Question:
Has anyone had any experiences with either of these companies?
TLC claims to be the best and claims to have the most experience,
having been involved with FDA research on lasers from the beginning...
They have 60 locations around the US and Canada... I think started
doing LASIK in Canada in the 1980s. They are also more than twice as
much as many of the other companies (charging about $4800 US for both
eyes, but they said they would give me an $800 discount because I knew
two people who had it done there for $3700 and $3800, less six months
ago).
The Laser Eye Institute has 18 locations around the US. I think
they've only been in existence for about three years... but have
surgeons who have gained experience prior to working with them. I met
with them for an interview and felt as comfortable there as I was at
TLC... they seem quite knowledgeable. Their cost is based on the
prescription... they quoted me about $1900.
The surgeons have completed similiar number of procedures (11,000+ and
10,000+), but TLC uses the VISX Star and The Laser Eye Institute uses
the Nidek. Research indicates that the VISX Star has slightly better
results... but I know people who've been to The Laser Eye Institute
and are very happy. Is the laser worth the $2000 difference? Or does
anyone have any comments about the companies?
Do you know about Vision 4 Less Eye Care?
Answer:
The lame "TLC charges too much because of comanagement fees"
discounter argument has been dispproved time and time again, but it
seems that discounter surgeons still cling to it (they need to come up
with some line to try and explain away why they are so cheap). After
you subtract what TLC pays the doctors for post op care (thankfully
eliminating the possibility of people being left out in the cold like
the Lasik Vision and ICON patients have been), TLC and the like are
still 2,3 or even 4 times as much as the discounters like corneadoc's
Lasik MD center.
The question should really be how the cheap places like corneadoc's
center can do it for so much less than everyone else. Corners being
cut? I don't know. I do know you can't draw blood from a stone.
