In the Milwaukee area, ophthalmologists have seen a definite increase in the number of doctors offering laser corrective eye surgery over the past five years. Nineteen doctors now advertise laser refractive surgery services in the Milwaukee-area Yellow Pages. People may be hesitant about having eye surgery until they come across people who have actually gone through it, and have heard how quickly people recover from the procedure. Dudley performs from 200 to 300 refractive eye surgeries a month at two Lasersight of Wisconsin centers in Wauwatosa and Green Bay. Dr. Ron Allen, ophthalmologist and owner of Allen Eye Care Associates S.C. in Franklin, performs about 60 to 80 procedures a month, he said.
Patient satisfaction is very high.
But satisfied customers aren't the only promotion vehicle for the surgery. Doctors are also spending lots of money to market themselves on the radio, television and in newspapers. The elective surgery is rarely covered by insurance, so many doctors offer financing plans for their patients. Payments can be spread out over several years and interest rates are 9.9 percent at many offices. Ten eye doctors in the Milwaukee area are also participating in a benefit plan from Vision Service Plan, a Rancho Cordova, Calif.-based provider of vision care benefits.