area to avoid ?
> Is there one that is clearly the best choice ?
>
> On another note, I am somewhat shocked by the prices.
> I have been getting quotes over the phone for the procedure that was
> recommended by UT Southwestern Medical center which is the Intra-Lasik
> procedure (custom is not required and is not recommended).
> Prices from several places are all in the ball park of $4000 to $4500.
> I can pay this much but I was expecting it to be in the 3k range instead
> of the 4k range.
>
> Regards,
> Charlie
>

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

I'm curious about this statement. Are you vilifying this doctor
because he works long hours?

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

It sounds like you have found the right doctor for you and are moving
forward with all due consideration of the potential risks as well as
the potential benefits.

If your refractive error is less than 6.00 diopters, the PRK would
seem to be the logical choice. You are correct that the process would
"treat" both the epithelial problem and the myopia (nearsightedness).
Even if your epithelium is stronger than diagnosed, PRK would not be
problematic.

PRK has a much longer visual recovery time than does LASIK. Expect
for 3-5 days to have poor, but functional vision. As the epithelium
covers the treatment area, thickens, and becomes smooth, your vision
will go from poor to good to as crisp as possible.

An advantage of PRK over LASIK is that PRK eliminates the LASIK flap.
Even if the probability of a LASIK flap problem is low, no flap makes
flap complications impossible.

Keep doing your research. From what you have done so far, it would
appear that you will make the right choice for your individual
circumstances.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

extech

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

You obviously don't know the man.

rebeccaNO_SPAM@lasermyeye.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Charlie H. wrote:
> Howdy to everyone,
> Thanks so much to the people that took the time to reply.
> I had my second opinion yesterday, and quite to my surprise I got a
much
> different diagnosis than I had expected.
> It turns out that I have a condition where the epithelial layer is
loose.
> This can cause problems with the healing of the flap and in worst
case
> conditions can cause the epithelial layer to detach and come off.
> My left eye is affected to the point that any eye surgery requiring a
flap
> to be made is not recommended at all, my right eye is a marginal
candidate
> for an interlasik procedure.
> If a surgical procedure to correct my vision is chosen over glasses,
PRK is
> the recommendation.
> A positive side effect of PRK is that the procedure will also repair
the
> loose epithelial basement membrane.

Charlie,

I am SO pleased to hear that this was identified before going ahead
with surgery! It sounds like you have ABMD. I know several patients who
had LASIK with that condition and they went through months of dreadful
discomfort during healing and some have serious long-term problems.
Their experience is something I would not wish on anyone.

There are many advantages to doing a surface procedure. The convenience
factor in LASIK (fast recovery, less discomfort) has made it hugely
popular but many doctors have demonstrated that the humble surface
ablation can have superior visual outcomes.

Congrats for doing your homework carefully.

Rebecca Petris
www.lasermyeye.org

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

To my recollection, I've never met the doctor, but that does not have
anything to do with my question to the previous poster. I'm trying to
get some clarification of the accusation. From what was written, it
seems the poster doesn't like the doctor in part because he works long
hours. I personally don't see anything wrong with hard work, so I
assume there is something more to this than the doctor not having any
home life.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Anterior Basement Membrane Dystrophy (ABMD) would present symptoms
similar to what has been described, but other lessor maladies may
present very similar symptoms.

In any case, Rebecca is absolutely correct that it is fortunate the
evaluation determined a corneal epithelium problem before surgery,
rather than after. Your options can be based upon this additional
information so you can make the best decision for your individual
circumstances.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

damageddoc@yahoo.com

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Dear Charlie,

LASIK is NOT an exacting science and no one can guarantee what kind of
refractive outcome you will have, or how stable your refraction will
be.

Corneal tissue is not a renewable resource. Once corneal tissue is
lasered away you'll have thinner, weakened corneas. Furthremore the
LASIK flap will never heal back to the underlying stroma. You will
always have an interface (a cut area inside your cornea), which is
commonly full of debris such as metal fragments from the microkeratome
blade. Do you really want that junk in your eyes?

All LASIK patients lose contrast sensitivity. This means your world
will be a bit dimmer and less distinct, particularly in low light. Your
vision, overall may not be as crisp, textures not as defined. It's a
sad thing to lose a component of your vision. You may miss having
normal contrast sensitivity after surgery. I do. Some post-LASIKs can't
drive safely at night.

Charlie, there isn't some "low" rate for LASIK complications. It's not
1% or 3% or even 5%.... it is a 100% certainty that you will lose some
of the mechanical strength of your cornea, that the integrity of your
corneal tissue will never be restored, and that your corneal nerves
will be severed by the procedure.

LASIK is a big crap shoot, and it's your vision that you're gambling
with.

Charlie, take the money you would have spent on LASIK, go on a really
cool vacation or buy some luxury item you've always wanted. But keep
your corneas healthy and intact. Steer clear from the char and scar
known as LASIK.

Charlie H. wrote:
> I am considering LASIK surgery.
> I have been evaluated at UT Southwestern Medical Center and I am
scheduled
> for an eval at Tylock Eye Care & Laser Center.
> Are there any doctors / surgery centers in the DFW area to avoid ?
> Is there one that is clearly the best choice ?
>
> On another note, I am somewhat shocked by the prices.
> I have been getting quotes over the phone for the procedure that was
> recommended by UT Southwestern Medical center which is the
Intra-Lasik
> procedure (custom is not required and is not recommended).
> Prices from several places are all in the ball park of $4000 to
$4500.
> I can pay this much but I was expecting it to be in the 3k range
instead of
> the 4k range.
>
> Regards,
> Charlie

serebel

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

damaged...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Dear Charlie,
>
> LASIK is NOT an exacting science and no one can guarantee what kind
of
> refractive outcome you will have, or how stable your refraction will
> be.
>
> Corneal tissue is not a renewable resource. Once corneal tissue is
> lasered away you'll have thinner, weakened corneas. Furthremore the
> LASIK flap will never heal back to the underlying stroma. You will
> always have an interface (a cut area inside your cornea), which is
> commonly full of debris such as metal fragments from the
microkeratome
> blade. Do you really want that junk in your eyes?
>
> All LASIK patients lose contrast sensitivity. This means your world
> will be a bit dimmer and less distinct, particularly in low light.
Your
> vision, overall may not be as crisp, textures not as defined. It's a
> sad thing to lose a component of your vision. You may miss having
> normal contrast sensitivity after surgery. I do. Some post-LASIKs
can't
> drive safely at night.
>
> Charlie, there isn't some "low" rate for LASIK complications. It's
not
> 1% or 3% or even 5%.... it is a 100% certainty that you will lose
some[vbcol=seagreen]
> of the mechanical strength of your cornea, that the integrity of your
> corneal tissue will never be restored, and that your corneal nerves
> will be severed by the procedure.
>
> LASIK is a big crap shoot, and it's your vision that you're gambling
> with.
>
> Charlie, take the money you would have spent on LASIK, go on a really
> cool vacation or buy some luxury item you've always wanted. But keep
> your corneas healthy and intact. Steer clear from the char and scar
> known as LASIK.
>
> Charlie H. wrote:
> scheduled
was[vbcol=seagreen]
> Intra-Lasik
> $4500.
> instead of

Er, damaged, Charlie isn't going to have lasik. You could have saved
the diatribe.

SErebel

theOmega

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Seriously...

I can't believe you are insinuating that ecstaticallyhappy is Dr.
Boothe just because they had a positive experience.

That's just ridiculous and one hell of a stretch.

auto416886@hushmail.com

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

Dr. Boothe is the last doctor on earth you should see for LASIK. I
know several people who wish they had never heard of Dr. Boothe.

Glenn - USAEyes.org

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

I really don't know specifics about this particular doctor, but a the
risk of quoting myself:

Anyone who has had a bad surgery experience would probably say that
you should not go to their doctor, and since surgery and doctors are
not perfect you will find that all doctors have had patients with a
bad experience, so if you look hard enough you will find someone to
tell you to not go to every doctor of every kind on the planet. This
is probably not the best way to determine which doctor to select.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.

Sandy - LASIKdisaster.com - LASIKmemorial.com

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

You really think so?

colleycpm@aol.com

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

theOmega wrote:
> Seriously...
>
> I can't believe you are insinuating that ecstaticallyhappy is Dr.
> Boothe just because they had a positive experience.
>
> That's just ridiculous and one hell of a stretch.

theOmega

2005-03-19, 6:23 pm

I could just as easily accuse you of creating any of the negative
testimonials you place here.