Patient Surveys Testimonials Testimonials I am writing to thank you for giving me my freedom!! I had been considering LASIK surgery for several years, but it wasn't until my husband and I committed to going on a mission trip this summer that I knew I had to do it. Just over a month after my successful procedure, my husband and I joined 27 others from our church on a short term mission trip to Leon, Nicaragua. It was the experience of a lifetime... and I was able to enjoy it without the burden of contact lenses or glasses. I have enclosed a picture of myself (I'm the one wearing the Beitman IntraLasik t-shirt!) and a little girl named Fatima whom I befriended [click on photo to enlarge]. Many thanks to you and your fabulous staff for your excellent work. Sincerely, Kirstie A. Hi Everyone at the Beitman Laser Eye Institute! I thought I would shoot you a copy of the letter I sent to D & D (97.1 radio); they actually read it on the air! Thanks to everyone there, I had a great experience! Have a great day! Carole S. V. ---- To: dd@971fm.com 02/11/2003 02:23 PM Subject: Dr. Beitman Hi Deminski & Doyle! Just wanted to write and tell you what a great experience I had just two weeks ago with my Lasik surgery at the Beitman Eye Institute. I actually had the surgery scheduled at another place then heard the ad on your radio show about the new Intralase for cutting the flap. I have been leery of this surgery because of how the flap has traditionally been cut using the keratome, but when I heard about it being done with a laser I thought I better check it out. When I called over to Dr. Beitman's office they were actually able to squeeze me in for the consultation before my scheduled surgery at the other place. Once I had my appointment and saw the facility and how great everyone was, especially how much time Dr. Rautio took talking with me about the procedure I felt very confident to spend a little more money for the safer procedure. Even though I wasn't able to take the Valium before the surgery (but I would recommend taking it, just to make you a little more comfortable), I was still very pleased how quick and easy it was and now I'm seeing great. It truly is amazing the difference it makes to be able to see without contacts! I love it!!! So thanks to Dr. Beitman, Dr. Rautio and their staff for a great job on my eyes. And thanks to you guys for all the recommendations! Have a great day! Carole S. V. More about IntraLASIK Dear Dr. Beitman and Associates, I want to thank you and your staff for your patience and the care you took during my LASIK surgery. I wanted to express how happy I am that I don't have to wear glasses when I play golf. I discussed with you during my consultation my concern about my eyes because of my competitive desire to play in Amateur Golf Tournaments throughout the State and on the National Level. The purpose of the surgery was to eliminate the drawbacks of glasses, or contacts while I was playing golf. It's been 8 months since the surgery, and I have begun to take for granted that I don't need glasses. After the surgery it took several lessons with my pro to adjust my alignment, I had always compensated for the stigmatism in my left eye with poor alignment. I have also worked on having my right eye not be so dominate, another compensation for poor vision in my left eye. I have attached the results from my first two qualifying tournaments after my surgery. I shot 68 (-4) in the Michigan Open Qualifying Tournament and 71 (-1) in the Michigan Amateur Qualifying Tournament [ranked first and third, respectively]. The Michigan Amateur Qualifying Tournament was in the rain, which would have been very difficult with glasses. If you have any golfers or athletes that are considering having the procedure please feel free to have them contact me and I'll share my positive experience with them. I really think that focus and confidence are important in golf and now I am confident that where I "see" that I am aimed is really where I am lined up. I can just line it up and trust it. Freedom from glasses is allowing me to perform my best. Thank you, Greg Scarfe As the morning DJ for Alice 106.7 FM in Detroit, I used to wake up every day at 3:30 a.m. to the sight of a blurry alarm clock. I'd have to stumble around, feeling the top of my nightstand for my glasses to be able to see. Or worse, I would have to wake up to realize that I had fallen asleep in my contact lenses and they were glued to my eyeballs. Even with the best corrective lenses, my vision was somtimes a little blurry. At the end of a long day, my glasses felt like they weighed five pounds on the bridge of my nose. But no longer. Eight months ago, I made the decision that changed the way I look at my entire life. I spent time with Dr. Beitman learning about the LASIK laser procedure. He patiently walked me through the 20 minute procedure preparing me for what turned out to be a miracle. It was painless and within hours of the operation, I was reading my computer monitor completely unaided. Road signs were clear to me blocks away and I no longer had to deal with the irritating feeling of dried out contact lenses. My vision improved to better than 20/20 with this very brief procedure. My eyes have maintained nearly a year later. I am completely amazed. Michael J. Foxx DJ for Alice 106.7 FM Before surgery, I was so blind I would have to hold a book within inches of my eyes in order to read... and that was with contact lenses! My myopia was so extreme, my correction disorder was 22.00 diopters. In order to see beyond my arm, I needed glasses so thick, they made coke bottle glasses look fashionable! Thanks to Beitman Laser Eye Instititue and Lasik surgery, I now enjoy life without glasses. I can't begin to tell you how my life has changed... how I now enjoy life with my husband and my four-year old son the way it was meant to be. Tatyana Jungquist Teacher/Housewife I am writing to express my thanks and gratitude for the great success I am having following my recent LASIK surgery. You and your staff, especially Carleen and Julie, did a professional job, and always took time to address my concerns and questions. LASIK is truly a miraculous procedure when performed by a skilled surgeon like yourself. It is easy and painless, and there was virtually no post-surgical discomfort. Your recommendation of LASIK and the success of the procedure are extensions of the quality eye care you have given me over the last ten years. Please feel free to use my name as a reference as I would be willing to discuss my perspective on the LASIK procedure with any of your patients who are considering it. Once again, thank you for restoring my vision to the point that I can now go about all activities without the need for glasses or contact lenses. Very truly yours, Harvey Weingarden Attorney For the readers of this website, I want to tell you how happy I have been since my LASIK surgery. Being able to see crystal clear without any contacts or glasses is hard to put into words. It's such a wonderful thing. Each morning, I feel like I am forgetting something, no longer having to deal with glasses or the regime of contact lenses. To be able to see with your natural eyes is great. Now I know what I've been missing for the past 20 years! As a true believer, I'm telling my story to anyone considering the procedure. "Go for it" is my only advice. Julie Lacki Harrison Township, MI I wore glasses so long they became part of my life. I should say the annoyances became part of my life. Having to update my prescription regularly, buying new frames, new lenses. That's just eye glasses. Double the cost of everything for prescription sunglasses! You want to talk annoying, how about playing years of sports and getting eye-glass frames shoved into your nose, losing your lenses in the middle of a fast break... not fun. I made the appointment to see Dr. Beitman. I was a little nervous about the whole thing. I wasn't wild about someone fooling around in my eyes. But the consultation was so thorough, the information provided was so complete, I felt a lot more relaxed. Dr. Beitman's staff was professional, polite, and understanding of my concerns. Dr. Beitman explained the entire procedure top to bottom. He is "The Doctor," but his personal approach made me feel confident about the procedure. I don't do well with doctors, but talking to Dr. Beitman was like talking to a real person, not some lab coat. I was told the procedure would be painless and I thought, come on, there's got to be some kind of pain. But there wasn't! I felt no pain the entire procedure. Dr. Beitman spoke to me the entire time, explaining exactly what he was going to do before he did. There were no surprises. The bottom line is I walked into Dr. Beitman's office seeing 20/30. The day after the procedure I tested 20/20. A week later I tested 20/15 and that is where my vision remains today. I never would have thought after 15 years of having glasses be part of my face that I would be seeing 20/15 WITHOUT glasses. Dr. Beitman made a difference with my eyes, he made a difference in my life. Beaver - Bill Tortoriello Producer - Deminski & Doyle 97.1 Detroit's FM Talk Station Dr. Beitman has changed my life for the better. After 20+ plus years of wearing glasses due to an injury involving fireworks, Dr. Beitman has set me free! My vision is now better than it's ever been -- even better than when I wore glasses. It's so exciting to benefit from Dr. Beitman's years of experience, talent, confidence and of course, the very latest technology available anywhere in the nation. I would encourage anyone interested in the procedure to meet with Dr. Beitman. He's THE MAN! Joel Morgan, Promotions Director 97.1 Detroit's FM Talk Station For 27 years I wore glasses or contacts; primarily glasses, because I could never get use to sticking the contact lens in my eye. When I got up in the morning, I couldn't see until I found my glasses. While in the shower, I couldn't see the shampoo bottle clearly without my glasses -- I was constantly squinting. Of course, after 27 years of glasses, the indentations on my nose and the ridges behind my ears seemed permanent. I have three small children and I love to wrestle on the bed with them; as a matter of fact, it is part of our daily routine. That simple pleasure was often ruined by an errant foot or hand striking my glasses. Not only did it hurt, it often bent the frames or knocked a lens loose; then we would have to stop while daddy fixed his glasses. Finally, after thinking about it for months, I made the appointment at the Beitman Laser Eye Institute. I have to admit, I was pretty apprehensive -- even though I hated my glasses, they had been part of my life for a long time. I was also worried about the potential damage to my eyes if I decided to go through with the LASIK procedure. Dr. Beitman was so empathetic, I immediately felt better; he quelled my fears and reassured me that the procedure, in the hands of an experienced surgeon (which Dr. Beitman, with 15, 000 refractive procedures, certainly is), was extremely effective and safe. On the day of the LASIK procedure, Dr. Beitman was thoroughly professional, once again exuding competence, which reaffirmed my decision to trust my eyes to him. He talked me through the entire procedure -- there were no surprises because he always told me what was coming next. I was amazed at how painless it was -- I was expecting some discomfort, after all, it is surgery, but there was none. I was totally comfortable and pain free for the entire (15 minute) duration of the procedure. The bottom line is: after 27 years of glasses, I now have 20/20 vision; I now see better without glasses than I ever did with them. It's all thanks to Dr. Beitman. I cannot recommend him highly enough -- he is thoroughly professional, an accomplished surgeon, and he actually cares about his patients. Bill Doyle 97.1 Detroit's FM Talk Station The gift that you have given to me and hundreds of others is the most rewarding of my entire life. Thank you for my sight (my perfect sight)!!! You have my deepest admiration for having true vision and pursuing the dream of clarity. You and your staff are calm, reassuring and knowledgeable and the LASIK procedure was simple and painless. If you ever need any support from a true believer, don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Jan Wetzel La Vigne Mortgage Banker I want to thank Beitman Laser Eye Institute for performing my LASIK surgery. I am very happy with the results and enjoying life without glasses or contacts. As a friend and colleague, I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Beitman and feel he is a gifted surgeon. Mark Daniels Novi, MI I'm writing to thank you for freeing me from glasses and giving me 20/15 vision. Not having to look at the world through glasses has been a life changing experience. I will be eternally grateful. The entire experience, beginning with my initial consultation, to the LASIK procedure and the follow up was fantastic. Your staff is courteous and helpful and your skills are superb. Feel free to have any potential patients with questions or concerns contact me. I'll be happy to tell them how this quick, painless procedure can change their life. Regards, Steve Sinicropi Vice President and General Manager I have been burdened with glasses or contact lenses for the last 35 years of my life. The LASIK surgery you performed on me in April has taken the hassles of "corrective lenses" out of my day-to-day activities. No more groping for my glasses when I wake up in the morning, dreading the insertion of my contacts for the day and anxiously waiting until I could take them out in the evening. I think you will enjoy this story. I have played quite a bit of basketball over the years and have spent many frustrating hours looking for lost contact lenses that have been bumped or blinked out onto the floor. Last week I was playing when I bumped into another player and immediately yelled, "Stop!" because I knew I'd lost a contact lens. I was a little embarrassed when I remembered that I will never have to worry about that problem again! Sincerely, Thomas F. Carroll Laser surgery has enhanced the overall quality of my life -- I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation! I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the freedom from restrictive contact lens wearing schedules and annoying glasses, whether I'm working or relaxing. Without a doubt, my new vision is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Barbara Fornasiero I had LASIK surgery in October of 1999. I was born legally blind. I finally received glasses at the age of four because my mom would lose me in the grocery stores. She would go around the corner to another aisle and I would wind up grabbing the wrong lady's leg. My vision with corrective lenses was: Right eye: 20/50 Left eye: 20/30 Today, I am 20/25 without glasses! It is so incredible at what I see! My heart is in my throat when I get up in the morning and I don't have to reach for my glasses to get to the bathroom to put in my contact lenses. The routine was like a ball and chain around my neck, but now, I feel liberated. Not only do I feel like a new person, my family is very happy and grateful. We share a few tears together. Carol Palmer I wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying my new eyes. As I told you before the operation I am very active. I train five or six days a week. To put this in context and too brag a bit, I was third in my age class (50 to 54) last season for overall Michigan Cup points for the year. Michigan Cup is amateur cross country skiing. Clubs around the state hold races most winter weekends. The points from your best five races count toward the year-end totals. They say skiers are made in the off-season. My summer training consists of running, biking and as it gets into the fall rolling skiing. At this point, I had the operation a week and a half ago. It was on a Wednesday today is Sunday. I rested Thursday and Friday. I did not do the running race on Saturday that I told you about, as I did not feel ready for a 15 K race that quickly after the operation. However, I did go out with some friends and ride my road bike about 45 miles. Sunday, I rode my mountain bike in the woods with another friend. Since then I have only taken one day off. My eyes have not given me any problems. My distant vision has never been this good. I do need reading glasses, but I needed them anyway. All of the above is good, but yesterday was the best. Some friends and I took our kayaks to Empire, MI to play in the Lake Michigan surf, it was very windy and the waves were two to three feet. I no sooner got my kayak into the water then I was hit by a wave in the face. I could not have done this with either contacts or glasses. I was not ready for the wave and my eyes were open. Contacts may have gotten washed out or at least been knocked askew. Glasses would probably have been knocked right off.  But all I had to do was blink and I was OK. By the way I am writing this letter on the computer without any glasses so that accounts for any errors. Sincerely, Mike Tarnow I am 58 years old and had worn gas permeable contact lens for 40 years. I couldn't imagine wearing the lenses another 20-30 years, but I was worried that I was too old to have LASIK surgery. Dr. Beitman assured me that my age was not a concern and I went ahead with it. I'm delighted, the surgery was easy for me and my vision is as perfect as it was when I wore my lenses; without all the problems associated with wearing something in my eyes. In fact, my husband Don, who is 68, had excellent results also. Janet Turner WOW!!! I'm FREE The moon was so incredible this past weekend, thanks to you all and the incredible job you did with my eyesight. How miraculous that in so little time I can go from "blind" to sighted. You can be sure that I am indeed "singing your praises" ( and God's, too!) to all of my friends, who are very impressed, and envious of my good fortune. Of course, I am telling them that they must come to you for their procedures! I want to thank you again for changing my life! Most sincerely, Nicole Philibosia I just wanted to thank you and your staff for all of your assistance during my LASIK surgery. Needless to say, an outcome of 20/15 vision is wonderful. You will be seeing Raquel in the very near future. Again, it was very nice to see you and I thank you for the new outlook I have on life without glasses. Paul A. Zebrowski It has been two weeks since Debbie and I had our vision corrected at your office. And, regretfully, we are already taking the miracle for granted. How do I know this is the case? It was the topic of discussion only three days ago. Deb and I were at a concert (a challenging venue for contacts) and I turned to her and marveled at the clarity and comfort of my vision. She agreed, but said "I've just come to expect perfect." I remembered then I had forgotten to write. You and your staff are worthy of a note of thanks.  Not only for the miracle of perfect vision but for the kindness and professionalism shown to us both throughout the process. Every day since we have marveled at the miracle of LASIK. We think of you all every time we stop to think about how great it is to see without glasses or contacts. Thanks to all of you for making our lives better. We could not be more pleased. Kindest personal regards, Greg Roberts First Vice President From my earliest memories poor eyesight has dramatically affected my life. By the time that I was diagnosed with poor eyesight in the third grade I had already fallen behind my classmates. I believe that this affected my academic achievement throughout the rest of my school years. My nearsightedness was severe enough to require unusually thick lenses giving me an odd appearance. I was very self-conscious about my looks. Later, when I was old enough to begin wearing contacts I had to put up with other frustrating effects. My eyes were very sensitive and I often suffered from allergies and irritations. Not to mention the daily rituals of cleaning them. I would say that life with contacts was not easy. Fed up and desperate for an alternative solution I began to investigate corrective surgery. I heard great things about Dr. Beitman and his clinic. Even so, in my mind I couldn't comprehend the possibility of a total cure. I decided to have the laser surgery, but my expectations were modest. On June 23, 1999 my life was forever changed. Within minutes after the procedure I knew that something miraculous had occurred. I could see clearly for the first time in my life. The feeling of elation that I felt when I could SEE my husband's black truck drive into the parking lot cannot be described. The weeks immediately following the surgery were incredible. I have been on an emotional high ever since. I hesitate to compare poor eyesight with other dehabilitating handicaps, but I feel that my life has been impacted as dramatically as a person who has just regained the ability to walk without crutches. The full impact of having perfect vision without lenses really hit home on our summer vacation. We headed out onto a lake riding our personal watercraft. As we left the shore behind, I felt for the first time in my life I could do something with full force and total enjoyment. I hit a wave head on blasting my face with a huge spray of water. Instead of thinking, "Oh my God! Where are my contacts? How will I see to get back?" I was overcome by joy. I was not thinking about anything else but having a good time. I felt powerful and confident. I continued to ride at a pace never dreamed of. My husband gave me a weird look and he wondered where did my jetski get all that speed and I get all the spirit. Monica I can't explain enough how grateful I am to you for freeing me of my glasses. The results are so much better than I expected. Your staff is truly remarkable. I've never seen a more friendly and efficient staff ever! I felt like I was in your living room instead of a doctors' office. I hope my friends will come for an evaluation too. I just can't quit talking about my great experience. Again... many, many thanks. Mary "Diane" Oliver Dear Bob, I want to thank you again for performing my Lasik surgery. I am very happy with the results and enjoying life without glasses or contacts. As a friend and colleague I have a great deal of respect for you and feel you're a very gifted surgeon. I hope you enjoy this gift as a small token of my appreciation. Sincerely, Mark . For your complimentary consultation: 1-800-826-EYES (3937) Home | About Us | About LASIK | Questions | Locations Contact Us | Our Patients | Bulletin Board | NewsLink | Site Map Copyright © 2000 - 2008 Beitman Laser Eye Institute Website by Fresh Papaya Design and Goodchap Design Communications, Inc. .