Patient Testimonials

I see clearly everyday without looking through dirty, itchy contact lenses.  Dr. Winthrop's equipment allowed me to go forward with LASIK surgery where other Dr.'s equipment wouldn't.  Great job!  The staff is excellent.  I will highly recommend Dr.Winthrop to anyone interested in LASIK (or still wearing glasses/contacts).

T.J. Ferguson

The only word I can describe the LASIK procedure is "MIRACLE".  For 24 years I endured the daily hassles of wearing contact lenses or glasses.  No more cleaning, disinfecting, dry lenses, headaches, tearing lenses, losing them down the drain, cracking my glasses, taking bottles of solution on vacations, waking up searching for my glasses, and many other problems associated with corrective lenses.

I am an avid golfer who has had to struggle with watching my ball disappear into the sky and unable to see the ball land.  Two days after the LASIK procedure, I was able to play golf and see my ball land every time I hit it.  My concentration level was much higher due to the fact that I didn't have to blink several times trying to get my contact lenses to focus on the ball.  For once the wind did not bother my game.

I want to thank you and all of your wonderful staff for making this experience as comfortable as possible.  NO PAIN!!!  What a concept.  Everyone from Claudia, Joiwind, Jeff, your receptionist, Eric, the nurse who held my hand, the pre-surgical assistant, and everyone else behind the scenes should be commended.  You've got a great team!

I always thought that I had the best job in the world.  Creating smiles and seeing the end result is always so rewarding.  After seeing what you can do with vision and making this world clearer to me, I have to think your job is just as rewarding as mine.

Again, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for my life.  It's truly a miracle!

Sincerely,

Bernard C. Chang, D.D.S., M.S.

"I would like to tell you how pleased I was with my LASIK procedure.  Seldom in life do results meet expectations; in this case results exceeded my wildest hopes.  It has been everything I hoped for and more.  To say that I would recommend you and your staff is an understatement.

Since my vision is so important to me, I researched the different doctors and picked you.  Not only did you exceed my expectations, but also every member of your staff did.  Never did I feel that you were rushing through as many patients as possible.  Instead I was given all the special attention I needed to ease my fears and nerves.

The procedure only took a few minutes.  It was through before I knew it.  I felt no pain and you and your staff had me so relaxed and confident that I wish going to the dentist was this easy.  The way that you explained everything and walked me through the LASIK procedure made all my fears disappear.

I am saving the best for last.  I could see better right after the LASIK procedure than I had 35 years ago.  The 2nd day was even better.  I got up and drove 2 hours to help my son move.  I was amazed at how clear everything was; how I could see the road and all the small details so clearly.  I am so pleased that I cannot find the words to describe my joy.

In closing, I would like to assure any future patients that they are in the best hands possible; that they need not worry; that your staff will walk them through it with the same care that a mother shows to her baby.  The eye drops are the only thing that hurt in the slightest amount.  Getting shampoo in my eyes hurt worse than LASIK.  Thank you and your staff for making this so easy, and also for making it more than a job."

Ed Martin

Given the difficulty of my case, extreme farsightedness in both eyes with astigmatism, I needed the best surgeon and the best equipment possible.  Your credentials, experience and very impressive track record speak for themselves.  I had no doubt that you were the best and only doctor for me.  Your latest equipment, the LADARVision has made it possible for me to have this surgery, while with other equipment it would have been outside the allowed margins.

This has been one of the best decisions I've ever made and has greatly improved the quality of my life.

Marika Fischer

Dear Dr. Winthrop,

I would like to thank you for providing me with a wonderful new view of the world. I have thrown away my 4.5 and 6.5 glasses with corrections for astigmatism.

There is no doubt in my mind that the surgery completed on my eyes by your wonderfully competent team using the LADARVision equipment is one of the best investments that I will ever make for improving the quality of life.

Thank you again.

Yours truly,

Donald R. Hutton

"My eyes were very bad. I needed a doctor who was the best. Dr. Winthrop was that doctor. Many doctors are doing this procedure for the money and when speaking with them you do not get the confident feeling that I got when speaking to Dr. Winthrop. He was honest and told me the truth. He has the education and skills that I needed to fix my eyes. He told me that I would SEE and I can!"

Debbie Bartlett

Dear Dr. Winthrop:

Please allow me to express again my gratitude for the wonderful results of LASIK eye surgery. The procedure itself went very smoothly and was associated with minimal discomfort. Approximately eight hours after the procedure, I was able to attend my son's high school football game and watch the action free of glasses. During the past several weeks, my vision has continued to improve and I find that my vision is now clearer, with a better sense of depth perception than when using glasses. I am now able to work in the hospital and participate in active sports without the restrictions of glasses.

Thank you again for the wonderful results.

Very truly yours,

C. Alan Brown, M.D.
Santa Barbara Cardiovascular
Medical Group, Inc.

Dear Dr. Winthrop,

It has been 58 days since I had the LASIK procedure done to both of my eyes. The difference is impossible to describe -- it's like having a dream come true overnight. I woke up after the procedure and could see right away, even though I was groggy and had plastic eye protectors on. The next morning was even more amazing - I woke up and opened my eyes and I could see. No groping for my glasses and no need for contact lenses!

My vision in both eyes before the procedure was about 20/650+, plus a slight astigmatism. I had worn glasses since the 3rd grade and have worn both soft and hard contact lenses over the past 17 years.

I now wake up every morning with 20/20 vision. There is still a slight astigmatism in my left eye, but I don't even notice it. What can I say? The difference since the procedure is immeasurable. I love being able to see, and not worry about contact lenses or glasses. I can't thank you enough.

I would (and have) recommended this procedure to anyone who needs their distance vision corrected. Four of my friends had the procedure before me, and all of us are equally satisfied. I know of three other people to whom I've recommended you, and all of them are planning on having the LASIK procedure done in the next few months.

Again, I appreciate so much what you and your helpful staff were able to do for me. Thank you.

Warmest regards,

Meghan E Talt

I knew Radial Keratotomy was not the answer to my vision problems, so I waited for the laser to become available. Then my problem was finding the best ophthalmologist. I traveled from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara to find the right one! On the advice and recommendation of my internist, I saw Dr Winthrop. His credentials are impeccable, his experience is extensive, and his easy-going manner put me at ease immediately.

The LASIK procedure was painless, quick and the results were immediate. Imagine... I wore glasses, and later contacts for 38 years -- the need was over in minutes! The memory of the first images I saw clearly after the procedure will probably stay with me forever. Now my only problem is what to do with all those old pairs of glasses, contacts and cleaning and wetting solutions!

Georgene Savio

In June of 1997, I had LASIK surgery for correction of myopia by Dr. Stuart R. Winthrop of Santa Barbara. This brief and minimally discomforting eye procedure has enhanced my enjoyment of life in countless ways. In this brief narrative I will describe my experience with LASIK to assist others who may be weighing the options of corrective eye surgery.

I am a 54 year old physician and pediatrician and had worn corrective lenses for significant nearsightedness and mild astigmatism since I was 10 years of age. In the last 7 years I had also developed the normal presbyopia or difficulty with near vision which is inevitable with advancing age. I was consequently wearing blended bifocals with corrections for both problems. I had a large myopic correction for my nearsightedness which approximated 20/500 bilaterally. The glasses were thick and cumbersome with the usual negatives well familiar to any myopic individual. They were heavy and irritated my nose, required constant repositioning on my nose, and hampered a panoramic view of my environment because of the frames and light reflection and glare. I was entirely lost in any setting without my glasses. They were a distraction when I was involved in my photography hobby or athletics, including my high school wrestling coaching.

Less important to me but worthy of mentioning was that the "coke bottle" appearance of the glasses did little to improve my self-image or esteem. My best correction with glasses was 20/50 in my left eye, 20/30 in my right, and 20/30 bilaterally. I had limited improvement in these problems with soft contact lenses. Irritation, eye fatigue and mild hayfever limited their extended use, and they were a continuing hassle to maintain.

I had long looked at the possibility of corrective eye surgery including Radial Keratotomy and photorefractive techniques. As a physician I have a healthy respect for any new mechanical procedure and generally prefer not to jump into anything without a reliably documented track record. After considerable research I felt LASIK offered a reassuringly safe risk-benefit ratio for individuals with significant myopia such as my own.

I attended one of Dr. Winthrop's introductory evening talks on PRK and LASIK in January 1997 and was greatly impressed by his experience and the frank discussion of the LASIK procedure and its expected benefits and limitations. I understood that LASIK could correct my nearsightedness and astigmatism, but could not alter my presbyopia. Continued requirements for reading glasses would therefore remain for a person of my age, though this would not be a problem for younger individuals not yet requiring reading glasses.

It was particularly important to me to have LASIK with an experienced corneal surgeon such as Dr Winthrop, as the procedure is invasive (as opposed to standard PRK). I felt very comfortable that the level of technology available at the Cottage Eye Center made LASIK a safe and predictable approach for me.

Prior to surgery, I had several office visits with Dr. Winthrop where my eyes were carefully assessed with regard to my suitability for corrective eye surgery. Computerized maps of my cornea's were made to facilitate laser settings during the procedure. A determination was made that I was a better candidate for LASIK than routine PRK because of my extreme myopia.

On the day of surgery I arrived at the Cottage Eye Center in the early afternoon. A careful medical history was reviewed, and I was given a detailed description of what was to follow. I was given a mild sedative and then waited with other patients for my scheduled turn in surgery. It was interesting to me that my fellow patients were all well educated, professional individuals including physicians and their family members, people whom I reassuringly felt were equally likely to have carefully examined the procedure before proceeding with it.

At approximately 4 o'clock p.m., I walked into surgery and sat in a chair above which was the laser. Dr. Winthrop observed through a magnifying scope and talked me through the entire procedure, constantly encouraging and giving positive feedback on how things were going. It was necessary that I be awake and cooperative in focusing on an overhead green light to successfully complete the procedure. My eyes were anesthetized with eye drops, and a device was placed between the lids of my right eye, which prevented blinking. While I looked at the overhead light, the microkeratome was used to create the corneal flap. My vision in that eye went black at that point, but there was minimal discomfort and I was able to focus on the overhead green light while my posterior cornea was lasered over several seconds. All settings were preprogrammed according to my prior corneal mappings. The corneal flap was returned to its normal position and the lid retractor was removed. Light and vision immediately returned, but I was quickly patched to encourage the segmented cornea to settle tightly in place. This entire procedure was then repeated with my left eye.

The procedure, including preliminary discussions and surgery on both eyes took approximately 30 minutes and was essentially painless. The careful preparation given me beforehand and during the procedure made it relatively routine and minimized my anxiety.

I was assisted to my car and my wife drove me home. I was instructed not to remove my clear plastic shields until the following morning except for periodic installation of antibiotic and wetting drops. I once cheated briefly, looking at the TV across the room where the NBA Championships were pictured, and the screen was as clear as with my glasses! I took a single dose of Tylenol but required no other pain medications that evening.

The following morning I took off my patches with nervous anticipation and was seeing with essentially the some acuity as when my glasses had been on. I was ecstatic! I could see the smallest of leaves on the trees outside, the knots on my ceiling, the small clock across the room. A drive to Dr. Winthrop's office that morning required no glasses! He confirmed my vision was essentially at preoperative corrected levels.

I used eye drops, and protective plastic goggles at night (so I wouldn't scratch at my eyes in my sleep) for 1 week. My vision showed day to day mild variability both for far and near vision for approximately 1 month. I required inexpensive "cheaters" for close reading, but no glasses for day to day living. By approximately 6 weeks my vision had stabilized at approximately 20/20 -20/25 in my right eye, and 20/35 in my left eye. My binocular vision was better than my preoperative "best corrected with glasses" vision. I passed my driver's license eye exam and threw away my old glasses. My focusing ability with photography has significantly improved, as has the quality of my pictures. I have a slight amount of nighttime glare effect, which occurs when my eyes are dilated, but it is not a functional problem and is frankly less distracting than my preoperative glasses glare.

I would do this over again without reservation. I only wish LASIK had been an available option years ago when I was younger and glasses were an even greater annoyance in my activities. I'm somewhat jealous professionally of Dr. Winthrop's ability to offer his patients such a wonderful gift as normal vision, wishing I could offer my own patients such an appreciated service. I marvel every morning when I wake up, look out my window and see perfectly. It's still hard to believe!

Dr. Stephen L. Abbott
Pediatrician

Dear Dr. Winthrop,

Let me begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to you and each member of your staff.

My case was an extremely difficult one as my astigmatism, at 6+ diopters, was way past extreme. For my entire life I have been confronted by eye doctors who had never seen amounts that high and who had varying degrees of success treating me. Because of this, I researched the procedure and available Doctors very carefully. There are many LASIK centers available, and I found all of them that I contacted were willing to do the procedure on me. However, I knew they had zero experience with someone like me and I wanted a Doctor who had successfully done numerous cases like mine. Of course you have more experience with eyes like mine than anyone and it shows everywhere.

I had the procedure done 5 days ago. You removed 5 diopters, the maximum possible in one setting, of astigmatism from each eye along with what myopia was present. The procedure was painless, pleasant in fact. I could see directly afterwards and on my next-day check-up could see at 20/25 or so and was certified by yourself as being legal to drive without contacts. I have never experienced any discomfort and my vision continues to improve. I can now see better than I could with contacts. I can't imagine what it will be like when you do the follow-up LASIK to remove the balance of my astigmatism. But, I am surely looking forward to that day. I imagine many people would be surprised to learn you include follow-up procedures in the package price. It is a pleasant surprise.

For me, contacts were becoming very uncomfortable to wear. My eyes were getting irritated. Plus, because of the high correction, the toric lenses needed to stay EXACTLY straight up and down...something that was only possible on occasion. Basically, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to work, read, drive and such...and glasses were not an option.

The difference for me now is truly amazing and quite wonderful.

If you have other patients with conditions similar to mine, or anyone for who you would like to use me as a reference, please do not hesitate. Your competence, consideration and kindness are all of the highest order. If I could think of better praise I would offer it. I am already sending you my friends.

Steven L. Bender
Technical Architect