Furlong Vision Correction Medical Center

With every surgery, there is risk of complications. Nothing is fully guaranteed. Even your dentist makes you sign something when you get your wisdom teeth pulled. You have to choose whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Really, the only difference is that LASIK is elective and most teeth surgeries aren’t. For me, it was a good choice. I see very well, even at night with no halos. Minor dry eye issues, but I already had them with contacts… no real changes there. The only thing that is different now is that before I go to bed and after I wake up, it’s not blurry! I love being able to go camping without bringing blister packs for my contacts.

I went to Dr. Furlong to learn about the eye surgery options available to me. He was kind, thoughtful, and honest. He took the time to answer my questions and address my concerns. I also appreciate the effort that Michelle put into showing me around their facility, and relating a personal story about when her daughter did eye surgery.
In the end, I ended up getting my surgery from a different doctor because the scheduling and convenience worked out better for me. Still, I believe you cannot go wrong with Dr. Furlong and his center.

I found Dr. Furlong through Unilocal and I am so happy that I did. I initially was referred to Dr. Hyver but didn’t like their patient handling so I came to Unilocal and saw which other doctors are being compared to him. I got appointments with all of them and ended up choosing Dr. Furlong. I did the PRK vision correction surgery two years ago and I have been very happy with the results. The team and the doctor were very responsive to my concerns and I felt comfortable calling them whenever I freaked out! haha The PRK is a rough process compared to the LASIK but they’re very informative to give me a realistic expectation. Be prepared for the pain and the long recovery of the PRK but once you get that perfect super vision, you’ll forget all about it.

I was referred to Dr. Furlong by Dr. Farberow, in Santa Cruz, for my ongoing issues with Kerataconus. I was at the end of the line for any type of visual correction. Truly scary.
The staff and the Dr. are outstanding and I highly recommend them.
The procedures I had in this office have given me back my vision life. For me, it is nothing short of a miracle.
If anyone out there is having a difficult time with their Keratoconus and would like to talk with me about this experience I would be happy to chat with you. Just contact the front desk and they will put us in touch.
I can never thank you enough Dr. Furlong.

REVIEW UPDATE:
Was contacted by a member of the Furlong Staff as a follow up to my Unilocal review. I wholeheartedly appreciate them going the extra mile to ensure all patients receive the best care and to ensure their staff is always helpful and courteous.

This has been a dream come true. A surgery I had been contemplating for over 15 years was a success with Dr. Furlong. My prescription had been very high (–8to –9.75) and I had no hopes of being free of glasses or contact lenses. Try this place and doctor and see for yourself. and btw… I am not getting anything from them for endorsing him… but great vision. :)

I give a 5 for the surgeon. I just had an 11 month check up and my eyes are ²⁰⁄₂₀ and almost perfect. I am able to go back whenever to fix my eyes if needed which will probably be in 20 years. This was the best money I have ever spent. I had a lot of pain right after the surgery but once I fell asleep and woke up I was fine. He is one of the best in the bay area.

Dr. Furlong and his staff are WONDERFUL!!!
They are extremely professional, very knowledgable, trustworthy and most importantly they genuinely care about each patient who comes in!
Each patient receives a personalized plan and care based completely on their own needs and circumstance. You never feel rushed and Dr. Furlong and his staff are easy to talk to and incredibly knowledgable about every question.
They provide incredible service and fantastic patient care! It is easy to see why Dr. Furlong and his wonderful staff are one of the best!
With such an important procedure such as LASIK you feel 100% taken care of and at ease you are in great, caring hands!

I first started my «journey» for LASIK in early January 2013. I’m happy to say that I’m testing at least ²⁰⁄₂₀. Sometimes it’s a little better, or worse, but it depends on my astigmatism which fluctuates as much as my mood does.
Prior to doing my actual procedure, I spoke to a lot of friends. One of my friends in particular lives close by and her husband had conducted a ton of research prior to doing her procedure which was documented in a blog. Nothing like the word of mouth from a trusted source!
Negative: the only negative that I felt about the whole situation was that my procedure made me sorta feel like herded cattle (which is the same analogy I use to describe Southwest’s boarding process). It’s been a couple of years now, but I remember pretty clearly being shuffled from one room to another waiting for my turn to have my eyeballs lasered. It felt surreal at times, especially with my adrenaline pumping. I believe that I may have only met with Dr. Furlong one time other than the actual procedure, but I can’t really remember. I do remember visiting with a staff Optometrist the morning following my procedure and she was nice. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I think the Furlong office as a whole is amazing, all the techs made me feel very safe and confident in my procedure, and helped me calm my nerves as I was freaking out. But don’t necessarily expect to build a rapport with Dr. Fulong himself. He’s the one that performs the actual procedure and given the fact that my last weigh-​in had me at minus 825, I think that the fact that I have ²⁰⁄₂₀ now, speaks to his quality of work.
Words of wisdom:
— Get a Costco size box of the preservative free eye drops. Get the kind that has a lid that can pop on, you can use it at least twice (you go through a lot!).
— I scheduled my apt as late as possible in the day, woke up the morning of, and right when I got home from the procedure, I popped two Nyquil and took a 3 hour nap. When I woke up around dinner time, I ate some food, then took a sleeping pill (only time ever!), and passed out until the next morning. Taking a nap right after helps you avoid the slight stinging you feel when the local wears off.
— Dr. Furlong schedules his procedures on Friday’s and I like this. It gives you the weekend to heel. Also, for you ladies out there who are vain like me, it’s easier to go makeup free since you can just hermit for the weekend.
— LASIK was THE best money I could have ever spent on something. My vision was so bad before the procedure, it’s literally night and day for me. Plus, it’s been nice when I’m traveling, not to have to worry about it.

I had such a wonderful Lasik surgery experience by Dr. Furlong! My vision is so good now and Dr Furlong explained everything ahead of time so I felt very comfortable. No more glasses or contacts for me!

Superb doctor. Amazing staff. I am a health practitioner and I know a good doctor and staff when I see one. It has been a great experience for my family.

Love my LASIK!
Had LASIK done by Dr. Furlong 9 months ago to correct my almost blind –6 prescription with a slight astigmatism. For the record. I have no halos, no night vision issues, no dry eyes, and my eyes healed perfectly!
I recommend Dr Furlong, his guided laser, free touch ups for life, and the TLC national network to EVERYONE!!! I am so happy with my new eyes!!!

Get ready for a sales pitch.
«Client consultant» buddies up to you while doing a quick eye exam. This is really just a sales person that tries to warm up to you so they can give you the pitch.
After the quick eye exam, I was brought into an office and was readied for a sales pitch on a computer about how great Dr. Furlong is and experienced. I told my «Client consultant» (really sales person) to let me know how much it would cost before we waste any more time.
She gave me the two most expensive options and called to see about discounts. The total bill with discounts came to $ 5000 (for both eyes). It is a 5 minute surgery! Why is it still so expensive? Dr Furlong, why don’t you drop your sales people so you can drop your prices?

I was frustrated at their sales tactics, and wish it had been more professional rather than the feeling that I am about to get a fat bill. It feels a lot like getting pitched a Time Share
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I’d like to write an update.
I am changing to 3 star reviewing after an experience a close relative had. He had Lasik done at a very inexpensive price a few months ago (from another company in Oakland, NOT this one)
Since his surgery he has had very dry eyes and blurry vision. He has complained about it multiple times. I am mentioning this because I am not a Lasik expert, but based on this experience if you go the cheapest route, you could really screw up your eye sight. Given this experience, i would ONLY go with someone who had high ratings.
Please be sure you pick someone who is an expert. I still think a «sales pitch» is unprofessional and would change the approach given the type of «product this is».
Yaay for helping out the world! I hope this helps everyone make a sound decision.

Really good staff and doctors at this clinic. They provide some great information on the pamphlet but it’s up to YOU to follow it. Staff was very communicative, and you’re encouraged to ask questions. Great communication, and I’ll happily pay the premium on pricing when it comes to technology and expertise concerning your vision. You get what you pay for, and peace of mind being in the best of hands is worth it.

I had my PRK with Dr. Furlong in 2012. I’m very happy with my results. I was scared to have the procedure once I found out it would need to be PRK. From research I read the recovery would be longer and my vision would take a while to become clear. Dr. Furlong and his staff made my surgery experience easy and painless. The recovery didn’t take as long as I expected. I was back to seeing as good as my contacts within a month time frame, and had ok vision immediately after. Now I am at ²⁰⁄₁₅!!! I’m happy with my results and I would do it again in a heart beat. I know Dr. Furlong is the only surgeon I would recommend, so far my Mom, brother, sister in law, and cousins have had surgery with him– all with great results.

Dr. Furlong’s office knows that customer’s drive their business and they know that the customer is how they will continue to grow and be prosperous. They are not the least expensive eye surgery center but they are by far the most professional and most courteous. If you are looking to have your eyes fixed this is the place to go, albeit you may find their price limiting, but they are worth it.
The following sections of this review will go into how their staff best fits individuals and my personal experience.
The Doctors:
* If you are looking for a direct and straight forward approach to your surgery ask for Dr. Shen. She is professional and will tell you the most basic direct to the point information without messing around.
* If you are looking for a softer approach ask for Dr. Furlong, himself. He will deftly explain all aspects of the surgery and is open to questions. He will also explain in as much detail as you desire.
Support Staff:
The support staff is amazing. I have not had one interaction with the staff that did not leave me floored as to their kind personalities. If you are able request a staff member ask for Valerie. She is actually excited about performing her work. Her personality is infectious and you will find that you too become excited about having the surgery.
Personal experience:
I had surgery on my eyes in 2013 to fix my severe myopia. They performed a PRK style of surgery. The recovery time was exactly how they prepped me. The pain levels were an exact match as per their instructions. At one point during my recovery I lost a contact lens that was supposed to protect my eyes. I called Dr. Furlong on the weekend and he called me back within an hour. My surgery didn’t completely fix my vision, but their guarantee allows me to have a follow up surgery at no cost.
At one point I was rubbed wrong by Dr. Shen. Her style is much more professional than I care for. I like to ask questions and have lengthy explanations, Dr. Shen answered my questions in short quick responses, great for most people, just wrong for me. I sent an email to Valerie with a small explanation of my experience. I was contact by Dr. Furlong himself within a day and he took my experience as a serious issue. He made me feel personally cared for. This interaction ensured that I will be a life long customer. I wish Dr. Furlong would spin off his company into a way to train customer service representatives, I would gladly pay for employees to take a training session offered by Dr. Furlong.
Since my surgery, I have told all of my friends and family about Dr. Furlong. My brother in law, three co-​workers, and three other friends have gone to Dr. Furlong and been treated with respect and kindness. I am pleased to be able to have a site where a lengthy review can be given. You could not hope to be taken better care of.

I was referred here by my optometrist, and at first i thought the price was a little higher than expected from what I have been told by others; however Dr. Furlongs and staff are very professional and thorough when it comes to getting the tests, and procedures, and instructions for post surgery care. He definitely has a lot of experience under his belt and my vision has never been so clear. Took me a day to recover, custom bladeless lasik is the way to go!

We went to three places for Lasik consultations, and went to Furlong Vision as a referral from our optometrist. The overall process and service was good:
— Received the cornea mapping and other tests during the first consultation to see if we were candidates for Lasik.
— Had a friendly account manager who answered any questions.
— Met Dr. Furlong at the end of our consultation and he reviewed the test results.
— Saw where the Lasik procedures were done, and was told that your family member/​friend could view the procedure through the glass window.
— Close to 101 and Brokaw exit.
We opted to not go with Furlong Vision as the quote for Lasik was expensive compared to the other two places that we visited. However, you do get lifetime touch-​ups if you use one of the TLC optometrists for follow-​up appointments.

I received a call from Furlong center a week ago since my optometrist’s office passed my information to them. During the call, the representative explained the technical difference between wavefront-​guided lasik and conventional lasik and said wavefront-​guided surgery is «much better». I asked her «how much better» (since there’s a $ 500 difference in the price tag and I wanted to gauge whether the extra benefit is worth the extra price) and if she can substantiate the claim by providing some evidences in numbers. She couldn’t answer the question on the spot and simply said «It’s common sense». I was quite offended by that comment actually since this is certainly not common sense (We’re talking about surgery on eyeballs and an average Joe wouldn’t just know the difference on top of his head).
But that’s not the reason why I decide to give a 2-​start rating. During the call, the representative promised me to send me via email any evidence/​paper that Furlong center has to prove how much better wavefront-​guided surgery is compared to conventional one. I haven’t received anything after a week and I don’t think I will ever receive them (I will update this review if I do receive them after some time, but I don’t think I will change my rating).

Would have given Furlong Vision a 3 Stars, but I received a follow up call later by the sales person, and she tried to discredit one of the other Lasik doctors to me! Discredit! Wow! How ethical!
I understand that it gets competitive in the market, and some people may appreciate you doing this but I am not one of those people. I hate it when underhanded tactics are used. It’s disgraceful.
I went to 4 places for consultations, Scott Hyver, Laservue, Dr. Bindi, and Furlong. Furlong gave me the shortest face time with the actual doctor and all he said was just really cookie cutter stuff. Their price was the steepest as well. I went to Furlong first for a consultation. As soon as I went to my second and third consultations and compared the prices, service, and face-​time with the doctors, I had a hard time considering doing Lasik at Furlong.