Just an update: After having consultations with a couple other eye docs, I went elsewhere. And I'm lowering my rating since none of the other doctors did the "for only $999.95! But act now, and you'll get $48.00 off. Buy two eyes and your discount DOUBLES!" (Only a slight exaggeration.)
We'll call this the tentative review.
For those interested in getting LASIK or PRK with Dr. Newman, be aware that the Milpitas office is ... sketchy. For one, Dr. Newman himself isn't there. Two, the "used car salesman" that runs the topography tests and discusses financing is REALLY annoying. The French lady was a lot more tolerable, but she was using the same sales pitches. Having the two of them tag-team me felt exactly like one of those time-share scams. (Think hot cop, bald cop.)
I'm not exaggerating. My friends are used car salesman. They do the same tricks, including the writing of the prices per eye (inflated from what I saw on Yelp! and other sites), minus the discount from the local news commercial (around $1,000, I believe), and then gives you your LOW, LOW PRICE!
Inflate the price quote, inflate the discount, and bad mouth every other LASIK doctor in the area. Seriously?
On the bright side, I did get to spend a lot of time with the cute eye doc who did the actual vision tests. She was pleasant, friendly, informative, and did not apply high-pressure sales tactics.
There's a good chance I'll still go with Dr. Newman due to the reviews of the people that have actually met him, but I'm definitely going to check out the other LASIK docs first (and see if anyone else has the same admittedly-impressive tech in their lasers). I'm also looking into PRK, which has a longer recovery but doesn't carry worries about contact sports or martial arts.
Meanwhile, my HSA funds sit untouched...
Note: Apparently, my experience in Milpitas was the same as the one person who has reviewed the Daly City office. read more