[Amory]

Has anyone used Mid Florida Eye for cataract surgery? If so, how was your experience? Haven't seen any discussions on this subject for over a year so would appreciate some current input. Thanks.

[JohnN]

I used Mid-Florida Eye for two cataract surgeries about 7 years ago. I'd rate them "neutral"
Notable - I had poor vision, nearly legally blind when young, so I know my eyes were a textbook case. I also had two radial keratotamies in the mid-1980's. The precursor to Lasix but done with a knife, cutting my eyes like pie slices.

When I signed up with Mid-Florida eye, I shared all this with them and paid the few extra hundred dollars for their added tests to help give a better quality result.

My right eye was done first and came out pretty good, with a 20/25 or 20/30 result, still requiring corrective lenses.
On the follow-up appointments, the doc says that while the result wasn't as good as he or I may have hoped for (20/20), it's not bad considering my eye history. His words "if he'd have known how my eye would have responded, he's have performed the surgery a bit differently for a better result." So, what good did the extra $$$ do except pay for his grocery bill, I don't know.
Also, it was so very crowded all the time, I felt more like a number than a patient. Just my impression. That's the bad.

The second eye, my left, he did a great job. Says he knew what to do this time?!?! It's 20/20

So with poor vision for much of my life, and the radial keratotamy being 30 years earlier, my vision was overall pretty good.
I'm used to wearing corrective lenses, and these are lightweight, so I'm not going to complain.

Overall experience, good not great. I feel like I was suckered into the extra tests when someone with my eye condition would derive no benefit. Also, the feeling of being a number and not a patient, I don't know about that. Yet the result was acceptable, not superlative. The annual care at Mid-Florida was also marginal, again my opinion and I just gave up on them after glasses that didn't really work well.

I go to St. Luke's for eye care now and I'm quite impressed though I can't speak to the cataract doc, I've heard good reviews.

Best wishes.

[villagetinker]

I cannot comment on Mid Floridia eye, as I used Dr. Ireland at St. Lukes, and had a great experience for my cataract surgery. I still use glasses as I need a prism and have astigmatism that could not be corrected even with the most expensive lens. I took the standard lens, and can see 20/20 to 20/15 at a distance, but use the glasses for reading and the previously mentioned corrections.

[Amory]

Thanks to both John and Villagetinker for the replies. Even though I was referred to Mid Florida I'm not locked in to using them. Based on the good things I've heard about St. Luke's I'm leaning in that direction. Thanks again.

[Stu from NYC]

DR Charles of Mid Florida did my eyes last year and happy with the results/

He does do 32 in a day but luckily was in the first half of his schedule.

[kp11364]

Originally Posted by JohnN

I used Mid-Florida Eye for two cataract surgeries about 7 years ago. I'd rate them "neutral"
Notable - I had poor vision, nearly legally blind when young, so I know my eyes were a textbook case. I also had two radial keratotamies in the mid-1980's. The precursor to Lasix but done with a knife, cutting my eyes like pie slices.

When I signed up with Mid-Florida eye, I shared all this with them and paid the few extra hundred dollars for their added tests to help give a better quality result.

My right eye was done first and came out pretty good, with a 20/25 or 20/30 result, still requiring corrective lenses.
On the follow-up appointments, the doc says that while the result wasn't as good as he or I may have hoped for (20/20), it's not bad considering my eye history. His words "if he'd have known how my eye would have responded, he's have performed the surgery a bit differently for a better result." So, what good did the extra $$$ do except pay for his grocery bill, I don't know.
Also, it was so very crowded all the time, I felt more like a number than a patient. Just my impression. That's the bad.

The second eye, my left, he did a great job. Says he knew what to do this time?!?! It's 20/20

So with poor vision for much of my life, and the radial keratotamy being 30 years earlier, my vision was overall pretty good.
I'm used to wearing corrective lenses, and these are lightweight, so I'm not going to complain.

Overall experience, good not great. I feel like I was suckered into the extra tests when someone with my eye condition would derive no benefit. Also, the feeling of being a number and not a patient, I don't know about that. Yet the result was acceptable, not superlative. The annual care at Mid-Florida was also marginal, again my opinion and I just gave up on them after glasses that didn't really work well.

I go to St. Luke's for eye care now and I'm quite impressed though I can't speak to the cataract doc, I've heard good reviews.

Best wishes.

Eyes are precious, and you may want to cast a larger net before you make a final decision. My mom had her cataracts done (up here in NYC) with a "fempto-pulse" computer-controlled laser. These aren't exactly "common" but they are very, very good. The laser first perforated the lens (to make the removal easier) and then did Lasik on the cornea to remove her astigmatism. The doctor then removed the old lens, put in a fixed-focus lens. She has 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other. She can see distance great and can read without glasses as well (although she uses a pair of very light readers just to make it easier)

Good luck and hope all works out well for you!

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by Amory

Thanks to both John and Villagetinker for the replies. Even though I was referred to Mid Florida I'm not locked in to using them. Based on the good things I've heard about St. Luke's I'm leaning in that direction. Thanks again.

Some additional thoughts, I was very concerned about the cataract surgery, and St. Lukes was very willing to work with me, I scheduled the first eye, and then told them a minimum of 1 week for the second eye (standard was 2 days), as I wanted to make sure there were no aftereffects from the first surgery. This worked very well, and only required one additional week of eye drops.

Please feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss over the phone if you would like.

[C. C. Rider]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

Some additional thoughts, I was very concerned about the cataract surgery, and St. Lukes was very willing to work with me, I scheduled the first eye, and then told them a minimum of 1 week for the second eye (standard was 2 days), as I wanted to make sure there were no aftereffects from the first surgery. This worked very well, and only required one additional week of eye drops.

Please feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss over the phone if you would like.

Why not do one eye and then wait 6 months or so to evaluate how you feel about it and whether you want to do the other eye the same way or with the same doctor?

I had one eye done about 10 years ago, and I'm still contemplating whether to have the second one done or not. I'm quite pleased with the outcome of the first eye surgery, but I just don't know if the second one is bad enough to justify the slight risk of surgery. Besides, as time goes by, more and better options are available.

It's not like if you don't have it done now, you won't be able to in the future. In fact, the opposite is generally true. The longer you wait, the more options you'll have later for the second eye. I have far more and better options today than I had 10 years ago.

[villagetinker]

There were several reason to note wait 6 months, but the research I did satisfied me that any problems would be apparent within a week.

[blueash]

One thing you may want to consider is how the practice handles potential medical errors. Several eye practitioners in the Villages now force you to sign away your right to sue if they commit malpractice.

I don't know why they are so worried about malpractice unless they have been sued often which should give you pause. You wouldn't get in a taxi if the driver made you sign away your right to sue if he crashes. You wouldn't hire an architect who demands you can't sue if his design leads to your house leaning sideways.

Why would you go to a doctor who insists you cannot access the court no matter what mistake he makes?

[kp11364]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

There were several reason to note wait 6 months, but the research I did satisfied me that any problems would be apparent within a week.

My mom's doctor said 3 months between surgeries unless there was a medical necessity.

[C. C. Rider]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

There were several reason to note wait 6 months, but the research I did satisfied me that any problems would be apparent within a week.

Having been interested in this subject for at least the past 10 years and having talked with and read many people's experiences, I have a far different view of the time needed to evaluate whether there will be problems with the surgery or dissatisfaction with the results.

Unfortunately, cataract surgery is not like buying a new car wherein if you are not happy with the one you got you can simply trade it in for a new one.

[paulat585]

Great. Used Dr. Charles at Mid-Fl a year ago. No probs.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

Some additional thoughts, I was very concerned about the cataract surgery, and St. Lukes was very willing to work with me, I scheduled the first eye, and then told them a minimum of 1 week for the second eye (standard was 2 days), as I wanted to make sure there were no aftereffects from the first surgery. This worked very well, and only required one additional week of eye drops.

Please feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss over the phone if you would like.

Mid Florida was several weeks between surgeries, took quite awhile before my lense adjusted.