Is there anyone out there who can provide me with information good or bad on Dr Charles C. Manger at Saddleback Eye Center or Dr. Andrew I. Caster in LA? Thanks.

I had Dr. Manger perform Lasik on my eyes about a month ago. I personally did not have a pleasant experience. Aside from the fact that after a month I am still experiencing really bad night vision, halos, starbursts, foggy indoor vision, and very dry eyes…I also felt that I did not receive proper care. I asked Dr. Manger questions about the risks and he downplayed them…which now I know from reading websites like this one. I only wish I had found these websites before my surgery so that I could have made an educated decision about whether I wanted to go through with the surgery. During my consultation, I asked if there were higher risks associated with my higher myopia (I was a -11), and I asked if it was okay that my husband and I were planning to try to get pregnant soon after the surgery. He said neither was an issue. Now, after the surgery, I discovered that most doctors recommend patients to not get pregnant until 3-6 months after the surgery…and I also learned that it is a known fact that highly nearsighted patients experience more side effects and take longer to heal. I wish I had been informed of those things at my consultation. I wonder if they were just trying to tell me what I wanted to hear so that I would not change my mind (after all, Dr. Manger charges $4,800 for the surgery). The other thing you may want to consider is that most doctors will monitor the healing of the eyes, but Dr. Manger’s office will only do one check the day after surgery. Then they tell you that they’ll see you in six months. I have a few friends that had Lasik at other facilities, and their doctors checked them post-op at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and so on. I don’t feel that I am getting proper care for my eyes because I don’t have a doctor monitoring the healing process. Furthermore, since I am experiencing so many side effects, I decided to go in for a check up anyway…and I was really appalled by the lack of concern and empathy from the optometrist that checked my eyes. The feeling I got from her was that I was being a whiner and that I was wasting their time by coming in for a check up when it hasn’t been six months yet. She basically told me that I better just deal with the side effects…or at least that was the message that I heard (my husband was with me and that was what he heard too). Also, I didn’t feel comfortable with the fact that they made me sign all the disclosure just minutes before my surgery rather than giving them to me in advance at my consultation. If I had received them at the consultation I would have had time to carefully read everything before I signed it (maybe that was the reason that they didn’t give them to me in advance). But I was asked to sign them at the same time a gal was getting me prepared with the cap and giving me instructions of the process I was about to go through. Then a guy came and took my glasses away (I had to tell him that I still needed them to read the paperwork so he stood around and waited for me to hurry up and finish…that just made me rush through it faster). Then another gal came and asked me for payment. It was chaos, and it seems that they make it impossible for a patient to truly read and understand what they are signing. Finally, I should mention that they mislead you into thinking that Dr. Manger does the entire surgery. Actually, another doctor cuts the flap in one exam room, then they make you wait outside (with the cut flap in your eyes!) until the second exam room becomes available…and Dr. Manger lifts the flap to perform the laser correction. I could write pages about the bad experience, but I think you get the point. I should mention that I do know of a few other people that had their surgery done by Dr. Manger and they are happy with their results. That was the reason I chose him in the first place. But my personal experience has been quite different.

Dr Caster has been evaluated and is certified by our organization. I can recommend him highly.

Visit http://www.usaeyes.org/faq/subjects/certified.html

Glenn Hagele
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org
Email: glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

I am not a doctor.

Beware: The CRSQA may sound official, but this is a phony organization. Doctors simply pay a fee to join and get "certified." Certification by this so-called organization is meaningless.

Andrew Caster has had his share of problems with lawsuits.

> I had Dr. Manger perform Lasik on my eyes about a month ago. I personally did not have a pleasant experience. Aside from the fact that after a month I am still experiencing really bad night vision, halos, starbursts, foggy indoor vision, and very dry eyes…I also felt that I did not receive proper care. I asked Dr. Manger questions about the risks and he downplayed them…which now I know from reading websites like this one. I only wish I had found these websites before my surgery so that I could have made an educated decision about whether I wanted to go through with the surgery. During my consultation, I asked if there were higher risks associated with my higher myopia I was a -11), and I asked if it was okay that my husband and I were planning to try to get pregnant soon after the surgery. He said neither was an issue. I wonder if they Dr. Manger charges $4,800 for the surgery). The other thing you may want to consider is that most doctors will monitor the healing of the eyes, but Dr. Manger’s office will only do one check the day after surgery. Then they tell you that they’ll see you in six months. I have a few friends that had Lasik at other facilities, and their doctors checked them post-op at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and so on. I don’t feel that I am getting proper care for my eyes because I don’t have a doctor monitoring the healing process. Furthermore, since I am experiencing so many side effects, I decided to go in for a check up anyway…and I was really appalled by the lack of concern and empathy from the optometrist that checked my eyes. The feeling I got from her was that I was being a whiner and that I was wasting their time by coming in for a check up when it hasn’t been six months yet. She basically told me that I better just deal with the side effects…or at least that was the message that I heard (my husband was with me and that was what he heard too). Also, I didn’t feel comfortable with the fact that they made me sign all the disclosure just minutes before my surgery rather than giving them to me in advance at my consultation. If I had received them at the consultation I would have had time to carefully read everything before I signed it (maybe that was the reason that they didn’t give them to me in advance). But I was asked to sign them at the same time a gal was getting me prepared with the cap and giving me instructions of the process I was about to go through. Then a guy came and took my glasses away (I had to tell him that I still needed them to read the paperwork so he stood around and waited for me to hurry up and finish…that just made me rush through it faster). Then another gal came and asked me for payment. It was chaos, and it seems that they make it impossible for a patient to truly read and understand what they are signing. Finally, I should mention that they mislead you into thinking that Dr. Manger does the entire surgery. Actually, another doctor cuts the flap in one exam room, then they make you wait outside (with the cut flap in your eyes!) until the second exam room becomes available…and Dr. Manger lifts the flap to perform the laser correction. I could write pages about the bad experience, but I think you get the point. I should mention that I do know of a few other people that had their surgery done by Dr. Manger and they are happy with their results. That was the reason I chose him in the first place. But my personal experience has been quite different.

I'm so thankful i found this forum before i had mine done. I called Saddleback and they booked the surgery for the same day as the consult. That's strange...Plus if I attended a Sat seminar I'd get $100 off and if I donated my glasses/contacts I'd get more discounts. Discounts, discounts... why are they so desperate to get me? I'd pay anything for my precious eyes as long as they don't F--K them up! Plus after reading this lady's testimonial, all i needed was one bad story and I'm gone. I went with a referral of a friend of mine. I went to Dr. Hofbauer in Beverly Hills, a corneal surgeon, who had me read the papers and watch a video WAY before the surgery, not SAME DAY. I paid the "full" $4800 and couldn't be happier. Halos and glowing white objects (in daylight) will fade in time. I adjusted after 2 days. No big deal.

BUT, in the defense of Dr. Manger, I had the same type laser used and procedure. Dr. Hofbauer did everything for my surgery. OK, once the laser flaps are cut, YOU MUST WAIT for the "bubbles", which really just looks like fogginess, to fade before the corrective laser is used. Maybe 20-30 minutes, I don't really remember because the valium was kicking and I fell asleep. Your 'flaps' are NOT open during this time, he opened them RIGHT BEFORE he does the real surgery. This lady's testimonial had me SO SCARED! So I asked everything and all was answered. Dry eyes? A drop here and a drop there. I am so pleased.

PS. The day after my surgery I learned at my checkup that it was Dr Hofbauer's birthday. The man comes in on his birthday to take care of his patients. CLASS!!!!

I have posted a similar question about Dr. Manger and Dr. Thomas Tooma recently on this forum (see following message trail).

I understand both Dr. Manger and Dr. Tooma had at least 1 or 2 lawsuites against them 3 to 8 years ago. My question is that now they are using latest technologies (all laser lasik with custom wavefront), have they improved their services and can be trusted nowadays?

Thanks in advance!

--------------------- original messages -----------

Hi there,
I would like to get your comments on Dr. Charles Manger (Saddleback Eye Center in Laguna Hills, CA) and Dr. Thomas Tooma (TLC Laser Eye Centers of Newport Beach, CA).
I was told Dr. Manger has performed more than 50,000 Lasik surgeries, and Dr. Tooma has performed more than 60,000 Lasik surgeries. Dr. Tooma has 4 different Lasik equipments, vs. Dr. Manger has only one. So it seems Dr. Tooma is better than Dr. Manger.

But I noticed Dr. Manger's place is full of patient every day and has more assistant doctors than Dr. Tooma.

Any suggestions and experience regarding which doctor is better choice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Both of these doctors have had problems with lawsuits and both run assembly-line operations. Dr. Manger ruined the vision of a friend of mine. I would try to find other doctors or, better yet, forget about LASIK altogether.
Here is some info on a judgment against Dr. Tooma:

Complaint Number: 071997081493
Arbitrator/Court: SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
Docket Number: SCV 21814
Amount of Award: $302,951
Date of Action: OCTOBER 02, 1997
TOTAL AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT-$1,009,837.00; DR. TOOMA DETERMINED BY THE COURT TO BE 30% RESPONSIBLE.

-----------------------------------------------

Hi Marc,
Thanks a lot for the information. It's very helpful. You are right, both doctors are running assembly-line type of operation. I was told they each perform nearly 100 of operations each week in recently years, and the total numbers of operations each claim they have done is more than 60,000 cases.

As for Dr. Menger ruined your friend's eye, is it fairly recently? Does he have recently lawsuit or judgement against him?

Do you have any excellent doctors in Orange County or Los Angeles area you can recommend to me?

Looks like you don't like Lasik, but what are the other good alternatives you want to suggest?

Thanks in advance.

I personally know people who have had bad experiences with the following surgeons in the So. Calif. area and have been damaged by them. I would stay away from them.

Charles Manger - assembly line operation and careless

Tom Tooma - assembly line operation

Brad Elkins - arrogant and not conscientious about screening.

Robert Maloney - Implants eye jewelry (unconscionable)