Pacific Vision Institute
Categories: Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Eyewear & Opticians [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights1 Daniel Burnham Ct
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 922-9500
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage, Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: Yes
44 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"This place is like crack for me. If I have money and go in there I will inevitably walk out having just ordered a new pair of glasses.…" read more »
49 Reviews for Pacific Vision Institute
After 10 plus years of wearing plastic wrap on my eyes, I decided to take advantage of the flex spending plan and save for Lasik. 3 months later and Im seeing better than 20/20 and loving every minute of it.
The procedure doesn't hurt, it's just weird and, at most, uncomfortable. The staff are all super friendly and Dr. Faktorovich is professional and experienced.
If you're curious, go for a consultation. It's free.
Just one thing, they won't perform the surgery if you are preggers because of hormonal changes.
This review is ONLY for my consultation. Not the actual surgery.
I visited Pacific Vision with high hopes. Unfortunately it's rather disappointing that I didn't qualify for Lasik, since my corneas are too thin and my vision is so bad. Nevertheless, this review is for my initial consultation.
First and foremost, entering this office the staff and the doctors are all very kind and helpful. They aren't just all about the business, but are attentive to your personal feelings/questions on the procedures they perform. The office space is very clean and gives off a very hospital vibe. When you get there, your immediately asked to fill out a form which isn't too tedious (3 pages, basic questions). I was asked to take off my contacts so they could do measurements of my eyes. They did and then I found myself waiting for Dr. F. It was that simple. No pish posh. She just came into the room and kindly informed me that I wasn't a candidate. She did, however, inform me of what my options were which I did appreciate. Hopefully, I can do more research on ICL (lens implants) and make my decision to come back or not from there. Overall, I would recommend this place just for the professionalism and credibility of the staff. They obviously know what their talking about.
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Just came back from taking my friend in for a lasik consultation to Pacific Vision Institute. I had my lasik there about 5 years ago. I remember they just started doing intralasik procedures then. It's what they also call "all laser" lasik. I read up on it at the time, and it was definitely the way to go.
I had a whopper of a prescription. For those in the know, it was -9 and -10 in my contacts. Couldn't see anything more than an inch from my face. And I was wearing gas perm contact lenses. So, I went for it. Ever since, my vision has been great! I remember in the beginning thinking that it feels like I got the best Christmas present ever. Then I got used to it and how great I saw everything.
I took my friend in because she said she wanted to get it done, but was too chicken. So, I took her in. Turns out she wasn't a candidate. So, now she is bummed because she can't have it done. Go figure.
In any case, for those thinking about it, this is a great place. If you qualify, you won't regret it.
This is the place- to go- since you only have 1 pair of eyes. Yes- it may cost more- $5500 quote ended up paying $3500 due to vision plan benefit- but you pay for quality.
She is awesome- they take care of you every step of the way. I can see perfect the day after and better after one year. During that first year I got 2 eagles in golfing which never happened to me before. I can see things and distances that I never had all my life.
She changed my life- and I am glad to be her client.
6 stars if it was possible!
If there was a choice for 4.5 stars it would have been my choice. Below is my detailed experience, read at your leisure.
To start, never ever get your procedure at the end of Jan. I realized during the day of my operation that end of Jan. is when everyone in the world who has a FSA gets their surgery. When I asked, I was told that PVI can crank out over 100 patients a day during a busy day!
Lets start at the beginning shall we:
1) I only went to see the possibility of getting LASIK since I was super paranoid and did not want to commit. But Leah was super nice and after talking to her I was ready to sign up. If you don't have VSP, get it. For about 200 bucks out of pocket for VSP, the VSP discount is around 1500 dollars! PVI also offers 12 month interest free option from Capital One. Interest free! Where do I sign the dotted line...
2)For my pre-op, there was some mis communication where someone told me that I should have the pre-op two days before the surgery, but then I was told that it is ok to schedule it a week ahead, which was rather confusing.
When I got to pre-op appointment is when I realized that they will actually dilate your eyes, it would have been nice to have been preped for that in the initial set of papers I received. The original papers only listed dates but no warning on the dilation.
I received more paper work at the pre-op apt where the lady kept on telling me (2x) that someone will go through the paper work about what you should do before, during and after the procedure. I waited and went through the entire apt with no one going through the details. Sure I read it myself, but it would have been nice to have the right expectations.
3) Day of the surgery
Note again, never go at the end of January, there were at least 6 people waiting outside when i got there. Everyone is super nice and all, but since it was so crowded inside my husband couldn't come to the back to comfort me. Took the Vicadin like everyone else, but I agree with Erin that there was definite pain.
Sure I expected the eye lid thing that holds your eye open will hurt, but when the laser actually cut the cornea, it hurt me way more in my left eye than the right. I also didn't expect to all of a sudden not be able to see anything when they put the thing that holds the eye open for the laser cutting step.
NOTE: it is freezing in the operating rooms so be prepared. The nice enough girl lead me to the operating machine, but didn't give me the blanket so I was freezing for at least 5 mins.
Anyway, like everyone else, I had to wait in between and since there were so many people, there weren't any music/CD players offered etc. I also felt like I was playing musical chairs where I sat down where someone just left, and someone else sat down in the office I just sat in.
The second part of the surgery took me by surprise since the instructions they gave indicated that I would be looking at a red light, and also when I got my picture taken at the pre-op it was a red light. So you can imagine my surprise when it was a GREEN light. I had to seek Dr. Lee out and he mentioned something about Dr. F will use the laser that is right for you and will vary depending on patient.
It would have been nice to be notified prior to actually laying down on the table. I had practiced so hard to look for the large arrows pointing to a RED light. Made me wonder if I got jipped or something...
Anyway, I thought I was looking at the green light, but Dr. F kept on repeating "look at the light...", guess it must be harder than I thought.
I would recommend all my friends and family to get their operations done here as long as it is not during the busy months. Dr. F, Lee and staff are super nice and from what I have read is the best in SF.
SUMMARY: For the nice office, friendly staff, and superior operation PVI totally deserves 5 stars. But for the confusion and not so clear expectations, half a star is removed.
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My LASIK experience here was wonderful. I know it sounds odd to say this about eye surgery. But, I was more comfortable here during the whole thing than when I get my teeth cleaned. I even thought the
laser light show was a trippy kind of fun. I almost wish that I could see it again.
Because I am an RN, there are a few things that I look at when I choose a medical service.
1. How competent the doctor is
2. How busy the place is
3. How nice and accommodating the staff is
4. How successful my friends have been with the provider
Pacific Vision Institute definitely met all of my selection criteria.
Let me explain.
1. Dr. Faktorovich is the tops. All you have to do is google her name and you will see the work that she's done. All that translates into great vision results.
2. The place is very busy. They see a lot of patients. They do a lot of procedures. To me, that's a great thing. That means they have tons of experience. I don't want to be the only one in the waiting room or the only one waiting for surgery. To me that that would mean they don't have experience. Sure you'll get the doc to spend a lot of time talking with you. But, where it really counts, on your eye balls, they wouldn't have what it takes to make you see great. Here, I was definitely one of many when I had my LASIK done. But, during the entire time that they took care of me, everyone's attention was 100% on me. They knew exactly what they were doing and I felt that I was in the hands of experts.
3. The staff was very kind and helpful. I had to have a letter written to my insurance company to help pay for the eye drops and the girl at the front desk did it immediately. She volunteered to fax it into the insurance company and then she called them to get the authorization. The drops ended up costing me nothing. A small thing, but a nice touch. Before I had the laser, a very nice nurse covered me with blanket and even volunteered to hold my hand. Afterward, they called my ride, but it took him a while to come and get me. So, then nurse had me lay down on a couch with headsets playing latin music and
let me sleep for a while, waiting for my ride. When my friend finally
made it, she took me out to my friend's car to make sure I got in OK.
4. This place seems to be recommended by everyone in the city. I
even had my gyn mention it to me. I can completely understand why
now.
Since my procedure, I can't stop raving about it. If you would like to know more about it, you can e-mail me.
I got my Lasik in Nov 2004 and a touch-up on my left eye in February 2006. My left eye is regressing back to astigmatism. They have me come in every couple of weeks to see how it's doing. I also now have very dry eyes and use drops all the time. My eyes get itchy as well. I'm back to wearing glasses. My eyesight before was really bad, I couldn't see a thing. Now I can get by without glasses, but to see crisp and in the distance, I need them. I also need them for movies, ballgames and tv. It sucks, but what can I do? My right eye is about 20/50 and I don't know what my left eye is, but it's bad. I can barely see the big E on the chart. I gave three stars because of the results, but I would give five stars for the facility and doctors. Dr. Faktorovich is very kind and the staff is nice and the procedure itself went fine. However I will say the touch-up I had was painful. I'm not sure if I would've had it done if I'd known it would regress back. But hopefully it has finally stopped. Once the itchy dry-eye gets under control, I'm going back to contacts. Ugh.
I just had an annual exam with my optometrist. Passed it with flying colors. I had lasik with Dr. Faktorovich about 5 years ago. She's the best! Top notch equipment and excellent staff.
Perfect vision the next day! Need I say more?
Oh, and the M&Ms with good strong coffee! Can't beat that.
Dr. Faktorovich did my LASIK and my vision is spectacular! I recommend her highly.
Recently my contacts started bothering me and I thought I'd look into getting LASIK done. Mostly, I looked on the web. If you do that, you'll see that Dr.Faktorovich and Pacific Vision Institute come up a lot in SF. I liked their website because it was professional and it seemed like they were really involved in the field. I looked at the other LASIK places sites in SF, but they all were kind of hockey. So, I scheduled a consultation with Dr. F.
From then on, it all went smoothly for me. Everything was organized and their staff took care of everything for me - all the tests, etc. I had to travel to Denver before my preop and was snowed in there, so I called PVI and they helped me rearrange my appointments so that I was still able to have my procedure at the time that was convenient for me. They also gave me a sample of eye drops because I didn't have time to go to the pharmacy to fill the prescription. The instructions were very detailed and I felt like I knew exactly what to expect for my LASIK.
Afterwards, I had to keep my eyes closed for 4 hours. During that time I had a little stinging, but no pain.
The next day, I had perfect vision!
Most definitely - a 5 star recommendation.
I recently had my eyes done here. Unexpectedly I had a wonderful experience. I've read all the reviews and knew that it should be a good place to go, but it exceeded my expectations.
First, the office does not look like your typical doctor's office, it has more of a spa feel to it. There are fresh flowers, great snacks, coffee (Pete's), great variety of teas, etc. Comfortable chairs and neat magazines.
The equipment is like space age. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie with all the cool gizmos. During testing nothing ever touched my eye, and they did not even have to do the "puff" test that I absolutely hate.
The best part of this place are the staff. I have never been to an office where ALL the staff genuinely cared and were so accommodating. One of the people even ran out to feed my meter so that I don't have to. This was way beyond good.
The procedure itself was very uneventful. Once valium kicked in I was feeling pretty good. There was pressure on my eyes, but I was told to expect it. No big deal. It only lasted about a minute.
My girlfriend drove me home where I immediately fell asleep. I woke up about 3 hours later and I could already see. The real change happened when I woke up the next morning. I thought I forgot to take out my contacts, but then remembered that I can through the rest of them into the garbage now. :)
The most amazing thing is that I can see better than I did in my contacts. I LOVE IT!
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I LOVE MY LASIK EYES!
No more contacts, no more glasses, no more hassles, who can ask for anything else? This is my money well spent.
Everything went perfectly during my Lasik, and my vision is just fine-- but PVI gets four stars from me instead of five because IT HURT A LOT and they told me it wouldn't. It hurt when they were prying my eyelids open, when they were poking at my eyeball, then it hurt like hell when I went home and was blind for four hours and my eyes were stinging and tears were flowing on their own. My friends called the doc and got some Vicodin for me, but it took a while before the pain was under control... they could have sent me home with a script for 5 Vicodin or something so I didn't suffer. I am a registered nurse-- so I know that if a procedure is generally painful you ought to be ready to treat the pain rapidly. I felt like I was lied to when I was told it would barely hurt at all.
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I am sitting here looking out of my window and I swear to God that I can see inside the boats on the Bay.
Last week I had LASIK with Dr. Faktorovich. I have been wearing glasses since I was 5. My vision was so bad, I was told that I may not be eligible for anything.
The day after my LASIK, my vision was so clear that I could see across the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see perfectly. The colors are so vivid and everything is so clear. I recommend it highly.
This is a long, but a very good review :)
Let me start by telling you that I've never written a review before. I've learned of Pacific Vision and Dr. Faktorovich on Yelp and decided to spread the good word and post my own experience.
Here it goes. ... If there was a way to describe a perfect experience combined with an amazing result in a medical place, it would be Pacific Vision Institute. I am no stranger to surgical procedures. I had my knee repaired after a skiing "incident." I had minor plastic surgery done. And I also had my tonsils removed...as an adult. Last month, I had LASIK done by Dr. Faktorovich at Pacific Vision Institute. The experience was fantastic: from beginning to end. The best way I can describe it is that it was all perfect. It was something I wish I had with all the other procedures.
My sister had LASIK in New York and asked her surgeon to recommend the best surgeon in San Francisco. He recommended Dr. Faktorovich. Interestingly, my friend in Cleveland asked the doctor who did her LASIK in Cleveland Eye Clinic if he knew of anyone in SF, and he also recommended Dr. Faktorovich. Finally, as mentioned before I looked on Yelp.
During my consultation, it was clear to me that extensive work was put into creating a place where it all "made sense." You know how you can walk into a place sometimes, look around, and everything fits just right. It was very calm. Everyone smiled at me. It was all amazingly clean. I know that for many it may not be that important, but, believe me, when I am getting medical work done, I want to be in that kind of place.
I met with a counselor and she went over the different procedures with me. She told me about lens implants that they do for older people and for people who are not qualified for laser. She described different lasers they use and also showed me their results chart. My contact lenses were way over -7 and I have also been told that I have some astigmatism. Interestingly, she showed me a results chart on how Dr. Faktorovich LASIK results compare with results from other doctors in US. There is a company that collects worldwide results for this one laser they have. Dr. Faktorovich was at 98% 20/20 or better, while the average was at about 77%.
I then had multiple eye maps done and met with the engineer who monitors all their equipment. I am telling you all out there, this is one technology-savvy, intense kind of place. They must spend a ton of money making sure all the technology is in tip-top shape. When I had my knee surgery done, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. But here, seeing it all, I had complete confidence that it will all turn out great for me.
I then met with Dr. Faktorovich. She knew the doctor in New York and the one Cleveland. The doctor is a sweetheart. A very kind woman. She said that I would do well. She also said it was important that I understand why. She described my maps to me and told me that she would do Intralasik for me.
Afterwards, I met with the counselor again and we picked a day for my LASIK. I was told to stay out of contacts for a week and they gave me special vitamins and drops to use during that week. I didn't have to pay anything extra for them.
At my preop, I met Dr. Lee. He was very patient with me. I had questions about my consent form and he went over all of those. Compared to all the other procedures I've had, this was the most extensive and thorough process I've ever been through.
THE DAY came! My fiance drove me in. Suddenly, I was getting cold feet. Thank God for valium and a nice lady at the front desk. She told that Dr. Faktorovich also did her LASIK and it was normal for me to feel like I just want to bolt. The nurse took me into the room with a dimmed light. She was a riot. Funny, but sweet also.
I am telling you. These people care about you. I haven't felt like this in any other place where I had medical procedures done. They care about you and how well you do.
The procedure itself is a blur. Ha, ha, ha... "a blur". Actually, it was all about a few seconds of intense pressure on the eye and then trying to stare at a light. Then, it was all over. I got drops and clear shields. My fiance set in the waiting room the whole time and worked on his laptop. I tried to keep my eyes closed for 4 hours after, but it was a challenge. We went out to dinner later that night.
Next morning: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! PVI IS BEAUTIFUL. DR. F IS BEAUTIFUL. I can see clearly now...What a feeling of intense pleasure it was as I opened my eyes, looked across the room, and read the names of the books on the book shelves with complete and utter clarity. I lay in bed covered with goose bumps and complete joy overwhelmed me.
I've been for my follow ups a couple of times now. My vision is better than 20/20! I see better than I did with contact lenses.
So, here it is: what an AMAZING place that can give me this! What an AMAZING doctor! This has been such a revelation.
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Everyone talks about how successful their LASIK turned out, but did you know that you get just about an unlimited supply of peanut M&Ms while you wait?
JONASAPPROVED!
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First of all, I have some $300 coupons, so if you would like one, just drop me a line with your email address and I'll be happy to pass the savings along.
I used my flex spending plan and had my eyes done at PVI 3 years ago, waking up the next morning with perfect vision. I was able to do away with my glasses and felt like a whole new person. And the best part of all, all those dirty old men with a fetish for girls with glasses (the dirty librarian, naughty school teacher fantasty, etc.) finally stopped hitting on me.
In the last year my eyes have changed (sometimes just a natural part of getting older) and after getting my eyes checked by my regular eye doctor, I went back to PVI to see if I would be eligible for a touch up. After several appointments to ensure my eyes were stable, they've scheduled me for a correction, which is covered in the original price I paid 3 years ago. If my eyes continue to change at all throughout the years, I still have this guarantee that PVI will take care of it at no extra charge to me.
I've been really happy with my results and even though the surgery itself sucks, it's been well worth it. Some quick words of wisdom: if you tend to get anxious, ask them for some sort of drug to help calm you. They didn't believe me at first when I emphasized how much I would need some chemical assistance. Be aggressive with them and demand something to make it more tolerable - it made all the difference in the world to help me relax. Also, I've been prone to dryness since the original surgery and keep eyedrops with me at all times.
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ive gotten several emails about my procedure, so i just typed up a response and cut/pasted it. hope this information is helpful to you!
feel free to email me for more information/details/etc.
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hi :) yes, i got the surgery, PRK at pacific vision. it was great, the healing not so fun but it was quick and not as bad as i thought, and i can see perfectly!
i just noticed that now when i drink my eyes can get super dry if i dont put lubricant drops in before i go to sleep or drink enough water, and when i cut onions i tear up really easily (but lasts about 5 minutes). dr faktorovich did the actual surgery, and dr lee did all the pre- and post- checkups. i had i think a -5.25 rx in both eyes, but i can see better than 20/20, according to the tests i took during my post-procedural checkups.
they load you up with relaxants and eye numbing drops and they'll do the laser, and send you home, with daily checkups for the following 4+ days. i got the surgery on a wednesday afternoon. then spent all day/night thurs, fri in my bedroom in total darkness (your eyes are super light sensitive while they heal) with no real appetite to eat, until saturday until my eyes were strong enough to tolerate a short walk outside (with very dark sunglasses), and sunday i was able to drive! my vision was only slightly blurry for a couple of weeks, but the more you lubricate your eyes with the eyedrops the faster your vision sharpens.
the clinic and staff at pacific vision are fantastic. very clean, lots of snacks and magazines and beverages to keep you comfortable. dr. faktorovich is a very intelligent lady and is pretty nice. dr lee has a little optometry cartoon book with illustrations he drew himself in the reception, it was an interesting read while waiting for your windows to get zapped. the reception staff are very accomodating, and very warm as well.
very highly recommended and i would do it all over again. good luck!!
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When it comes to your eyes, you definitely want to get the best care possible. From the minute I set foot in PVI I knew I was in the right place. Everybody is extremely professional, friendly and courteous. They will take as much time as you need to answer questions, explain procedures, etc. Before my surgery they called to check up and ask if I had any questions. After my surgery they called again to make sure everything was going OK and ask if I had any questions. They check and re-check your measurements the day before and the day of the procedure.
I wore glasses for 30+ years, and was pretty much totally non-functional without them. I decided that technology had reached a point where I felt safe having the LASIK procedure.
The actual LASIK procedure is very quick. I felt nothing except a little uncomfortable pressure on each eye for about 30 seconds while the flap was created. The whole surgery probably takes 10-15 minutes tops. I'm about 3 weeks post-op now and I can see perfectly from morning til night. There was definitely some dryness in the first few weeks but it's getting better every day.
Dr. Faktorovich is a rock star, and I have no problem giving her and her staff my highest recommendation. Thank you so much, Dr F!
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My partner who is SFPD had lasik with Dr. Faktorovich about 2 years ago. He told me that probably about half of the officers in the city had it done with this doctor. I figured that if all these guys had good results I'll go with Pacific Vision. Guess what, all these 5 star reviews on Yelp are right on. It's been a couple of months now and my vision is 20/15!
WOW! I can't believe I can see! This place is amazing. No wonder they got all these great reviews. Two months ago I was practically blind without my contacts. Now, I wake up in the morning and I think I forgot to take out my contacts the night before. My vision is actually better than it was with contacts.
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This is my 100th. And I couldn't have picked a more heartfelt place to review. Because of PVI, I woke up this morning and, for the first time in 17 years, was able to see clearly without the help of contacts or glasses.The words on my small, pastic floss dispenser from Walgreens never looked so clear.
Thank you, PVI + incredible, talented staff, for giving me the gift of sight. I am awestruck. There are no words good enough to describe this.
I was aprrox. an 8 in one eye, a 7.75 in the other, with 1.75 astigmatism in both. I am now BETTER than 20/20.
I always knew that I wanted to do LASIK, but I'm glad I waited for the technology to improve and for a blade-less cut. I couldn't imagine watching a doctor approach me with a blade to slice open my cornea. No, thank you. Fast forward 5 years or so. Then I got the push from my friend Aaron who was stoked to get his wavefront intraLASIK done which in turn got me all exicted. Before I knew it, I was at PVI for a consultation. Even though I arrived 2 hours late to my appointment (it was my first time driving to the City and I somehow managed to get to Fort Mason...), it was by far, the most comfortable doctor experience I've ever had.
Gene took all my measurements and was so patient and sweet. He explained everything. What's super cool is that PVI has the ONLY CAT scan for eyes in Northern California! Leah was my point of contact there and she was very personable and straight forward. With my vision ins., it was going to cost me $5600 - $300 referral. If you plan it right and work with Flex, $3000 of that can be non-taxed money. Sweet!
Okay, now the above price tag may be higher than what you're used to, BUT PVI IS WORTH IT. Several reasons:
1. I don't believe in designer jeans or $7.00 bottled water, but when it came to my eyes, I was willing to pay for the best. Dr. Faktorovich looks better on paper than anybody else I've ever read about. She has written textbooks on this stuff. You know what that means? Future eye surgeons study her.
2. Your touch-ups are free... for life. Other places may offer free touch-ups for 6 months after or up to 2 years. We're talking, for life. No bargaining, no paying for appoinments, or anything hidden. One, direct fee.
Dr. Lee did most of my pre-op work as well as surgery prep and post-op and let me tell you - he's a cool cat. Very patient (I asked like, a bajillion questions), very honest, very nice, and incredibly professional. Because I wore hard contacts for so long and was on antibiotics that dried up everything from my skin to my eyes, he and Dr. Faktorovich just weren't ready to perform surgery on me. I am SO HAPPY that I had doctors who were honest enough to say, "No." They said no to me two times before they said yes.
THE PROCEDURE: the pain was minimal, just mostly uncomfortable and weird. I spent most of the time stressing out that I was doing it wrong. Before I had time to fix whatever I was doing, it was over. The procedure itself (the cutting of the flap and the LASIK) lasted... maybe 10 minutes? It was mostly keeping your eyes closed and waiting.
First they give you some medicine to relax you (and boy did they work! I could barely hobble around on those beautiful pills!) and then they put a bunch of drops in your eyes - to numb them, ect. Then Dr. Lee uses a marker and makes marks on your eyes - I didn't feel a thing! Then you lie there for awhile, again, with your eyes closed. Then you're led to a fairly cold room. Dawn, who's very sweet, gave me a pillow to squeeze on. There, you lie and wait. What's kinda cool is that you can hear the surgery that's going on in the other room so you know what to expect. FYI - the machine makes noise. Then Dr. Faktorvich comes in and this is when the flap is cut. Sharp, metal things are inserted into your eyes to hold them open - one eye at a time. And then you're supposed to look at the light. Problem was... I thought I saw two lights. If you look at the wrong one, Dr. F will tell you. Then you're moved over to another machine that creates the air bubbles? Then you're sat on a comfy couch where you wait for the bubbles to do its thing. Finally, you're taken into another room where the most painful part was Dr. F removing the flap. The surgery itself was the most confusing part for me because behold, the light show! You're supposed to fixate on the green light, but there was so much going on - red splotches, yellow. I apparently also had some trouble keeping my head still. Dr. F (or somebody) helped hold it down for me. Then, before I knew it, it was over. I wanted to sing my thanks to Dr. F but A) I couldn't see and B) she had already left the room. Busy lady.
What I did hear was a wonderful "Congratulations" from Dawn and then Michelle led me into a room where Dr. Lee did a final check-up and I was given all my drops and my eyes were covered. I was so thankful and loopy. I fell asleep instantly and woke up, re-born.
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Hmm, yeah. I'll say it that I am mostly happy with PVI. I'd say actual results = 5 stars. Customer service = 3.5 stars. So, average rating = 4.25 stars. Let me explain.
The basics:
- I got PRK, due to having thin corneas. If you want to read about my experience with PRK in particular, I wrote about it extensively on my own site: http://www.straightnoc.... Here I will try to keep my review bound to PVI in particular.
- PVI is a very well equipped facility. They have all the latest and greatest technologies (because they can afford it) and they know how to use them. Since the procedures themselves are mostly machine automated, this is not a small consideration. This does not mean that the doctors themselves are unimportant, however. A good doctor will give you an _honest_ evaluation and also proper pre/post operative care. I feel like that is what I got at PVI.
-My prescription was TERRIBLE before the surgery, -5.25 in one eye, -6.00 in the other. Now, three months after the surgery, it is 20/15 in both eyes, so I can't really argue with the results. They are fantastic.
HOWEVER. The experience running up to the surgery was not without some bumps. First off, when you come into PVI for your evaluation, the first person you will meet will be a "patient counselor". This person will answer your questions about the surgery itself and the pre/post operation procedures. This is also a salesperson. I did not realize this at first, but once I got my evaluation from Dr. Faktorovich and was deciding on when to have the procedure, I mentioned that I wanted to delay it for a bit while I got my FSA info set up. This is when my "counselor" started to get agitated and pushy. She demanded to know why (in that desperate, impatient kind of way that lets you know they NEED something more from you than you are giving), insisted that I pay as soon as I could even if I did want to delay the actual procedure, and offered some odd process involving post-dating my FSA bill so I could submit it later. What? I thought you were here to answer my questions? No, I see, you are here to get my money. I get it now. Slightly unnerving, especially when I am all still worried about the proper care of my eyes. Silly me. Anyway, get this, the next time I came into the office, I was told that this particular representative wasn't working there any more. I'm guessing she either didn't meet her numbers or got a little too pushy with one to many customers. Either way, I didn't have to deal with her again. After they got my money, I didn't have to talk to the "patient counselors" anymore anyway, just the doctors.
The doctors themselves are great. Dr. Faktorivich was very good about answering further questions and about giving some good advice about if the procedure would be right for me. I felt like she took extra precautions to get the proper measurements of my eyes and did extensive vision testing (even having me wait a few weeks longer than the standard month out of my hard lenses so she could get a better look at my normalized eyes). After this initial evaluation period, I was handed off to Dr. Lee, with whom I did my pre-op and post-op exams with.
Dr. Lee was a nice guy, made some good chit-chat and was cordial enough, but he always seemed to be in a rush. I also felt like he kind of over-simplified some of his explanations for me. Like, what benefits do the sterile eye drops offer during post-op? They are not medicated, but obviously they are important. His answer? "They help you recover faster". Um, how? I was hoping for something a little less vague, but whatever, it was just curiosity. Anyway, I don't feel like he didn't do his job well, he just wasn't willing to go into every little detail with me.
All-in-all, the experience a good one. Again, I have no reservations about the results, at all. My vision is perfect, and I am grateful for it. However, the overall experience was not what I had expected. It kind of drove home the realities of elective surgery for me. It's not quite the same as visiting a doctor for preventive or emergency care, they are running a business here. Something I knew before hand, but I didn't expect to have it illustrated quite so plainly for me. Might just be my own fault.
P.S., if you know Stephan W., ask him all about his experience.
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Warning: long review on how I chose a Lasik doctor.
I've thought about Lasik for a few years and finally decided to take the plunge. I've worn glasses since the 3rd grade and have never liked contacts either. My myopia was about -6 with moderate astigmatism.
Starting in Nov 2007, I asked friends for referrals and did a lot of research. I'm Type A and since these are my eyes, I did not want to take a chance. I considered 5 doctors total and had actual consultations with 3. They were Dr. Scott Hyver, Dr. Faktorovich and Dr. Beers in Mt View. You can read my reviews on the other 2 doctors, and below is why I chose Dr. Faktorovich.
I also considered Dr. Goodman in SF but decided not to go with him because he was the most extreme in cost as well as hardest to schedule a consultation. A colleague had her eyes done by a Dr. Newman who has offices in Hercules and Sacramento. He was significantly cheaper at ~$2000 but my research on him also indicated he was the least experienced and least qualified in terms of Board certifications, etc. Plus his office never called me back.
My second consultation was with Dr. Faktorovich. Her offices are lush, hushed and plush. The reception area had free coffee/tea and fruit, and the sales associate Leah immediately took me into her office to ask a bunch of questions and give me a price quote. Then an optometrist did several tests on me. Clearly, Dr. Faktorovich had higher end equipment and 3-4 different rooms for patients. During my consultation, there appeared to be several other patients waiting for follow-ups or consultations. The amount of testing felt more extensive and there were more staff on-hand both answering phones as well as performing tests.
My actual time with Dr. Faktorovich was limited to 5 minutes where she started off saying I was a good candidate for wavefront Lasik, and in her sleepy-eyed manner asked if I had questions. I mentioned that I came as a referral from one of her patients. She sort of reacted but my gut reaction is she sees too many patients and can't remember them. This was later cofirmed when I actually came back for my surgery and realized how many patients she sees!
Anyway, she answered each of my questions quickly. Then I was passed back to Leah, the sales associate, who went into a very hard sell. The initial quote was $7300 (jaw-dropping!) which she couched by saying IOL and other surgeries cost $10,000 or $20,000. With the $7,300 wavefront Lasik with Intralase, she asked if I have VSP which I do so that brought it down to $5,900. Then I mentioned I was a referral from friends which took it down $300 to $5,600. I negotiated and asked for a 2nd referral discount which she reluctantly gave me. I found out later that December is a slow month for them due to everyone's holidays. Leah wanted a $900 deposit upfront which I clarified as refundable. Leah also sent me away with some Hydroeye omega-3 pills and Refresh eye drops. This actual sales push was a very rapid conversation - it was a hard sell where the faster she spoke, the more likely I would be confused with pricing and just give in. Anyway, I gave her my deposit and tentatively scheduled a mid-January appointment, especially since January is their busy month given everyone's new Flex Spending Accounts.
I found out later from a friend who also got his eyes done there, that they offered him $4500 back in October when the office must have been slower. Another friend who went to PVI paid $5600. So the prices are quite variable!
Dr. Scott Hyver's office was the most like a cattle ranch with patients in/out. Plus I did not have any immediate friends/colleagues who had used him. Finally, Dr Hyver doesn't use Intralase and his website has an article arguing about whether Intralase is better.
So my deliberations were down to 2: Dr. Faktorovich or Dr. Beers. There was a $800 price difference (Dr. Beers' wavefront Intralase was $4500 if I paid cash). My decisions were first based on referrals and competence, and then after I thought the doctor competent, then price was a factor.
In the end, what tipped my decision was a separate reference from a good friend whose myopia is over -9.0. She has considered Lasik for years but has not done it because she is a borderline candidate. She did a lot of research and mentioned 2 renowned doctors in Los Angeles, saying that if she were to do Lasik, she would fly there to see them. She suggested I call to get references in San Francisco. Both offices of Dr. Assil of the Assil Dr. Assil of the Assil Eye Institute of Beverly Hills and Dr. Maloney of Los Angeles referred me to the Pacific Vision Institute.
The hard sell and difficulty of getting a response from Leah (salesperson) almost made me walk away from Dr. Faktorovich. I called/emailed several times before getting a reply. Hence the 3 stars.
Big learning: Lasik is lucrative, hence the heavy selling!
My surgery is another review...
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My appointment was at 3:30PM and this is one appointment you don't want to be late bc I was and:
1) Dr. F told me in her sleepy eyed look that she gets really tired in the evening and prefers to do the procedures in the morning
2) They quickly whisked me into the examining room
3) The valium they gave me did not have a chance to take in effect before the most painful procedure in my life began...
...called IntraLASIK (removal of the superficial corneal layer). I'll be the first to be honest and say that this WILL HURT. Dr. F shoved a round centration mark made of wire onto my cornea as well as a plastic suction ring into my eye. I have small asian eyelids so they had to stretch my eyelids hard to get the devices into my eyes. Thank god it only took 30 sec/eye. No one told me that when the corneal is being lifted, your eyes will go into total and complete darkness (this would be how it feels to go blind...a bit scary).
After this, the calming staff took me into a room to listen to soothing MP3 music of waves crashing against the beach while my eyes were dripping perfusely with tears.
Last step...I was taken to another room, where my eye lashes where taped to my face and I was asked to constantly watch a green light. This is where the light show began. It was tough to focus on the light show as I watch Dr. F remove the corneal layer with a pair of tweezers and as she was constantly brushing my eye balls with a tiny paintbrush....2 min/eye. Then it was over.
1 day later - I pulled apart my crusty eyes and I could see! Although, there are big red blotches that should go away in a few months from having the devices shoved into my small eyes.
$5900 with VSP discount for both eyes (~$7K without)
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I came here to have my eyes checked for the first time in ten years. What prompted this visit was a bump on my eyeball. Could be cancer, an ulcer? Did not know. My visit was as comfortable and the staff kept me as relaxed as I possibly could of been during the examination and battery of tests. This place is great for any big chicken like myself.
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LASIK is Heaven sent. I love the fact that I can SEE without having to depend on glasses or contacts. For me, the procedure was painless. I think the anticipation did get the better of me, so I am glad that the procedure is less than a minute per eye. My husband got PRK done and I can attest that LASIK is a better procedure to recover from. I would and have recommended Dr. Faktorovich and LASIK to any one who wears corrective lens.
I had my eyes lasered here 1 year and 3 months ago. My vision is better than 20/20.
Dr. Faktotovich was the doctor for me because she has impeccable standards and was a pioneer with the wave front technology. She turns people away who are not good candidates-when you hear of "side effects" this is a result of people getting the surgery that shouldn't have gotten it done in the first place. 30% of the people who come to her are turned away, that is why she has a 99% success rate. Her equipment is truly the best and it is what I had been waiting for-I wanted to eliminate the risk of human error, and with her lasers it is almost fool proof. I was recommended to her by 3 other random people who were all completely happy with their results as well.
You shouldn't be dependant on eye drops for the rest of your life, you shouldn't have any trails, or sensitivity to light, if you do, you were taking a risk, and I would never risk my sight.
Its not a pleasant experience but her team takes excellent care of you and it is the best thing I ever bought for myself.
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I *really* want to get my eyes lasered. Fixed. I don't care what it takes, just do it. I've been thinking and researching and obsessing, and I finally just made an appointment.
PVI got me in for a consultation right away - yay! They get one star for that.The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I would entrust my eyes to these people, no problem. Two stars. The equipment they tested me on was clearly top notch. State-of-the-art and well-taken-care-of. Three stars.
But... You knew there was a but, didn't you? After such a warm welcome and a litany of tests for about an hour, Dr. Faktorovich finally came in. She greeted me by saying, "Sooo, a girl with a large correction, eh? Let's see." She proceeded to flip through my chart, and attempted a little bit of stilted small talk. So much for bedside manner.
After just a few minutes, she unceremoniously decided that I would not make a good candidate for laser surgery because my corneas are thin and irregular and thus might be prone to problems with the correction. No opportunity to ask any questions. Just rejected. She marked the form and started to walk me out.
As we walked, I explained my disappointment, and she countered that at least I would have good vision with glasses or contacts. I told her that I have *never* had good vision even with artificial correction, and she just apologized, pat me on the shoulder, and showed me the door.
I was crushed. So, back to the drawing board. I got a recommendation for another surgeon, and I'm going in for a second opinion. We shall see...
Update: Turner Eye Institute totally lasered me and I love the results (yes - I yelped about that, too.) FWIW, some people I know who tend to know things have ventured to guess that the reason PVI rejected my case was in order to keep their numbers up. You know, if my surgery doesn't turn out perfect because of thin corneas or whatever, then they don't have to take a hit in their statistics of wonderfully satisfied customers. Just a theory.
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I got my eyeballs "done" back in October of 2002.
They STILL work.
There was a 0.01% chance of not being able to stabilize my astigmatism and Dr. Faktorovich took on the challenge...
THANK GOD!!!
Just to let you know --- it took me 7 years to finally decide that it was "safe enough" for me to have someone mess with my eyeballs. Especially since I was passed what was "scientifically" considered BLIND. That said, my friend and her law enforcement hubby got theirs done the month before --- so I got a first hand glimpse at how their eyes were panning out.
We're reaching the 5 year mark --- and we've got NO PROBLEMS.
***update as of 08.12.2007***
After much heckling from m'Optometrist buddy in Maui --- I caved in and went to get my eyes checked out three days ago.
The optometrist could NOT STOP GUSHING about how amazing the incisions done for my Lasik were!!! He said he could barely detect the "scars" and was amazed at how well my eyes were doing! Especially with the prescription I had before...
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I had once tried to get Lasik, back in Michigan, and was deemed not a good candidate, due to dry eyes. So when I moved out here, I thought I would get a second opinion. Fellow Yelpers recommended Pacific Vision with such glowing accolades, that I went in for the consultation. Sometimes, you don't realize how professional, or how much of a better experience you have, until you have something to directly compare (restaurants are easy to compare, but professional services are a little harder). Jean, the gentleman that measured my eyes was great. We chatted a bit about their equipment, after he realized this was not my first time exploring Lasik. Granted I knew that Lansing Michigan was not a hub of medical innovation (but I had gone to a large firm in Michigan), but he said that one of the pieces of equipment that I described in Michigan, they had not used in several years.
From Jean's measurements, Dr. Faktorovich saw absolutely no reason I would not be able to get the procedure. So I booked it for the following week.
I went in 2 days before for some extra measurements with Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee was great too, he even knew the South Park episode I was referring to when I read the chart 'I am a little Pig E', so he gets a star for that!!! What was really neat is that he dilated my eyes and then retested them, and found that a good portion of my eye prescription was not from my eyes detiorating, but from straining the muscles that focus them. He was surprised when I told him that was the first anyone had told me that. That result, also led to him saying that in follow up appts (after the procedure) we would look at correcting the muscles and not just re-lasering the eyes, if they hadn't healed to perfection.
The procedure went as planned, and if you read the other reviews, they do a good job of telling you how it is, so I won't rehash it.
Pacific Vision is a model of professionalism and everyone involved works to a standard of perfection. This is an exemplary facility, and a medical experience unlikely to be surpassed. From the receptionist, to the doc herself, a great experience!
You will not be disappointed.
Also, in my follow up, my vision was better than 20/20.
9-27-07... follow up check ups reveal my actual eyes are perfect, but the muscles that focus are to tense. To solve this there is another doctor that comes in to 'retrain' your brain and eyes, to focus properly. Appartently this is a very expensive treatment, independent of the surgery, but PVI includes it in the price for those that need it. Word to the wise.... you can get your eyes zapped cheaper elsewhere... but PVI sells the whole service package, to ensure proper vision. Can't recommend highly enough.... wanna save some ducats.... I have a recliner, a laser pointer, and a set of Wusthoff knives.... go to a professional!!!
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My brother had a procedure at Pacific Vision Institute. He couldn't stop raving about them and he's so picky, picky. I've been wearing contacts since I was 17 and I was getting jealous of how well he could see. So I went to check them out. This office is quite impressive. They've got all the latest gizmos, plus they have photos of all these eye doctors who had their eyes done there. I had lasik with dr. Faktorovich (sp?). I love