LASIK News

Ophthalmic industry veteran to spearhead strategic growth

ST. LOUIS, MO – April 18, 2012 – TLC Laser Eye Centers, North America’s premier provider of LASIK and refractive eye care services, today announced that it has appointed George Neal to the position of Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Neal joins TLC with more than 25 years of experience in the ophthalmic industry. Most recently, he served as Division Vice President, Global Sales and International Marketing, with Santa Ana, Calif.‐based Abbott Medical Optics. Prior to Abbott, he was Vice President of Corporate Development for Eyeonics; he also held positions with Alcon Labs, Inc., Allergan Optical and Procter & Gamble Co. Neal’s position returns him to the St. Louis area where he once served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Catalina Health Resource.

“George is the ideal person to lead TLC as we look to invest in the business and take advantage of the multiple growth opportunities we see on the horizon,” said Tim Palmer, Managing Director of Charlesbank Capital Partners and a member of TLC’s board of directors. “The current management team has made extraordinary strides during a challenging economic environment to position the company for such growth. We are excited about TLC’s future.”

Read the full press release

 

 

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"I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Neal in a variety of roles for more than a decade. His commitment to leadership and his business insight are qualities that he has revealed and proved over these tough times in business in general. His keen eye for innovative technology has allowed companies to thrive when their competitors have failed. With Mr. Neal at the helm I feel confident the only direction for TLC is forward into the future. In the business of Laser Vision Correction you want a leader who understands the technology and the innovations to come. Mr. Neal definitely has proven these facts time and time again."

Karl Stonecipher, MD

"I have spent many hours over the years meeting and discussing with Mr. Neal the business of refractive surgery which is not just LASIK, but premium IOL's and new elective technologies on the horizon. I believe he understands how they can be incorporated into our practices which will delivery superior patient outcomes and experiences. This will help support our strong image and leadership position in the industry. I am a strong supporter of our Optometric referral network and it has been critical to my success over the years. Mr. Neal's experience & understanding of the Optometric channel will prove invaluable to TLC. This is a great match for TLC."

Alan Berg, MD

"George Neal has an in depth understanding of LASIK technology, the market, and a personal relationship with the thought leaders in refractive surgery. This unique talent set makes him a great choice as CEO of TLC. As a LASIK surgeon who has worked with him for over a decade I am very excited about the opportunity for George to help grow the LASIK market for my practice and TLC."

Eric Donnenfeld, MD
Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology NYU

Facebook users can win a free LASIK procedure by entering in the “Eye Want LASIK” contest sponsored by TLC Laser Eye Centers.  Facebook users can enter by answering the question: “Why do you want LASIK and how will it change your life?”

“Not only do we have this amazing opportunity to provide someone with this life changing procedure for free, we also have two VISA gift cards to be won, for $1,000 and $500,” said Karen Anderson, TLC’s Interactive Director.  “If you don’t win the free LASIK procedure, you could use the gift card as payment towards the procedure.”

To be eligible to win the grand prize of a free LASIK procedure, the $1000 prepaid VISA Card or the $500 prepaid VISA card, Facebook users should “like” the TLC Facebook page and complete the entry form at facebook.com/tlclasik before March 31st. 

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are benefits offered by employers that allow employees to pay for eligible health care expenses, such as LASIK laser vision correction, glasses and or contact lenses with pre-tax dollars. By using your flexible spending account (FSA) to pay for LASIK, you can reduce your taxes and save on the cost of your LASIK procedure! 

 

Current flexible spending rules let you save up to 30%* on a LASIK vision correction procedure, but when the healthcare laws change in 2013, this is going away. So don’t wait, see how the cost savings add up now with our TLC Laser Eye Centers  Flex LASIK Savings Calculator. 

 

TLC Laser Eye Centers can help you see a lot of things, but you’ll never see this kind of cost savings again after 2012. Find out how you can save up to 30% on your LASIK procedure. Visit the TLC Laser Eye Centers Flex LASIK Savings Calculator. 

 

*Actual FSA savings may vary.

 

LASIK study reflects results shown by TLC Custom LASIK Patients. An independent LASIK study recently conducted by the U.S. Navy demonstrates that Custom LASIK produces better quality outcomes compared to conventional LASIK for vision correction. The LASIK study, the first of its kind, found that 97% of laser vision correction patients treated with Custom LASIK acquired 20/20 vision, versus 88% with conventional LASIK. Custom LASIK can help military personnel see better at night and also avoid the challenges of using glasses or contact lenses in the battlefield. Soldiers who wear eyeglasses must have gas masks with prescription eye inserts that can limit peripheral vision. Custom LASIK aids in limiting this issue.

 

TLC LASIK patients have high satisfaction and improved quality of life. The vast majority of the surveyed TLC Laser Eye Centers LASIK patients who had LASIK or other laser vision correction procedures are very satisfied with the LASIK results, and most said that the overall quality of their lives and daily routines have improved, according to the results of a recent TLC LASIK patient study.

 

TLC Laser Eye Center's LASIK vision correction study mirrors the recent Harris Interactive Survey commissioned by the Eye Surgery Education Council (ESEC). That survey was the first nationwide quality of life survey assessing life implications for LASIK laser vision correction patients. Both the TLC Laser Eye Centers LASIK  survey and the Harris survey clearly show that LASIK laser vision correction has a profound positive impact on overall quality of life, daily routine, and job performance. However, the TLC Laser Eye Center survey LASIK laser vision correction results outperformed those of Harris in almost all areas, indicating that TLC LASIK patients surveyed reported experiencing the highest quality of LASIK patient care and achieving excellent LASIK laser vision correction results.

 

TLC Laser Eye Centers use only clinically proven government approved LASIK laser vision correction equipment that is effective in LASIK laser vision correction treatment. TLC Laser Eye Centers has the LASIK experience and laser vision correction knowledge to know which laser is right for your LASIK treatment. The LASIK technology used in the laser vision correction procedure continues to evolve rapidly. As the leader in the LASIK vision correction, TLC Laser Eye Centers has the resources to select the best LASIK equipment and maintain it carefully according to FDA specifications.

 

The Autonomous Laser system is an excellent alternative for LASIK patients with large pupils and for hyperopic (farsighted) LASIK patients with astigmatism. If the Autonomous laser system isn't precisely right for your eyes, TLC Laser Eye Centers can turn to other LASIK lasers, using the best  laser for every individual LASIK procedure. State of the art technology means not only new laser vision correction lasers but also includes new laser vision correction programming for existing LASIK lasers, new or refined vision measurement devices, and refinements in LASIK surgical instruments.

 

TLC Laser Eye Centers believes that getting the best LASIK patient outcomes isn't the result of simply having the best LASIK equipment - it also requires knowing how to use it. TLC Laser Eye Centers LASIK eye Surgeons are rigorously trained beyond government requirements and are required to engage in ongoing clinical education to maintain their high level of expertise.
 

The U.S. Navy Study confirmed the benefits available to patients by showing that Custom LASIK patients did not report experiencing night driving halos or glare while conventional LASIK patients reported an increase in halos. Most LASIK patients experienced a satisfactory resolution in halos after three months. TLC Laser Eye Centers offers Custom LASIK in order to continue providing LASIK patients with the best laser vision correction treatment options available. The Custom LASIK procedure addresses and corrects "higher-order" aberrations, which are distortions thought to cause problems such as halos or glare. Using a tool called the wavefront analyzer the Custom LASIK procedure measures the way light passes through your eye. This data is then entered in the laser, resulting in a truly customized procedure. 

 

The U.S. Navy's findings parallel other studies which show that Custom LASIK may be able to provide you with: greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision, better vision than with glasses or contacts, less incidence of night vision problems. For more information on Custom LASIK visit the "Contact Us" section of this site. TLC Laser Eye Centers would like to share some exciting news - your health care plan may now offer savings when you have LASIK laser vision correction. It may even be a covered benefit under your plan. If you ever thought about laser vision correction, this is a great opportunity to see if it's right for you. 

 

Schedule a FREE LASIK consultation and find out if LASIK is right for you!

 

For patients considering LASIK, research shows positive long-term outcomes. A recent LASIK survey conducted at Emory University Medical School indicated that 90% of survey participants who had LASIK between 1995 and 1999 reported being free from the use of glasses or contacts.

 

 

Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) is the first non-laser procedure for farsightedness. CK uses the controlled release of radiofrequency (RF) energy, instead of a laser or scalpel to reshape the cornea. Because CK is performed without the cutting or removal of tissue, it meets the needs of the risk-adverse laser vision correction patient who's been waiting for an alternative to LASIK for farsightedness. For years, the farsighted patient has been left behind as vision correction procedures progressed: RK, PRK, and even LASIK initially were all treatments solely for the nearsighted. CK is one of the first laser vision correction procedures designed specifically for farsightedness.

 

Another benefit of wave-front-guided LASIK or as it is commonly call Custom LASIK, is the very accurate refraction that the aberrometers are producing, and the equally accurate laser ablation profile. This is giving extremely good postoperative vision to our TLC Laser Eye Center patients and over time, we at TLC Laser Eye Centers, believe this will reduce our enhancement rate even further. As we are gaining more knowledge on wave-front-guided LASIK or Custom LASIK,  we at TLC Laser Eye Centers know that LASIK patients with a high percentage of higher-order aberrations will benefit from wave-front-guided, or Custom LASIK procedure. The FDA trials were very clear in their results in that there is a definite reduction in the possibility of glare and haloes, and other associated night vision problems by correcting these higher-order aberrations.

 

This also seems to be beneficial to LASIK patients with larger pupils, whom we would have thought in the past would be definitely higher risk for glare and haloes at night. Some LASIK surgeons are performing wave-front-guided ablations on all of their LASIK patients while others are very strict on who qualifies for Custom LASIK. At TLC Laser Eye Centers, we like to individualize each patient, evaluate their orbscan, and their wave front results and then make a mutual decision with the patient. The current indication for Custom LASIK treatment is for myopic astigmatism, up to 6.5 diopters sphere and cylinder up to 3 diopters.

 

Charlotte, NC (January 2002) - A Charlotte man is among the first in this region to have LASEK, an alternative to the popular LASIK laser vision correction procedure. LASEK, spelled with an "E" rather than an "I" stands for Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis, a relatively new alternative in laser vision correction that may benefit some laser vision correction patients who are not candidates for LASIK.

 

The LASEK procedure is of particular benefit to laser vision correction patients with thin corneas or certain corneal disorders that preclude LASIK. 

 

"The patient, Stephen Smith, was not a candidate for LASIK because his refractive error was high in relation to his corneal thickness. I didn't feel satisfied that he had enough corneal tissue to make it a good option for him," said Dr. George Tate, the TLC Laser Eye Center Medical Director and Surgeon who performed the LASEK procedure. "LASEK offered him the right treatment for his eyes, so he could enjoy the benefits of laser vision correction safely and effectively." In LASEK, a very thin flap in the outer layer of the cornea, called the epithelium, is created and lifted before a laser is used to gently reshape the surface and correct for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. The flap is replaced and the patient gets a contact lens bandage to wear while the eye heals by regrowing epithelial cells.

 

The U.S. Navy Study confirmed the benefits available to patients by showing that Custom LASIK patients did not report experiencing night driving halos or glare while conventional LASIK patients reported an increase in halos. Most LASIK patients experienced a satisfactory resolution in halos after three months. 

 

The U.S. Navy's findings parallel other studies which show that Custom LASIK may be able to provide you with: greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision, better vision than with glasses or contacts, less incidence of night vision problems. For more information on Custom LASIK visit the "Contact Us" section of this site. TLC Laser Eye Centers would like to share some exciting news - your health care plan may now offer savings when you have LASIK laser vision correction. It may even be a covered benefit under your plan. If you ever thought about laser vision correction, this is a great opportunity to see if it's right for you. 

 

Schedule a FREE LASIK consultation and find out if LASIK is right for you!