LasikPlus Vision Center

Absolutely fantastic, my life has been changed. I did a lot… and I mean a LOT of research before I decided to go to LasikPlus. Looked up what people had to say that had the procedure done (reddit and other forums mostly), looked up many videos of it being done, as well as the specifics of it, recovery periods, potential issues, etc… This isn’t something you just go and mess around with, it’s your eye sight, so do your research like I did.
Pretty much after months of researching, I decided I was sick of glasses and contacts, and that I was going to finally do it. I also did a lot of research of the different places that offered lasik around Chicago, and after reading countless reviews and doing some googleing of the main surgeons, I decided it was between LasikPlus and the Kraff Eye Institute. Both seemed to have pretty similar reviews, so I scheduled a free consultation at both to see which I would prefer.
Considering that I’m writing this review on here, I’m sure you realize that I went with LasikPlus. It really came down to how kindly they were treating me, their whole setup, as well as the overall consultation. Everything felt very professional at both locations, but I felt more welcomed at LasikPlus. Everybody there was so incredibly nice and professional, just felt like they really cared about me as a potential patient and were incredibly thorough. First I went and met one of the staff there and she did most of the tests, getting corneal thickness, getting pictures of your eye and a whole slew of other tests. Everything went smoothly and consistently through the way they asked if I had any questions or concerns, and the few I had after doing all my research they answered efficiently. Then I met Dr. Weber, an incredibly nice man who does some quick checks and confirms all the information the rest of the staff records. He doesn’t do the actual procedures but does all the post-​procedure checkups. He’s also very thorough and does a great job getting to the details for you.
Kraff, there wasn’t anything particularly bad about it, they were nice, but the consultation is broken up into two parts, which doesn’t seem as effective to me (but what do I know, I’m not an eye doctor). I met the head doctor for around a minute, then he shook my hand and was on his way. The rest was with one of the staff, didn’t feel nearly as thorough, and just overall felt a bit rushed. I’m sure Kraff does great work, but at LasikPlus, it just felt much more professional.
Once I decided I was going with LasikPlus, I called to schedule an appointment, and lucky my there was one for the thursday of the same week (3 days later). I got all the prescriptions that were needed, and came in on thursday for the procedure. If I remember correctly, they only have one or two (maybe 3) days a week that they do the procedures for everyone, the rest are for checkups and such. When you come in, you might wait a bit for a person or two in front of you, but not too long. Once it’s your turn, they bring you in to a room with a big comfy chair so you can take some Valium to calm you down, as well as some other pills which I forgot.
Once your called in to the procedure room (which is surrounded by windows so you can easily see inside, which I thought was pretty cool), it starts almost right away, and is a very quick procedure. You meet Dr. Aymond who is very professional and does a great job at keeping you calm and talking you through the procedure. The longest part is the creation of the flap, which is about 20 seconds or so per eye (they only use lasers for this part now, no blades). Once this is done, they move you over to the other laser, the one that actually does the shape changing. This part is even quicker, and is very easy. You start at a green light for 8 – 20 seconds (depends on your eyesight I believe), and then the procedure is done. They put the flaps back on, and Dr. Aymond does a quick check, then you go back to the comfy chair room. You take some Ibuprofen, and some ambien if you want, then they send you on your way.
I wasn’t able to see perfectly right away, it was all a bit cloudy and blurry. I pretty much went home and passed out (they tell you to do this, it’s best. The next day, my eyes were seeing almost perfect 20/​20, with ²⁰⁄₁₅ in my right eye. Dr. Weber did a follow up the next day, said everything was good to go, and everything has been pretty great since. My left eye wasn’t perfect right away, and it can take up to 6 months for your eyes to really heal. It has gotten much better though, and I barely notice a difference at this point. You have to take a ton of eyedrops for the first few weeks, but it’s not that bad. The worst I get now is some bad dry eyes in the morning. This has really changed my life, and I couldn’t be happier. I did my three week checkup yesterday and everything points to good! Thanks so much everyone at LasikPlus, you guys are awesome and did a great job! Would recommend 100%.
Sorry for the essay everyone~

I have been thinking about this for 10 years… I saw a coworker post on Facebook about having this done and decided to just call and see how much it cost. I went in for a free exam and was more than sold on this procedure. I was VERY impressed with the office, the staff, and the technology. I had LASIK one week later and could not be happier. ZERO pain, and it took about 24 seconds per eye. I’ve never seen better in my entire life! This is a MUST do if you wear contacts/​glasses.

I’m so incredibly disappointed that I have to write this. But I do. So here we go.
I had LASIK here in September 2011. I remember the office staff being rude and a longer wait, but the doctors and nurses were wonderful, which is why I got the surgery. Minimal pain, eyes were all healed within a week, got to live a contact free life for the first time since I was 12. Amazing.
Another reason I picked LASIKplus is because they offered a guarantee that if my eyes failed, I could come back and get it again, no change. Perfect. I was 24 when I got the surgery, so it was reassuring to have a guarantee.
So, that being said, here’s what they didn’t tell me. If they had and I knew any of the the things listed below, I would never have done this in the first place.
1. You need to have a prescription from another doctor before they will even talk to you about having the procedure again, so there goes some money and time.
2. Your doctor had to fill out a form that they «evaluate» before you can even be seen my them. If you’re approved, you have to pay $ 75 for the LASIKplus exam. More time and more money.
3. You may or may not even qualify to get the surgery again because of how things went during the first one. I can’t remember all the details, but I believe that if your cornea is cut too thin, they can’t do it again.
4. I was told that people’s eyes would change again and it’s possible, but very, very rare and not something to worry about at all.
I remember asking the question during the initial exams and was told that it’s «so small they don’t even have a true number».
5. Assuming you qualify, pay the money for their exam, have enough cornea left and whatever else is needed, you still have to go through the surgery again. While recovery is quick and you feel ok within 24 hours, it’s not fun to get your eyes operated on again, it isn’t pain free and you have to take time off work for the procedure and to recover.
Over the last couple months, I’ve noticed my vision getting worse, especially at night while driving. I saw an eye doctor and was pleasantly surprised to learn that my vision had reverted back to -.25 in one eye and -.75 in the other. I’m now the proud owner of a new pair of specs for «driving, watching tv, seeing things far off or really any time I need to see better». For the record, I’m now more or less wearing them all the time, and just ordered some contacts. So here we go.
Is it the fault of LASIKplus that my eyes changed since my procedure? Not at all. Did I know I had a chance of needing glasses later or another procedure? I did, but I was lead to believe this was so rare it never happens so not to worry about, and there was absolutely no mention of how even if I needed it again that I’d still have to qualify and while I haven’t started this process yet, something tells me that they probably found a way to take enough off my eyes that I won’t qualify again.
What really infuriates me is that this is my vision and this is a medical procedure and I got sold into it by these guys because bottom line, they don’t care about helping people see, they care about making money. They already got my thousands of dollars for the surgery, they’re going to get my $ 75 when I attempt to go back to get this again and I’m going to end up back in contacts again. I would be more willing to accept this if had been long time since my surgery and a touch up was needed, but for 3 years and 4 months of ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision and thousands of dollars, it wasn’t worth it AT ALL for good vision for such a short amount of time.
Again, in no way blaming them for my eyes changing. That’s just bad luck. I also went into it with knowing I could need it again, however the answers I was given led me to believe that never happen, and if it does, no problem, have it again! The qualifying for it again never came up. Had it, I wouldn’t have done it, but they left that out because they wanted to sell me and make more money off my surgery. I wasn’t a patient who received honest answers to their questions with answers designed to help me make the best decision for my health, whether that did or did not include LASIK. Instead, I was just another nearsighted girl with some cash that was ready to take on a surgery without knowing the full details and the ability for them to make another month.
If you proceed with lasik, know all the risks. Ask as many questions as you need to. Fully understand what may happen and get data to back it up, and don’t yourself be sold, no matter what

Very great place… Fast an easy… No pain great people

It’s been about 20 hours since I’ve completed my Lasik surgery and I am beyong excited with the results! I’m seeing 20/​20, as clear as I was seeing almost 20 years ago before my vision began deteriorating (I was nearsighted at –5.00 in each eye before surgery). The process was just as smooth as I’d imagined it would be; the nursing staff has incredible bedside manner! My girlfriend was with me throughout the entire process and as a transplant nurse, she said they were great. She is in the process of getting Lasik herself for next year and has already decided to go with LasikPlus as well.
Upon arrival, they sat me down to do some quick measurements and ensure that I’d been out of my contacts for at least 3 days as required for soft lens wearers. Then, I filled out my consent forms and proceeded with the full payment (thank you FSA!). After waiting about 30 minutes, they took me to a prep room where my nurse went over instructions on how to take all medications after surgery was complete. This is where they also give you the option to take valium for the calming effect and ibuprofen in case there is any pain from the swelling (I had absolutely no pain, nor did i feel any swelling after my procedure).
Once we had gone over all the meds, Dr. Aymond came in and took a few minutes to describe the process. He was very friendly and I was very comfortable when we started heading into the surgical room. The entire process took about 7 or 8 minutes, and he talks you through the whole thing. They gave me a squishy football to hold on to, which was a good thing as I did fel myself tensing up. The first laser is the intralase, which creates the flap on your eye (groupon offers cheap lasik surgery for those who stll use a blade, but I did NOT want to save a few bucks to go a route that is less precise, requires more healing time, and may cause other complications that they had mentioned in other consultations that use the blade). They use numbing drops in your eye, so you don’t feel any sensitivitity. He did one eye at a time and I’ll do my best to describe the feeling; as if it’s pushing down on your eye, so a little pressure but no pain. My vision went black for maybe about 10 seconds, but that’s normal and came back a bit foggy after the flap was created.
After the intralase was complete (about 4 – 5 minutes total), we went over to the other laser which corrects your vision. This laser re-​shapes your cornea, so the smell is similar to that of burnt hair. It’s very faint and each eye took about 30 seconds to complete. The wonders of modern technology, and that was a wrap! Upon sitting up, I could see everthing around me but just a bit foggy. Dr. Aymond took some additional measurements on my eye and said everything went well. It’s recommended to go home and try to rest, but I was not feeling any pain so just laid down for a little bit and started cleaning around my condo. A few hours later, the foggy vision was gone, and I could see as clear as if I’d been wearing my contacts/​glasses.
I’ve been taking all of my eyedrops per the schedule they printed out for me and I feel absolutely fantastic! My eyes feel perfectly fine, no pain or discomfort, and I’m wearing the goggles they had given to me so I don’t accidentally rub my eyes. I have my follow up appointment today in a few hours, so looking forward to seeing the staff again with my new set of eyes! I couldn’t be happier for moving forward with LasikPlus, a bunch of my friends are already interested in also moving forward with LasikPlus based on my review and experience. Hope my Unilocal review is helpful for others out there looking to get a surgical procedure! Please feel free to message me for more information, you can also catch me on NBC later this year on American Ninja Warrior Season 8! Many thanks to all the staff and Dr. Aymond for giving me the gift of sight again —
Best,
Charlie

First off, 6 days later and I am ecstatic. I am so happy I pulled the trigger on LASIK. I have really zero side effects other than normal healing but I can see perfect and would never go back to contacts. The procedure was painless and crazy fast. Like 7 minutes or less.
For a procedure that can be a little intimidating, LasikPlus was super comforting and highly professional at every level. From the consult through the follow up, they have been awesome. Dr Weber– who doesn’t actually do the surgery– is super honest and very comforting. Dr Aymond– who did the surgery– was a total pro. And the follow up call the night of was a nice touch. He’s done 60,000+ surgeries. Not bad. The team members there have also been awesome.
Any question or concern I have had they have been just great. I am super impressed with their operation and highly recommend.
Lastly, I rarely write Unilocal reviews and this one definitely warranted a 5 star review.

Best decision I have made! Walked in with –3.75 nearsightedness – which means without glasses EVERYTHING 2 feet from my face was blurry – and walked out totally able to see! Procedure takes 4 minutes. Honestly. One minute per eye to make a flap to get to your cornea which just feels like someone is pushing on your eyeball but the pain is minor and you lose vision so there’s nothing to see – no knife coming at you contrary to rumors! Then it’s one minute per eye for the laser to reshape your cornea which is just flashing lights. Prescription drops cost me about $ 45 with Humana medical insurance. Try to get a coupon cause $ 800 off makes a big difference. In the long run, the procedure is worth the money because you save on eye exams, glasses, contacts, solution for a lifetime! Would recommend! The procedure itself is quick and painless. The aftercare is a bit more involved. Eyedrops every hour the first week and may have some blood residue in the whites of your eyes but heals in 3 weeks. First week your eyes are dry but each week there is a drastic upswing in the healing process

I am so happy I finally had the guts to get this done. I’ve been scared for years for nothing!
Doctor Weber and Doctor Aymond plus the entire team (I mean every single one) made me feel so comfortable throughout the entire process! Explaining every detail along the way! I did not feel uncomfortable at any point during this amazing experience!
Some people may complain about the money but you get what you pay for and to be able to see without the hassle of glasses/​contacts is priceless!
Thank you Lincoln Park Team!!!

My mother in law just had her PRK laser surgery and she is so happy with it. The first time whe came in we werent so sure/​confident about everything because we have seen so many bad reviews about PRK and negative comments about it that we were so concer and not really sure about it. But everyone in here is so kind and friendly especially Dr. Weber, and made us feel secure and confident, Dr. Aymond and Dr. Weber made us feel so secure and confident about the procedure because they answer all of our questions and concerns and we had a bunch of questions trust me a bunch about every single thing and the staff here went over everything with us twice and even repeated the monovision test for her twice. Becuase we werent so sure about it PRK what else can i say beside that we are so happy with everything and even my husband will have his lasik surgery done here becuase he sees how everyone in here is and how professional Dr. Aymond is and how much experience he has its just fantastic we are happy clients. I would so recommend you guys to come and have your free test and check it out you would be so happy you can feel the positive vibrations in Dr. Aymonds office its so warming. Im going to tell everyone one I know that wears glasses to come and get checked and see that there is hope and a better life without glases.
Ps. today was her next day follow up after surgery and even now we are still happy Dr. Weber is so nice and friendly omg great experience.

Thus place is great. Very nice, clean with a friendly staff. The technology seems to be completly up to date. I had my surgery a little over a month ago. It was painless and quick. It’s still hard to imagine after 18 years of wearing glasses my vision was cured after a 15 min surgery and 5 hour nap. The doctors there answered all my questions and made me feel very comfortable.
I tell my family and friends you must get lasik! It doesn’t even hurt. Dry eyes would be your biggest problem. I recommend getting another box of eye drops on top of the ones they give you. Other then that no problems at all. Just follow your prescription schedule, lubricate when you need too and in a month you won’t need need the drops anymore.
They got the job done. I see better then I when I was wearing glasses or contacts. This place is great. I totally recommend it and you will not regret it!
Update: It has been about 5 months now and I still feel better then ever! I had my 3 month check up and I have better then ²⁰⁄₂₀. This is truly a life changing experience and it is totally worth it. Laski plus did a fantastic job. My only regret is not getting this done sooner in my life. I can not wait to enjoy my summer of swimming and rollar coaster rides without having to think where are my glasses.

I can’t say enough about the great care and attention I received from all the professionals at Vision Plus. I am so happy to be free of glasses and contacts. The surgery was easy and recovery was quick. The Doctors provided me with accurate information and made sure I was well informed as I made my decision.
Don’t wait any longer go get it done.

I cannot say enough positive about the staff at LASIK. Everything went smoothly at every step. I was skeptical to get the surgery at a chain, but am very glad I made this choice. One day after surgery my son elbowed me in the eye. I was able to get in that day to see the Dr. All in all great communication, staff spent as much time as I needed and post surgery results are great.

I highly recommend LasikPlus and Dr. Aymond. From my initial consultation through the follow-​up examination after the procedure, everything about LasikPlus was top notch. I felt comfortable throughout the entire process. Everything was explained in thorough detail along the way and everyone at the facility is extremely nice and helpful. If you’re going to have Lasik done I highly recommend LasikPlus

Today, I had my three week follow up and I’m so happy I had the lasik procedure. I won’t reiterate what is said in other reviews, so here’s some info that’s not below:
A) I was a heavy toric contact user and it caused a few issues with my eyes. The optometrist at Lasik Plus didn’t even consider me a candidate until my eyes got better. He gave me eye drops and we scheduled follow up visits. None of this cost me or my insurance a dime. When it finally cleared up after a month or so, and three visits later, I finally had a consult with the surgeon and scheduled my procedure for the following week.
B) The procedure wasn’t what I was expecting. You don’t feel much except overall pressure. The surgeon and nurse talked to you the entire time what was happening and didn’t let a second go by without talking. They even have me a stuffed animal to hold on to and counted down the timing. 26 seconds on my left eye, 24 on my right. You also don’t see much of anything except a green light you’re supposed to stare at. That being said, I wish I had maybe 15mg of relaxation meds instead of ten so I would’ve been calmer.
C) Cost. You should be able to get 15% off the list price of $ 2199 per eye. They give all patients who have completed surgery 6+ coupons to share. I have EyeMed so that got me the 15% plus another 5%. They also recommend you buy 3 boxes of eye drops for a total of about $ 40. Also, my prescriptions for antibiotics, relaxers, sleeping aids, and anti inflammatory drops came to roughly $ 52 from Costco pharmacy. In total, it was close to $ 3550 to Lasik Plus. This also includes all follow-​up visits and free additional surgery over your life if your vision gets worse and can be corrected with Lasik.
D) The literature says you can go back to work the next day. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you desperately want to go back. Though I could see great, my eyes did get «tired» quickly. I guess you could say it’s equivalent to running a marathon and then expecting to run a 10k the next day. It’s probably doable, but extremely exhausting.
E) Side effects. 3 weeks in I’m still using lubricating eye drops and but the moisture is getting better. In the first week, bright lights and high contrast was difficult to look at, but it’s fine now and I don’t have any nighttime vision issues.
Overall, I don’t regret anything and recommend Lasik and the north ave Lasik Plus.

Stop what you’re doing and book a consultation now. The staff here is top of the line; thoroughly professional and very friendly. ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision the day after my surgery was amazing. Undergoing lasik vision correction is easily one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Just left my last follow-​up with ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision after having lived my whole life with –9 prescription contact lenses. LasikPlus was very helpful and I had no negative experiences throughout this entire process.

Love my new vision. I was a –6.0 contact lense in each eye and now seeing ²⁰⁄₁₅. Staff was wonderful and the surgery itself was not painful at all. Just follow the drop schedule and you will be fine. Had some dryness 1 month post op. It is 3 months now and I barely use any re wetting drops now. HIGHLY RECCOMEND!

I had my consultation with LasikPlus today and ironically enough, I’m more impressed with them because they said I wasn’t a good candidate for Lasik or PRK. This is a very classy, very state of the art place that truly has their customer’s health as their primary concern.
I had a consultation with Kraff a few months ago where they knew I was wearing RGP lenses and said I only needed to be out of my contacts for a day before my original appointment. After the exam they said I was easily a candidate for PRK and would only need to be out of my contacts for 2 weeks leading up.
Upon talking to my brother, who is an eye surgeon himself, I learned that RGP contacts really mess with the shape of your eye and you should let your eyes settle at least a month before operating since they can change quite a bit. Kraff was only interested in getting me in and out and getting my money.
LasikPlus had me out of my lenses for 5 days before coming in, then did full measurements and then had the doctor come talk to me before even attempting to dilate my eyes since my eye shape already looked questionable. Even though I wasn’t a strong candidate, Dr. McCarthy still took plenty of time to talk to me about my results and options. She was in no rush to move me along and explained that they would prefer I was out of my lenses for a full month before even testing my eyes for candidacy to see if my eye shape might settle more and the end result may make me a candidate. This is not an office that is looking to rush your procedure, pressure you into anything, and they want to take every safety precaution to make sure you only need one procedure and it’s as successful as possible.
Based on this visit, I’m going to defer pursuing Lasik or PRK further until a year or so. But when I’m ready to try again, LasikPlus will be the place I come back to. I appreciated the honesty, the time they took to explain everything to me and answer questions, and the low pressure environment. I highly recommend this place for anyone considering a consultation.

So after we went to DC to visit my wife’s best friend and my brother, her best friend convinced her of how amazing LASIK was and how she should get it. After coming in for a consultation, she was able to get the surgery done less than a week later. As for the surgery, Dr. Aymond was great and talked her through everything. The procedure only took 10 minutes and after 5 days she is almost completely healed. She says her vision is better than it ever has been in her life. The only complaint was that the mountain of paperwork that needed to be completed had to be done on the day of the surgery instead of doing it the day before.

This review is regarding my experience having PRK surgery (not LASIK).
I just had my PRK surgery in mid January, and am extremely happy with the results. Having PRK is a way different animal than LASIK, as the healing time is much, much longer. I was very nervous early on, but received a lot of reassurance from Drs. Aymond and Bergers (Dr. McCarthy was gone for most of my visits).
Dr. Aymond was very thoughtful about which procedure was best for my eye anatomy. Though having LASIK would have been much more desirable, ultimately PRK was the safest route for my eyes.
PRK itself isn’t a walk in the park. I was in a lot of pain for the first two days, and couldn’t see for the first four. My vision didn’t reach ²⁰⁄₂₀ until recently (4 – 6 weeks later), and my eyes are likely still healing. However, for undergoing PRK, my overall experience was top notch!
If you find yourself in the PRK dilemma, have confidence that they know what they are doing at LASIK Plus. I am also a physician, and I truly appreciated the interactions with not only the optometrists and Dr. Aymond, but the staff as well. It is a very smooth operation, and I would send anyone to Dr. Aymond in the future.
Good luck!