JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A First Coast News On Your Side investigation uncovered documents showing an eye surgery center offered its employees thousands of dollars in bonus money based on the number and price of procedures performed.
It’s information two LasikPlus patients say they wish they had known before they signed up for surgery.
“We knew how many patients we needed to schedule in order to get our bonus,” said a former LasikPlus employee who asked us to conceal her identity. We will call her "Sarah."
She worked at LasikPlus in Jacksonville providing initial consultations and pre-screenings.
Sarah says employees were offered financial incentives to get as many patients as they could. The bonus structure when she was there paid employees up to $18,000 more per year if their local center and the company met the surgery goal.
She says an email was sent to LasikPlus associates from a company executive in December 2017.
“514 more eyes (in addition to those already on the books) to earn our $1,500 payout,” the email reads. “Don’t know about you, but an extra $1,500 would sure come in handy with holiday shopping, etc.”
Sarah says that the bonus structure was in place as of early 2018.
“The fact they need 514 more eyes to get a bonus, it enrages me,” said Tammie Ford who had surgery at LasikPlus.
Ford’s experience was so good she recommended LasikPlus to her father, Richard Guertin. His outcome at LasikPlus in Jacksonville was much different.
“It's horrible. I should have never done it,” Guertin said. “It's like being in a pool that was over chlorinated, and it's constantly stinging and then constantly that dry stuff. You rub your eyelid and feel, like, little rocks.”
Sandy Peters was also a patient at LasikPlus in Jacksonville.
“Honestly, every single day since March 9 I’ve been in some kind of pain,” said Peters. "My eyes burn. Now they don't burn like acid. It burns more like lemon juice in, like, a cut…and I get these horrible migraines.”
Peters documented her daily struggle with severely dry eyes and pain in a home video.
“It’s pressure here and in my eyes and all the way around. Literally, just my whole head. I just really wish I could chop it off,” said Peters.
According to an FDA study on LASIK, more than 95% of participants were satisfied with their vision following surgery.
LasikPlus did not respond to our request for information about how often complications occur but CEO Craig Joeffe sent us this statement:
“LASIK is an FDA-approved procedure that has transformed the lives of millions of people. In fact, it is one of the most popular elective procedures in the United States. At LasikPlus, we have been performing top-quality laser vision correction since 1995. The skilled optometrists perform a comprehensive eye exam on each patient and work directly with the experienced LASIK surgeons to determine whether each patient is a safe candidate for LASIK. The surgeons and the company are committed to provide the very best patient care and customer service in each of our markets.”
First Coast News sent multiple emails to LasikPlus asking for comment on its bonus structure. We included a screen grab of the bonus structure provided to us by a former employee.
We first emailed the company in late October 2018, then again in early November, and three more times in February 2019. The company’s only response was to refer to its previous statement.
Sarah says she resigned from LasikPlus because the pressure became too much.
“Things just changed after that bonus structure was put in and people just started rushing through the exams, rushing to get patients on and I just feel the time spent with patients and the information given to patients is not enough,” said Sarah.
Kenneth Goodman, the director of the Florida Bioethics Network, said the fact that a surgical center ties bonuses to the number of procedures performed is something patients have to be aware of in order to make sure they’re making an informed decision.
“The problem is that it means an individual decision about an individual patient might be made on the basis of considerations of other than what's right for that patient, so in that regard, there's a problem with it,” said Goodman.
What about all of those online reviews for LasikPlus? They are glowing. Ford, who told us she had a good experience with LasikPlus, she says her review was reviewed.
“They would not give me a t-shirt until I checked in on Facebook and until I wrote the review, and they actually viewed it and were able to see my review because my Facebook is private. I had to change my post from friends to public and then I got the t-shirt.”
Both Peters and Guertin signed consent forms and because of that, they say attorneys have told them they have no legal grounds to sue. Their stories serve as a reminder to always be vigilant, do your research and ask questions before any procedure.
“I just hate to see anybody else in the same situation,” said Guertin.
“I'm not saying LASIK is bad because there is a lot of good things that a lot of people have. It’s just my story, unfortunately, was not and if I just would have heard anybody’s story I wouldn't have done it,” said Peters.
Ultimately, it’s up to patients to demand they are fully informed of the risks and knowing whether they are a good candidate for any procedure.
As for Peters and Guertin, they are both now seeing other doctors. Peters recently saw a specialist in Boston. Guertin recently had cataract surgery and has seen some improvement.
Later this week on First Coast News a local ophthalmologist will discuss who is and is not a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery.