Laser Eye Surgery

whirleybird

Silver
Feb 27, 2006
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I have been looking to find some details with regard to laser eye surgery operations here in DR. I found a very old thread (2004) recommending a Dr. Carlino Gonzalez in Santo Domingo - does anyone have any up to date knowledge or information on him or can you recommend any alternatives? If possible approximate costings would also be useful. Thanks.
 

amparocorp

Bronze
Aug 11, 2002
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my wife had her eyes done in SD. excellent results, much cheaper than US. i'll get the details and get back to you'''''''''''''''
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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I have been looking to find some details with regard to laser eye surgery operations here in DR. I found a very old thread (2004) recommending a Dr. Carlino Gonzalez in Santo Domingo - does anyone have any up to date knowledge or information on him or can you recommend any alternatives? If possible approximate costings would also be useful. Thanks.

Dr. Gonzalez is our doctor. He is part of a team of doctors, all specialists in some aspect of eye surgery. I recommend you contact them, Unidad Oftalmologica, tel 809-687-5857. These people are top notch. My wife and I had both eyes done for cataracts by Dr. Gonzalez. Trouble free. If he doesn't do the particular procedure you want, I am sure one of the others in the team does. The surgical nurses also well trained in surgical procedures.
 

whirleybird

Silver
Feb 27, 2006
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Dr. Gonzalez is our doctor. He is part of a team of doctors, all specialists in some aspect of eye surgery. I recommend you contact them, Unidad Oftalmologica, tel 809-687-5857. These people are top notch. My wife and I had both eyes done for cataracts by Dr. Gonzalez. Trouble free. If he doesn't do the particular procedure you want, I am sure one of the others in the team does. The surgical nurses also well trained in surgical procedures.

Thats just the info I needed Ken, many thanks for your help and recommendation. I will contact Dr Gonzalez team to enquire about getting my husband's eyes corrected.
 

amparocorp

Bronze
Aug 11, 2002
900
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my wife was very near-sighted, wore glasses since she was a liile girl, 20/20 now.................15 months ago she seems to remember paying 1200 US, more or less, depending on what the peso was that day.................i can't give an exact amount because she goes to Santo Domingo with money and always comes back without any...................
 

Eddyx

New member
Sep 9, 2005
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I have been looking to find some details with regard to laser eye surgery operations here in DR. I found a very old thread (2004) recommending a Dr. Carlino Gonzalez in Santo Domingo - does anyone have any up to date knowledge or information on him or can you recommend any alternatives? If possible approximate costings would also be useful. Thanks.

I could recommend Dr. Arnaldo Espaillat from Instituto Espaillat Cabral. He is excellent and has his own equipment for that.

This is the address:

Instituto Espaillat Cabral
Av Independencia 853
Santo Domingo
(809) 686-0268

Eddyx
 

whirleybird

Silver
Feb 27, 2006
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I could recommend Dr. Arnaldo Espaillat from Instituto Espaillat Cabral. He is excellent and has his own equipment for that.

This is the address:

Instituto Espaillat Cabral
Av Independencia 853
Santo Domingo
(809) 686-0268

Eddyx

Thank you for the recommendation. Have you or friend/ family actually had this procedure performed by this doctor?
 
Mar 2, 2008
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Does anyone care to update this information regarding laser eye surgery? The last post on this thread is almost 2 years old, and things might have changed in two year's time.

Are there any new doctors to consider, or new pricing available?

In the US, the prices have gone down considerably during past few years, and now, in general terms, are around $600 per eye. The technology has also evolved and improved.

Is this also the case in the DR?

Also, is there any information about doctors on the North Coast?
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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www.hispanosuizainvest.com
My experience with Lasik is that top notch means two things:

  1. Technology
  2. Specialist
If you look around in the States you will find that there are basically 3 types of outfits:


  1. The certified eye surgeon.
  2. A clinic under supervision of an eye surgeon.
  3. A franchise type operation with a myriad of "doctors" of all sorts.
The first and second type will have the newest technology available on the marked... LEASED. Once the machines are outdated, which usually doesn't take much longer than a year, they are traded out to #2 and 3 and finally find their way thru wholesale companies in Miami and New York into countries like this one.

When I did my eyes years ago, I found that the lowest risk and best chances of a quality result would be with a certified eye surgeon using the latest technology. I would venture to suspect that it's unlikely to find that combination here in the DR, but I have been wrong with my suspicions before, so...
You do not need an eye surgeon to have quality Lasik, but IF something goes wrong, you will, and in some cases IMMEDIATELY. The chance for this to happen are small but then, it's eye sight we are talking about.

IF it was my eyes again, I'd treat myself to a trip to Florida and had it done there.

This is not to say the one can't get a quality service here with a qualified Dr. using fairly recent technology.

... J-D.
 

rodrigito

New member
Jul 4, 2008
16
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LASIK Eye surgery

Hello All,
Thanks for the recommendations provided.
I was wondering, did anyone end up getting the LASIK surgery in DR ? if so, would you be so kind to comment on your experience.

Thank you,
Rod
 

Jon S.

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Jan 25, 2003
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My mom had her procedure done at Instituto Espaillat Cabral back in '99, great results and every ophtalmologist there has extensive training and experience in LASIK and other procedures. I even recall that there was one that went to Harvard, but it's been 11 years since I set foot there. My mom told me that their prices are good and definitely more affordable than anything in the States. Here's the link for the English website (they get patients from the US too):

INSTITUTO ESPAILLAT CABRAL - Centro Oftalmol?gico Especializado
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
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dr1.com
My mom had her procedure done at Instituto Espaillat Cabral back in '99, great results and every ophtalmologist there has extensive training and experience in LASIK and other procedures. I even recall that there was one that went to Harvard, but it's been 11 years since I set foot there. My mom told me that their prices are good and definitely more affordable than anything in the States. Here's the link for the English website (they get patients from the US too):

INSTITUTO ESPAILLAT CABRAL - Centro Oftalmol?gico Especializado

They got some nice kit. The Nidek Excimer is about 8 years old, but I'm sure still excellent and with 1,000's of successful procedures to it's name in the DR.

Actually my background is in electronics and industrial lasers.
Spent my youth running around Australasia teaching Ophthalmologists and involved in research for Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy.
 

aarhus

Long live King Frederik X
Jun 10, 2008
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Dont they first operate just on one eye. And then the other eye. In case anything goes wrong.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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dr1.com
Dont they first operate just on one eye. And then the other eye. In case anything goes wrong.

They can only operate on one eye at a time :)

Usually they do both eyes, it's a very simple and safe procedure, with millions of happy clients. I believe around 2 million Americans's have the procedure performed annually.
 

aarhus

Long live King Frederik X
Jun 10, 2008
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There is something with the pressure on the eyes. If it is to high they dont recommend it. Somebody know more about that?
 

granca

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Aug 20, 2007
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I can recommend, without reservation: Laser Centre. Calle Fantino Falco No3, Ens Naco, 4ta Planta, Edificio Centro Laser, Santo Domingo. Tel:809 563 1324/ Fax: 809 368 1885. Email: microcirugia@codetel.net.do. Web:Centro Laser, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana. Servicio Completo Oftalmologia.. Doctors: Juan Ubiera & Romeo Llinas.
I one eye done last December and the second in February this year. Total cost was about RD$100,000 but that included both lenses being these new US$ 900 multi focus ones so eliminating the need for any glasses at any distance. Both ops. were quick, painless. Their equipment appears to me to be almost brand new, for one test I wad to wait for a few weeks for a new machine to arrive from the US. Both Doctors speak excellent english as do also many of the staff.