How to find a good laser eye (Lasik) surgeon (in Boston area)?

I have finally decided to pay the $$$ and get lasik done... cannot stand contacts any more. However I want to go to the best of the best, regardless of the cost, but not really sure how to go about finding the best Lasik doc? I am in Boston btw...

When I do a search on google tons of local laser centers and docs come up, all claiming they are great... I have narrowed it down to these two as of right now, mainly because of their credentials

http://www.visionboston.com/

http://www.bostonlaser.com/

yelp.com is a great source for real reviews for all types of businesses in your area and that includes lasik. You can also private message any of the reviewers if you need more advice. Who ever you pick, I'd make sure they cut the flap with a laser as opposed to blade.

I was really close to getting lasik this summer but I'm holding off on it as I'm not comfortable with the flap healing issue. I know plenty of people who had it done and love it though. Good luck!

you can get this same surgery in Mexico for like $50 per

Highly advise to extensively research this first.

Talk with an independent ophthalmologist (MD) not an optometrist and get their opinion. I'd love to do it cause I hate my contacts and glasses but decided against it for two reasons:

1. Relatively new procedure. No very long term results yet. I don't consider 10 years to be long term when I expect to have my eyes for much longer.

2. As per my eye doc, it can interfere with corrective surgery e.g. cataracts, down the line.

Also, when I inquired with my ophthalmologist she said she wouldn't comment either for or against but "I'm an opthalmologist and my brother is an [can't remember if she said optometrist or opth] and we both wear glasses..."

Anecdotal but enough to give me a lot of pause.

Originally Posted by phreak

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you can get this same surgery in Mexico for like $50 per

Yeah, cause I want to spend $50 on my eyes.

Originally Posted by phreak

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you can get this same surgery in Mexico for like $50 per

That sounds like a good idea...

Originally Posted by Jumbie

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Highly advise to extensively research this first.

Talk with an independent ophthalmologist (MD) not an optometrist and get their opinion. I'd love to do it cause I hate my contacts and glasses but decided against it for two reasons:

1. Relatively new procedure. No very long term results yet. I don't consider 10 years to be long term when I expect to have my eyes for much longer.

2. As per my eye doc, it can interfere with corrective surgery e.g. cataracts, down the line.

Also, when I inquired with my ophthalmologist she said she wouldn't comment either for or against but "I'm an opthalmologist and my brother is an [can't remember if she said optometrist or opth] and we both wear glasses..."

Anecdotal but enough to give me a lot of pause.

I believe both of those docs i linked to are ophthalmologist... I will have to check into it. I made initial appointments with both of those places but I'd like to check out a few more.

Originally Posted by pg600rr

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That sounds like a good idea...



I believe both of those docs i linked to are ophthalmologist... I will have to check into it. I made initial appointments with both of those places but I'd like to check out a few more.

Didn't bother checking the links. However, I would strongly suggest an independent unbiased source.

In the end, I know more than a few people who are very happy with their procedures and, like I said, I would love to get it done. I just have my personal reservations against the procedure.

If you have perfect eyes now, don't you have to get reading glasses down the road? Is that how it works?

Check out Dr. Ernest W. Kornmehl, he's as good as they come. (Google his name for website).

I had mine done a few years ago and loved the outcome. One thing to point out is that he isn't like these Lasik shops that do thousands of surgeries. He will only do the surgery if you 'qualify' meaning you are an ideal candidate where the surgery will work and last a long, long time. He wouldn't perform surgery on my wife's eyes because he believed the results would not be ideal and he doesn't want to attach his name to supar results.

Edit: I see now your websites listed and Dr. Kornmehl is one of the ones you narrowed it down to. Like I said, I recommend him and have had the procedure done and loved the outcome.

Originally Posted by fp1

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Check out Dr. Ernest W. Kornmehl, he's as good as they come. (Google his name for website).

I had mine done a few years ago and loved the outcome. One thing to point out is that he isn't like these Lasik shops that do thousands of surgeries. He will only do the surgery if you 'qualify' meaning you are an ideal candidate where the surgery will work and last a long, long time. He wouldn't perform surgery on my wife's eyes because he believed the results would not be ideal and he doesn't want to attach his name to supar results.

Edit: I see now your websites listed and Dr. Kornmehl is one of the ones you narrowed it down to. Like I said, I recommend him and have had the procedure done and loved the outcome.

Just a few questions:
1. what was the cost of your procedure? did you do any financing through the office?
2. was there any cost for the initial meeting (they emailed me today saying it was $85 for the consultation but I dont want to pay and do this unless I am def. going to use his services...)
3. does he offer free changes for the future if you eyes change or you need some more work?

thanks

Originally Posted by pg600rr

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Just a few questions:
1. what was the cost of your procedure? did you do any financing through the office?
2. was there any cost for the initial meeting (they emailed me today saying it was $85 for the consultation but I dont want to pay and do this unless I am def. going to use his services...)
3. does he offer free changes for the future if you eyes change or you need some more work?

thanks

1. I'm not sure of the exact cost anymore, but it wasn't cheap. Maybe like 1250-1400/eye or something like that. This was about 3-4 years ago.

2. Yes, I paid the initial consultation fee. He will look your eyes over exhausitively and tell you everything 'wrong' with your eyes. Apparently, my wife didn't qualify, because he opined that she probably slept with her eyes opened slightly and thus the bottom of her eyes became 'scarred.' Sure enough, that night, I looked over and he was definitely right. He also cursed at all the optometrists who wrote prescriptions for my wife because he said they could've warned her about that years ago. She now takes special night eye drops to stave off further 'damage.'

3. He told me to come back when I wasn't satisfied anymore and he would fix it. I'm not sure if I could come back 10 years from now and he would fix if for free though. It's not like he will provide you with a written guarantee, that just isn't done. Keep in mind though, he'll reject a good portion of his clients because he just won't do the surgery unless it will work and last a long time. I think he rejects about 40-50% of the people that want the surgery.

All in all, it's a leap of faith. I didn't have terrible eyesight but it has gotten progressively worse since college/law school. I started wearing glasses post lawschool for the first time and did that for a few years until it became a pain to always have to buy prescription sunglasses, ski goggles, etc. The first time waking up and having everything focused clearly in the morning, made Lasik worth it to me.

I always start with Mass General and go out from there. Mass Eye and Ear performs the procedure, though I have no experience in eye zapping, that is where I would look first.

Originally Posted by fp1

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1. I'm not sure of the exact cost anymore, but it wasn't cheap. Maybe like 1250-1400/eye or something like that. This was about 3-4 years ago.

2. Yes, I paid the initial consultation fee. He will look your eyes over exhausitively and tell you everything 'wrong' with your eyes. Apparently, my wife didn't qualify, because he opined that she probably slept with her eyes opened slightly and thus the bottom of her eyes became 'scarred.' Sure enough, that night, I looked over and he was definitely right. He also cursed at all the optometrists who wrote prescriptions for my wife because he said they could've warned her about that years ago. She now takes special night eye drops to stave off further 'damage.'

3. He told me to come back when I wasn't satisfied anymore and he would fix it. I'm not sure if I could come back 10 years from now and he would fix if for free though. It's not like he will provide you with a written guarantee, that just isn't done. Keep in mind though, he'll reject a good portion of his clients because he just won't do the surgery unless it will work and last a long time. I think he rejects about 40-50% of the people that want the surgery.

All in all, it's a leap of faith. I didn't have terrible eyesight but it has gotten progressively worse since college/law school. I started wearing glasses post lawschool for the first time and did that for a few years until it became a pain to always have to buy prescription sunglasses, ski goggles, etc. The first time waking up and having everything focused clearly in the morning, made Lasik worth it to me.

Great info, thanks.... yea the cost much more today, they told me the Lasik fee is from $5300-$5800.

Initial fee is $85 but they said it'll prob. be covered by insurance as a exam fee. I cannot decide whether to go with Dr. Melki or Kornmehl... both seem to be the best of the best, so maybe it'll come down to which is cheaper. I think Melki is around $4300-$4800.

Why is it that most doctors and surgeons I see still wear glasses? Do they have little confidence or know something we don't?

Originally Posted by upnorth

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Why is it that most doctors and surgeons I see still wear glasses? Do they have little confidence or know something we don't?

they may not be eligible to get the surgery, from researching there is only really a small selection of people who should actually get it done, however some of the less respectible places (like those chain laser centers) will do anybody who walks through the door and qualifies for financing. Other than that I can only suspect either 1. they dont mind wearing glasses (maybe they think it makes them look more doctorly); or 2. they wouldnt trust anyone but themselves to work on their eyes....