Oregon iLasik & Refractive

Like another reviewer here, I too regret my decision to get lasik at this office. The short of it is after spending $ 5,000, I’m still in glasses due to unethical practices and have a host of new difficulties relating to my eyes I’ve never had to deal with before. Let me tell you, when you spend thousands for literally nothing but problems, it leaves you feeling bitter and angry.
The long version:
When I went to Dr. Haines for a vision screening to see if I was eligible for Lasik, I told them about the problem I was having with my eyes, that my vision was converging (or crossing) at distances greater than 10 feet. I asked multiple people in this office multiple times, including the doctor, if this would impact my Lasik procedure and if it would go away when I got the procedure. I figured it was related to the prescription of my glasses being wrong. They always downplayed their answer and answered me without really answering or feigning ignorance, leading me to believe it would not be a problem and that I should go ahead with the procedure. In retrospect, I felt I was given the runaround and rushed into getting the procedure.
After getting the procedure, you’re scheduled for a series of followup appointments with the office. The final straw for me was showing up for one of these followup appointments only to be made to wait for an hour to see the doctor. When I finally do get to see the doctor, he sees me for literally 5 minutes, rushes through looking at my eyes, then leaves the room. I’m told by his assistants that he is running late for a meeting he has somewhere else outside of the office and had to leave. I didn’t even get a chance to ask questions or voice concerns. So I wait an hour to see him and he leaves 5 minutes into our appointment without addressing my concerns.
Regarding my eyes, like the other reviewer I now have ghosting and haloing issues and severe dry eyes, none of which I had before. I would not mind these so much had I felt my lasik procedure was actually a success and I could enjoy the benefits, but considering I’m still wearing glasses and out $ 5,000 (the cost of Lasik and the vision therapy I had to get to correct whatever issue I was having with my eyes prior to getting Lasik that the doctor failed to tell me about).
As soon as I’d paid and had the procedure done, suddenly the doctor knew the answer to my questions and tells me he thinks I have Strabismus and that I either need corrective surgery or vision therapy and he’s happy to refer me either way. If I had known this prior to getting the Lasik I would not have gotten the Lasik and he knew that but let me get it anyway. I wasn’t about to spend $ 3,000 on Lasik and still be in glasses, so I tried the vision therapy for another $ 2,000 and, spoiler alert, it did not work either.
So now I’m left with either getting MORE surgery on my eyes, which may not work, or worse, may blind me, or just dealing with what basically amounts to a $ 5,000 pair of glasses.
I would not go back to this office for a cup of water, let alone any kind of surgical procedure.

I personally like Dr Haines; his staff, however, leaves a bit to be desired and the meat market experience in the waiting room is one I’d prefer to not experience again. My initial appointment was botched and I had to come back two days in a row (and pay my deductible twice – that’s just wrong since it wasn’t my mistake). Another gripe is that when we discussed cataract surgery, it seemed to be a given that I would want the super-​expensive lens implants vs the ones covered fully by Medicare.
I was offered a price that would include numerous refractions and laser work if needed. I suggested that I didn’t want to buy what amounts to an insurance policy for somethings I might never need (kind of like buying extended warranties when you purchase a refrigerator). The staff told me that wasn’t possible. Instead, I went a few blocks away to Dr Gross who gave me a survey regarding whether I’d be a candidate for the more expensive lenses. My answers indicated that I would not be a good candidate and further internet research indicated that fully 50% of those who purchase the $ 5,000+ lenses are unhappy with them, thus Dr Gross threw away a big profit in exchange for making a patient happy. His office was much better organized, way easier to park at and with a much quieter waiting area and prompt appointment times. I’m 3 weeks out of surgery, I see terrifically well with the «cheap» lenses and am very happy I made the decision to move my business elsewhere. If not for Dr Haines’ pleasant personality and good bedside manner, I would have rated my experience a one star.

Choosing John Haines as my Lasik surgeon was the biggest mistake of my life. I now have ghosting, halos, severe night vision and contrast problems, dry eye, and other issues. The doctor was unresponsive, uninformed and arrogant. I now wear glasses and have trouble driving at night. Run the other way.

I am kind of surprised that I am the first to review these guys! They’ve been around a long time and have performed thousand or tens of thousands of LASIK surgeries.
I chose Oregon iLasik because they are the only ones in the Eugene area that uses IntraLASIK, or a laser that creates the corneal flap instead of a microkeratome which uses a blade. My research indicated that IntraLASIK has a lower incidence of side-​effects and after surgery complications. This is critical for me as I am an Air Traffic Controller and semi-​pro photographer. IntraLASIK is more expensive than the traditional «old school» LASIK. You can do the research yourself to determine what is right for you. For me, paying a little extra for the most advanced equipment was money well spent.
After I decided to have my surgery performed at Oregon iLasik I went in for an in depth exam to see if I was a viable candidate. There are some people with an assortment of health, age or other eye issues that disqualifies them from the surgery. After about a 3 hour appointment including some extra tests due to some odd findings I was cleared for surgery. I won’t go into much detail about the surgery because there are thousands of testimonials via Google or YouTube. The only disappointment was that the video made of my surgery didn’t record for some reason. The important thing was that the sugery was a success and complication free.
My vision wasn’t terrible to begin with, it was about ²⁰⁄₈₀ and ²⁰⁄₄₀. That is not «blind» by any means, but it was bad enough to have to wear glasses to drive and perform my job. After the surgery my vision is ²⁰⁄₁₅ in both eyes! After living with glasses for more than 20 years I can’t believe how liberating it is! No more misty glasses when coming into a warm room from the outside. No more water splashes coming or going in the rain, or even photographing a waterfall. It was also great to walk into the mall and buy whatever pair of sunglasses I want!
The staff at Oregon iLasik is fantastic and the facilities and surgery center are phenomenal. Dr Haines is a great doctor and very friendly. He is board certified and has been in Eugene for many years. Gina and Lisa are also fantastic, very knowledgeable and always friendly and happy to answer questions.
Your eyes are one of your most precious assets, take your time and really evaluate both the doctor (s) and the type of procedures used. You owe it to yourself to at least visit Oregon iLasik and see if they can help you.