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Furlong Vision Correction Medical Center Inc
Rating Details »
Categories: Optometrists, Ophthalmologists [Edit]
2107 N 1st St.Ste 101
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 453-5600
Custom Lasik Savings
Save up to 45% on Custom Lasik with your flex spending accout. Free, no obligation vision evaluation at Furlong Vision Correction.
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
11 reviews for Furlong Vision Correction Medical Center Inc
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
9/13/2008
10/1/2009
8/20/2009
2/19/2009
7/30/2008
5/13/2009
3/11/2007
9/18/2008
1/20/2009
2/3/2009
4/29/2008
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
If you're interested in refractive surgery, go to Dr. Furlong. He is an extremely competent refractive surgeon and a great guy. He's super nice.
I've seen some statistics on Dr. Furlong's success rate and re-touch rate on all of his previous patients and it's pretty astonishing! It's one of the highest (if not the highest) success rate and one of the lowest (if not the lowest) re-touch rate in all TLC centers in the country...and perhaps all refractive surgery centers as well.
His prices aren't the cheapest. But, they are competitive and fair. Now, when it comes to my eyes, I'm not going to go cheap and go to any five-and-dime surgeon that advertises for $499 per eye! I would want to go to the best.
I really like Dr. Furlong because not only is he an excellent doctor, but he's totally cool and down to earth. And, I think that's so important with doctors.
I really wish I could go off the chart for giving stars. Here, I would start at 10. I am an avid contact lens wearer, wearing my glasses a couple times a week to give my eyes a break since I am that age. While wearing the glasses about 3 months ago and covering my left eye,
I noticed a dramatic acuity reduction in my right eye. My excellent Optometrist, Dr. Rodney Lum referred me to Dr.Michael Furlong after we were unfortunately unable to alleviate my problem.
My initial consultation with Dr. Furlong confirmed that the problem I had in that eye was abnormal epithelium cells (basically an
eye plaque.) From the get go, Dr. Furlong and all of his staff
were top notch. I had a comprehensive examination and
Dr. Furlong explained my options, first starting with mild steroid drops
then to a more substantial drop while also giving me a surgical
option. I am not much for surgery if I can avoid it, I already had
my share so I tried the drop regimen. I also ran out the drops twice
and emailed the office and I received immediate responses and advice from Carla-Thank you!
After almost 2 months, my eye was only improving just minimally and
as I sat in his office on Thurs. Sept. 24th. I chose to have the surgery
and incredibly was able to schedule it for the very next day.
The surgery itself went great, the staff was very caring and understanding and Dr. Furlong explained what he was doing the entire way which really helped. He also told me what to expect
during the recovery so I wouldn't be taken off guard.
I really appreciated Dr. Furlong's skill and the way his office is run.
Most centers these days will give as part of the free consultation the complete eye exam which includes a battery of diagnostics. This enables the doctor to make an informed recognition as to the type of surgery best suited. It can be a full 90 minutes.
I went first to a different place, Laser Eye Center with Dr. Craig Bindi and that's what I received. He laid out my options and didn't push me to the most expensive one (Wave). In fact, we agreed together that the less expensive method (traditional Lasik) would be fine for me.
I next went to Furlong Vision. Although they advertise a free exam, they do not actually give the complete one. It's only an initial screening lasting 30 minutes. I did not realize this and they certainly didn't make clear that another exam would be needed to make a fully informed decision.
When Dr. Furlong came in, it was clear to me that he didn't have the necessary information. As he himself said, I would need the other fuller exam. But when I asked him what was his likely recommendation, he immediately said, "Wave" (the most expensive option).
So, it was hard to trust the place after that and I went with Laser Eye Center. And I was OK with just leaving it at that.
But then I get a follow up email from Furlong's staff. I tell her that I've chosen differently. She asks me for feedback.
Fair enough, I can respect the desire to improve one's services. So I email my experience to her.
I immediately get back a lengthy 3 page single space email defending their method and actions. The next day, I get a phone call at home (during business hours) from the same woman, wanting to talk. I told her that I'd said what I wanted to convey and ended the conversation.
I feel like this is stupid customer relations at best, and an abuse of the feedback mechanism at worst. When I give feedback, I'm not agreeing to be subjected to more and more attempts to persuade me about the company, especially phone calls to my place of residence.
Was there anything that was out and out ill treatment? No. That's why I didn't give them one star. But there's the whiff of an outfit that's not putting the customer first, and too aggressive for my taste.
Otherwise, the staff at the facility was OK and the office is nice.
My cousins referred me to Furlong vision... and since they had no complaints, I was pretty much sold. It's been almost a year now since I got RFK done and I'm very happy. The whole process was a little tedious since my eyes were REALLY BAD so, I kept coming in for like 3-4 months to make sure my eyes were ready for surgery. The staff each time was incredible. From the front desk to the technicians, they were super friendly and attentive. No crazy wait times either - I was in and out for each appt (unless previously warned that it'd be a 2 hour appt). And they even helped me get through the nerve-racking event when I kinda freaked out the day of (a laser in your eye... scary!). One of the techs totally hung out with me and helped calm me down. For that, I must say thank you thank you thank you!
I'm at about 20/20 in my left and 20/25 in my right (the worse of the 2 pre-surgery). I havent had any problems with night vision or seeing halos. If anything happens at my one year check-up, I'll update, but I highly doubt it.
Having LASIK done feels like being part of some secret club. Want to see what I mean? Start working the fact that you're scheduling a LASIK procedure into your casual conversations...
"Oh my god, you're doing LASIK? I had mine done last year. You're going to love it."
"Wait, are you guys talking about LASIK? I had LASIK too, so glad I did! Kind of weird to smell your own eyes burning though."
You are likely to discover that more people than you ever suspected have had a LASIK procedure at some point, and the ones that haven't are thinking about it. Rightly so, since it's getting cheaper and better, and wearing glasses Sucks. Capitalized on purpose.
I found out that not only have half my friends been under the microkeratome at some point, a good portion of them lounged beneath the very same laser I did, at Furlong Vision Correction. Everyone had positive things to say... well, except for the "smell your eyes burning" thing. I wish I could ease your fears and say that's all bullshit, but... anyway, let's move on. Don't think about that too much.
I'd better talk about the experience at FVC, lest this review become one big "go get LASIK" commercial. The staff here was all very friendly and helpful. Every appointment included frequent pauses to make sure my questions were answered and that I was comfortable. The appointment times were convenient and they were always careful to let me know how long I should expect to be there, and what was going to be involved.
I would've actually gone 5 stars on this review, but I have one small criticism, which is that scheduling and keeping appointments was harder than it should've been. FVC canceled & rescheduled my initial exam twice. Not a big deal, except the second time, they called me only a couple of hours before the appointment, when I'd already taken time off. Also, I had an additional unexpected appointment to re-do the wavefront mapping procedure. On the phone they said it was a software problem, but once I got to the office, they said it was just to get an updated map.
Note: When the front office gives the appearance that they're not on top of the doctor's schedule, and gives different answers for why things are necessary than the back office staff does, it does not calm ones anxiety about the sensitive medical procedure being performed.
That criticism aside, the experience was stellar, and I'm very happy with my "new eyes" and greatly improved vision. I'd definitely recommend Dr. Furlong and FVC for your LASIK procedure!
On my optometrist's recommendation, I decided to visit Dr. Furlong's office for a LASIK consultation. It's a bit of a trek, but I really like and trust my eye doctor (shameless plug: http://www.yelp.com/bi...) so if he says this is the place to go, this is the place I'll go.
They've been great on the phone and were equally great in person. My hour long appointment was actually full of interaction and testing and information sharing and videos and a couple more tests and measurements and more information and opportunities for questions and THEN they talked money. And they don't ask for payment until the day of surgery. The tech that will be assisting in my surgery did all my tests and gave me his card in case any questions came up. Well, one did and he got back to me incredibly quickly and was very helpful. I also met Dr. Furlong who took a look at my eyes and chatted to me for a bit and asked if I had any questions. Finally I met with the counselor that discussed pricing, payment options, treatment and after care and made the appointment for me. They're working hand in hand with my optometrist so I can have my follow up appointments there instead of having to go all the way to San Jose.
Why oh why did I even consider anywhere else? I'll award them that fifth star once I can see!!!!
If you've ever considered Lasik surgery, then this is the place for you. Dr. Furlong has performed over 15,000 procedures and was also a Lasik patient (I know what you're thinking....sounds like that guy from the Hair Club for Men, right?). If you've heard the horror stories about Lasik patients whose vision became worse after surgery, I'm willing to bet it came from a doctor with very little experience. The price is about 4K, but you can finance that with them over 18 months through Capital One. If the monthly payments are still steeper than you would like, just pay what you can. When you're near the 18 month mark, apply for a different credit card with the same incentive plan (i.e. no interest for the first 12 months on balance transfers) - Ta-da!!
Dr. Furlong and his staff walk you through the procedure every step of the way so you know exactly what to expect. They send you home with material to read, so you can discuss any questions you might have prior to the day of surgery. If you want to know more about the actual experience, just message me.
Lasik surgery is the best investment I've ever made. I see so much clearer than I ever have before....took me a while to adjust to the clarity. It's like the difference between regular television and HDTV.
I had wavefront lasik done by Dr Furlong in march 2006 and have been 20/20 since. The entire experience was 100% positive, from the staff to the exams to the actual lasik day. He runs a very well oiled ship and he is highly skilled..... the results speak for themselves. I've had absolutely no problems with the surgery, no infection, no corrections needed and everything healed with no discomfort. I don't see halos and have no problems with night vision or low lighting.
This place is wonderful. I highly recommend coming here if you're considering lasik. I had a procedure called PRK done less than two weeks ago and now my eyes are so much better. It's not quite at its finest yet, but it will gradually get better. Right now I'm at 20/30, with no halos, starbursts, etc. I even have better night vision. Although there are risks with every surgery, Dr. Furlong is one of the best doctors out there. He's very honest, competent, and friendly. My eye sight was very bad (near-sighted, -6.5, a bit of astigmatism on my left eye), and after the surgery, I could immediatel see much better. Granted, it wasn't clear enough to drive, but it was functional. For PRK, they told me that for some people, it will hurt more than traditional lasik. My eyes were quite watery and sensitive to light the first day, but it didn't hurt at all! I didn't even use the drops given to me to ease the pain nor did I take pain killers.
The staff was friendly and walked me through the whole process. I felt reassured and confident about the surgery. I had two appointments prior to the actual day of lasik. The first day, they checked my eyes, todl me what to expect, had time to answer ALL of my questions, had me watch a video, and set up appointments for my next check-up and the eye surgery itself. They only do lasik on Fridays by the way. They use the rest of the time to see their patients and prepare for it. On my second visit, they checked my eyes again, had me watch a different video according to which surgery I was getting (Dr. Furlong will recommend which is best for you), and answer more questions which I had. They also send you home with a pre-surgery kit. It included eye drops, a prescription to get filled before hand, and information about the procedure. If you have any questions, you would call them prior to the surgery day and they'll answer everything.
The procedure itself was quick and painless. It was about ten minutes total! First, they will scrub and clean your eyes, put a hairnet thing on top of your head, sponges next to your ears so the eye drops won't flow to your sides, and give you an eyeball squeezee as a souvenir. After that, you're led to the next room where they'll look at your eyes briefly, and then they will confirm your identity by asking you to say your name and birthdate. You will have to say your name again once Dr. Furlong comes in. Talk about safety precaution! When you're lying down, you will have to stare at a red blinking light the whole time. With my procedure, he placed numbing drops in my eye, covered the eye not being zapped yet, place a device to prevent you from blinking, and then tells you ahead of time when the laser will shoot down your eye. It was quick and painless 28 seconds or so for the laser itself. It depends on your prescription. They repeat the procedure on the next eye and you're done. Dr. Furlong examines your eyes quickly to make sure they're okay after it's all done. You're taken to another room where another staff lets you know about what to do once you get home. She gave me pain relief eye drops, but I didn't even need to use it.
My whole experience has been nothing, but positive. I had a follow-up appointment last week and Dr. Shen was very helpful. She answered every question I had and I was out the door right away. I have another appointment in a month to check on my progress. The price pays for itself because they provide a lifetime commitment as long as you keep your appointments and come in for all necessary check-ups. The price is by far very competitive. Don't go to no name doctors that charges $500-$1000 an eye. They don't know what they're doing. Most people who go to those generic, incompetent places have problems after surgery. I haven't had any problems at all.
I am currently in the pre-op precess of getting PRK done with Dr. Furlong. I have done my fair share of shopping around and visited the LASIK Eye Center in San Jose - with Dr. Craig Bindi - however the biggest difference I see now is the time the FVC staff has to answer questions and give you all the information needed in helping you make the best decision - is by far more superior than some other doctors.
I had my free consultation about 1 week ago - and Michelle was great at answering all my questions. She also showed me around the office and area where the procedure is performed. Dr. Furlong also came to see me during the consultation visit - Once talking to him - I was confident that this is the Doc I want working on my precious pearls of vision! LOL
He was very confident, knowledgeable and comforting in letting you know that they are there for you if you have any post-op problems. His recommendations and approach was very direct and open. I found that being able to contact Michelle and the Staff a big PLUS, so I know exactly what I am in for.
Anyhow - so after the consultation you have to meet your optometrist - if you have 1 you prefer going to - and have your eyes dilated and checked. Dr. Pham checked my eyes and gave me an understanding of what will happen withing the first 1-3 days after surgery, how to deal with any pain you might have and ways to ease you through the process. I will be visiting Dr. Pham on a regular basis within the first 4 weeks of surgery to monitor my healing and and improvement in vision. I feel being able to have access to thorough after care is vital and I found that with Dr. Furlong and Dr. Pham.
I'm going to have my surgery this Friday and I will let you know how everything turned out. I can't wait - I'm really excited.
Feb 13th 2009 - FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was D-Day!!!
I was scheduled for surgery - of course to freak myself out even more I opted for the first surgery of the day 8AM. I was doing just fine until Michelle took me to the waiting area - and then in another room put numming drops in my eyes and sent me off to "the room!" That's when i really freaked out!!! I was super nervous and that little white pill wasn't working!! I think I should have asked for a couple more, but it was too late by then! LOL!!! Oh yea there is a window in the room where they perform your procedure - so you wonderful parents and family can see your eyesballs being lasered!!! My mom was actually a little quezzy but happy to see me alive! :)
So I laid in the chair and then Will (the Doc's main man) tightened my head so it wouldn't move and the machine came closer and closer to me face!!! AHHH Finally the Doc was there and I thought I shoulda just stuck with glasses I don't know why I thought about doing this!
Anyhow it was pretty simple -follow what the Doc says and soon it will be over. I had PRK done - so it was a little scary when it was all over and I blinked my eyes and it was blurry. You should definitely get the Codeine if your a spazzz like me and a little nervous - it will help with first day pain and jitters. I went home - after a couple hours I could feel the scratchiness the Doc was referring to. Took the drops as prescribed and lots of lubricating drops to relieve the itchiness and discomfort.
Its now June 1. 2009 - and I can see everything and read stuff from really far!!!!
Thanks Dr. Furlong!!! you were awesome and so was your staff!!
Cheers to Michelle and Willl!!!!
Cheers to Dr. Pham in Great Mall for being an awesome OD!!!!
I had my Lasik done in February, and I couldn't be more pleased. Dr. Furlong and his staff were beyond professional, and they did an excellent job. While I don't have perfect vision, they will do an "enhancement" for free if I decide I want it (I was starting out with very poor vision, and Dr. Furlong was upfront with me that I might not have perfect vision after my first procedure).
While the price was higher than you see advertised elsewhere, I get free checkups for life, and all my pre and post surgery care was included in the price. In this case, you get what you pay for, and I would send anyone to Dr. Furlong for Lasik.
