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20/20, or it’s free?
A LASIK center promises superior results. If anything less should occur, consumers’ money will be refunded.
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HERNDON, Va. — Vision Freedom Center Inc. (VFC) pledges that if their laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) patients do not achieve 20/20 vision or better, patients will be reimbursed the full purchase price paid for the procedure.
“Approximately 90% of our patients qualify for that promise, and that includes patients all the way up to -12 D,” said Myles Weiner, CEO at VFC. “The reason we are doing this is because our results have shown that we can. We carefully track our results and make them available to consumers.”
Currently, VFC is not choosing to give the 20/20 promise to hyperopes. Other patients not eligible for the 20/20 guarantee include those that are amblyopic and patients choosing to only have one eye done.
“Our clinical results over the past 18 months are far superior to national averages,” said Robert Johnston, MD, medical director of VFC. “Within 1 week after under-going the surgery, more than 98% of VFC patients achieve a result of 20/40 or better. More than half of patients achieve final results that allow them to see 20/15 or better, giving them more acute vision than they ever had with glasses or contacts.”
The deal
The 20/20 promise does not guarantee a patient’s vision for life, due to many future factors that can change over time and interfere with one’s vision, such as presbyopia. There are some reasonable limitations, according to VFC, but the promise is an attempt to demonstrate to consumers that they should have confidence in VFC and their consistent results.
According to Mr. Weiner, if a patient does not achieve 20/20 or better, VFC will perform a free enhancement. Three months after the enhancement, if the patient has not achieved 20/20 or better, their money will be reimbursed. “Our commitment is clear,” Mr. Weiner said. “Even if a patient achieves a final result of 20/25, they will get their money back.”
However, the 20/20 promise does not guarantee “perfect” vision. “We make it clear to people that 20/20 does not mean perfect vision,” Mr. Weiner told Ocular Surgery News. “Someone with 20/20 could have night glare, or they could have fuzzy vision at certain times, depending on if they are presbyopic or how old they are.” According to Mr. Weiner, 20/20 vision refers to distance vision only.
VFC’s results indicate that more than 99% of their patients with low to moderate myopia are able to drive the next day after their procedure, without the use of glasses or contacts. Additionally, according to the VFC executive, more than half of their patients with low to moderate myopia are seeing 20/15. “We believe that there are a number of very special things we do at our centers after surgery that allow us to get the consistency of results to enable us to make this kind of promise to consumers,” Mr. Weiner said.
Some specific terms and conditions apply, including reasonable requirements that patients follow the prescribed postoperative regimen and show up for all scheduled postoperative exams.
The center
VFC operates three centers, all in major shopping malls. “While the public and especially the press have been focusing on the uniqueness of our locations and open-education format,” Mr. Weiner said, “we think that they may have missed the most important aspect of our VFCs, which is our commitment to operating standards and a quality program that allows us to deliver superior results to patients.”
All VFC patient care is given at one site. VFC executives argue that at open-access laser vision centers, where numerous doctors perform surgery and with patients going elsewhere for postoperative care, surgeons there probably are not aware of what results are achieved. Therefore, those types of centers are less able to assure outcomes.
The mall environment in which VFC locates its centers offers patients the convenience of normal mall hours, which means that VFC is open seven days a week for information and free patient screenings. Procedures are performed every day except Sunday. VFC utilizes Visx S2 (Santa Clara, Calif.) excimer lasers.
For Your Information:
- Robert M. Johnston, MD, can be reached at 209 Gibson St. NW, Lower Level, Leesburg, VA 21076; (703) 777-8333; fax: (703) 777-7966; e-mail: rjcurising@aol.com. Dr. Johnston is medical director of Vision Freedom Center Inc.
- Myles Weiner can be reached at 760 Herndon Pkwy., Ste. 130, Herndon, VA 20170; (703) 471-1533; fax: (703) 471-5650; e-mail: info@visualfreedomcenter.com; Web site: www.visualfreedomcenter.com. Mr. Weiner is chief executive officer of Vision Freedom Center Inc.