Sort By:
Jose Quintanilla
Via
Google My Business
- San Jose/Silicon Valley
8 years ago
Esmeralda Acevedo
Via
Google My Business
- San Jose/Silicon Valley
8 years ago
I had eye surgery with him 4 years ago and didn't see a difference.
Shengpei C.
Via
Yelp
- San Jose/Silicon Valley
8 years ago
I took an Epi-LASIK on Dec 14, 2015, about 3 weeks ago. <br>I have a wonderful experience with Dr. Ellis and his fellows. I hope my experience would help you. <br><br>The free consultation was on Dec 5 at the San Jose centre; it was Saturday, so the office was a little bit crowded. There was about 5 patients waiting for the first check after surgery. I talked to them about how they feel and why they chosed this centre. I highly recommend you to do this too, so you can get more information than what you can read from websites or commercials - and it can't be fake. (I know I am cunning.) After 45 minutes of waiting, I received a 25 minute eye check and about 15 minute consolation. <br><br>Because the corneas shape of my right eye is kind of irregular, Epi-LASIK would be my first choice. FYI, both LASIK and Epi-LASIK are proven to be effective methods for vision correction. Based on the number released by Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley, ~70% of their patients received LASIK, ~30% received Epi-LASIK. However, the initial recovery of Epi-LASIK would be slower, and it would be more expensive. The good news is Epi-LASIK does not require corneas flap, and US Marines/US Army are more preferred to Epi-LASIK. Please do some research before your consolation; so you can make the right choice. <br><br>In the consolation, Marleny explained how the operation works and what you should expect. She is so full of energy, and she is the happiest medical worker I have ever met. They helped me to deal with the financing. In my case, I don't even required for a down payment, and my first pay is supposed to be Jan 14 (still waiting for my bill).<br><br>My operation was scheduled on Dec 14 at the El Cerrito center. I wanted to have it at the San Jose center, but my time schedule is just too tight and too crazy. The fellow there are also very sweet. They will check you once again, explain everything once again, tell you how to use the medicine/eye-drops once again (This whole process would take about 2 hours). Then, they will let you take some pain killers and sleeping pills, and wait for about half an hour. The operation time was quite short (FYI, 10 years ago, the laser would take about 3-5 minutes for one eye, and now 10-20 seconds). The biggest challenge is to 'keep calm, don't move and open both of your eyes'. They will put a zero contact lens on your eyes after surgery, like a bandage, to protect the wound, but still you will feel hurt. <br><br>After I got home, I ate and directly sleep for over 14 hours. After I got up and showered, I went to the San Jose center for the first check. Things goes well, my eye does not hurt. I ate and sleep a lot for 5 more days. Since the corneas started to heal, I saw the world differently every day, with blur and halo. In this 5 days, I did quite a lot of things, visiting friends, having dinner parties, tried something I never try like bake and decorate a cake. I did not drive, stayed away from lap tops or TV, did not text, avoid high temperature cooking. <br><br>On that Friday, I went back to the San Jose center for a second check. Based on my situation, they took away the contact lens of my left eye, and replace a 20-day zero contact lens on my right eye. FYI, if your wound heals well (like my left eye at that time), the initial feeling goes away in 10 minute; if it does (like my right eye), it could be really teary and painful. So my advice is after the check stay at the clinic for a while. If the pain does not go away or become worse, just feel free to ask for help.<br><br>The third check was on Jan 6, 2016. I have to say my eye recovered quite well, even I party hard during the X'mas and new year period out of California. My left eye was estimated about 85% healed with a tiny little bit inflammation, and the right one was about 20/40 (I could only see the first line at the second check, and now I jumped 8 lines to 20/40). I am required to use another bottle of #4 drops for 10 more day just in case. <br><br>Generally, I could drive and code and back to office now. Sometime, I would easily feel tired when I kept working in front of a screen (I used to continuously work over 10 hour per day at young 20; I knew I am crazy). I was advised to use the artificial tears and take a coffee break :-) <br><br>For me, this surgery not only made a physical, but also spiritual and philosophical changes on me. During the healing process, you will feel yourself living in a wonderland. Traffic lights with halo are so beautiful, the Christmas lights and dews on leaves blink in a way you never see; and you will always be the first one realize snowing, because the snowflakes glow under any lights. Also the distance feel differently, you will 'learn' how to drive once again. More important, it tells that your body is under your control, you are able to fix any flaw of your body.<br><br>If you are thinking about eye surgery, I encourage you to take it, and I highly recommend Dr. Ellis. I will try to keep update after the fourth check on Feb 3. Good luck!
Henry B.
Via
Yelp
- Corte Madera/ Marin/Mill Valley
8 years ago
I recommend Dr. Ellis because i see the difference in my vision. Nelly, my counselor, explained everything to me, she is really patient and all the staff is great.
Isabelle H.
Via
Yelp
- El Cerrito/Contra Costa
8 years ago
I got RK surgery from Dr. Ellis 20 years ago, in 1995. At the time he had done about 10,000 RK surgeries and only about 1,200 Lasik surgeries, so I opted for RK.<br><br>My vision before he surgery was about 20/600 (legally blind) and 20/35 after the surgery. This means I don't need glasses. Today it is basically the same, and I've never had any problems.<br><br>I recall that the staff and the doctor were not especially friendly, but were very professional and seemed to know their stuff. That was more important to me.<br><br>Immediately after the surgery I recall my vision being instantly better (as soon as he made the cuts in my cornea) which was amazing! The antibiotic drops didn't work for me. He gave me another type to try, but also did not work for me. The drops made my eyes clamp up, so I didn't take them for more than 2 days, I stuck with the oral antibiotics. I never had any problems.<br><br>Over-all I recommend Dr. Ellis because I had the desired results, and 20 years later I have no complaints.