Discussions

First I thought if wanted laser eye surgery it was done in Winnipeg then someone told me no it can be done also in Brandon Yeah! but someone else told me surgery is only done in Winnipeg so which is it.  
Anyone had the laser eye surgery done in Brandon ...lately?

Nobody does lazier surgery for bad eye sight in Brandon but the hospital just got a lazier for cataracts and such just recently

Dr Rocha does it in Brandon

Any idea how much this costs nowadays?

Jake D said "You don't need to go to Winnipeg. Dr. Roche does every type of eye surgery from cataracts to laser and more right here is Brandon.     Some smaller hospitals like Minnedosa also have special eye surgery equipment and he goes out once every couple of weeks and does surgery out of his office.     And don't say he isn't any good because he is from Brandon. He travels the world teaching eye surgery to others. "

i agree, he is one of the best eye surgeons in Canada!! right here in Brandon, he teaches over the world and has brought procedures from other countries to Canada Buut there are a few surgeries that last i knew he still has to preform in winnipeg the good thing is tho that you only need to go to winnipeg for the surgery, all the pre consults and follow up is done here  
 
as far as cost for lazer correction IDK i had 3 other procedures done by him that brought my eyes sight up dramatically (so much so he has lectured on my eyes)but not lazer correction, I would call them and ask for a consult and the rough cost

I had corrective laser eye surgery about a year or so go. Dr. Rocha does the consult and follow up in Brandon but the actual procedure is done in Winnipeg. Call his office to set up an appointment and get all the info directly. There's tests and stuff they do first to ensure you are a candidate. I think mine costs about $4000 in total. Not sure if cost is still the same. Dr. Rocha is very good and I would highly recommend him.

again i am not getting anywhere. In here I see some yes for surgery done in Brandon and one says no that surgery (or procedure) is done in Winnipeg.  
One person told me he had his surgery done in Winnipeg but he could have had done in Brandon so i guess i will have to find Dr Rocha's office phone number and get the answer (unless i get a yes and no overthere).  

Cataract surgery can be done in Brandon.  
 
If you are talking about corrective eye surgery such as Lasix etc all you pre appointments are done in Brandon. BUT Brandon does not have the equipment here for the actual surgery so you do have to travel to Winnipeg for the surgery itself. I'm pretty sure the info is on Dr Rocha's website.

Just saw an article that dr rocha now does it in Brandon - he just got the equipment in brandon

Any of it covered?

I didn't think the new equipment at the Brandon hospital did the corrective surgery, I thought it was just for cataracts. I would suggest calling Dr. Rocha's office or checking the website to be sure. My LASIK was not covered by MB health or my private I insurance but I did claim it on my taxes and got some back.

weather its done here or not will depend on what you are having done (and if they changed since last time people had it done) The best answer is to call dr roche and ask if what you want can be done here or what you are looking at, they will have the latest, accurate info with estimates on time ect so you want a real answer thats what id do  
 
as far as if the procedures is covered, it is not from MB health but some insurance companies cover some and you can use the bill for your taxes

My son just had a consult. LASIK to get rid of glasses is still only done in Winnipeg. Lots of other stuff here but not lasik.

Funny thing - a friend of mine from Winnipeg needed a procedure done on his eyes.... and was referred to Brandon to see Dr. Rocha for a specific procedure. Apparently he's pretty top notch and we're very lucky to have him here.

$entropy$ said "Funny thing - a friend of mine from Winnipeg needed a procedure done on his eyes.... and was referred to Brandon to see Dr. Rocha for a specific procedure. Apparently he's pretty top notch and we're very lucky to have him here. "

yes you always think of busier centers having the best doctors and im not sure why dr roche choose Brandon but as far as i have heard and dealt with him he is one of the best in his profession so we are defiantly lucky to have him choose to stay in Brandon

Let me tell you my story about getting corrective eye surgery and just how lucky we are to have a surgeon the caliber of Dr. Rocha in Brandon.  
 
In about 2007 I started my quest to throw away my glasses. I have severe myopia and an astigmatism. I first went to the place in Winnipeg that, at that time, advertised surgery for as little as $500 per eye. I was run through a battery of tests, but never saw the actual surgeon. It was a choreographed sales pitch. When I was done I was told they could do Lasik on one eye and PRK on the other. The difference is that with Lasik they cut the flap and shape your cornea. With PRK they scrape a film off the top of your cornea and do the laser on the surface. The cost would have been over $3,000 and I knew from my research that PRK is a lot more painful and takes longer to heal. I also knew that they would be offering PRK because of concern that there wasn't quite enough cornea to work with for Lasik. Remember, laser surgery is about removing cornea, permanently.  
 
I am not being critical of the Winnipeg outfit as I know many people who have used them with success. I am just saying that if you are even in the slightest doubt about your suitability for Laser surgery, get a second opinion.  
 
I decided to get a second opinion and see Dr. Rocha. This was the best decision I ever made. Dr. Rocha ran me through some more tests, including some cornea mapping tests that the Winnipeg outfit did not perform. Afterwards he came in, sat me down, and said "I would never take a laser to your corneas. Firstly, one of them is a little weak and I would be afraid that you would need a cornea transplant after the surgery. Secondly, with your myopia and astigmatism, you wouldn't be happy with the results."  
 
All I could say was wow and Thank you. We all rely on our vision but I read every day, constantly, as a necessary part of my job. Without my vision I would be virtually unemployable.  
 
Dr. Rocha offered me an alternative which, as it turned out, was perfect for me. He offered me a lens implant called the Visian ICL (Google it). Basically, the surgery is like cataract surgery, the difference being that your natural lens remains in your eye. He implants a very small lens, customized for you, between your iris and your natural lens. I took a year to make up my mind because it was a relatively new procedure and I researched the heck out of it before deciding to go ahead. That was about 7 years ago. He was able to perform the surgery at the BRHC and I had each eye done a week apart. The surgery takes 10 minutes and is painless.  
 
Within a week I was seeing 20/15. It corrected both my myopia and my astigmatism and it is completely reversible if necessary as the lens can be removed. No burning off the cornea.  
 
Now, I see about 20/30 as my eyes have changed and with age, I know its only a matter of time before I need reading glasses. But I can drive, read, swim and do all the other things that any other person can do without glasses. My only regret is that I didn't do it earlier. I still recall going out the weekend following my surgery and buying some Ray-Ban sunglasses. I was so excited.  
 
Don't get me wrong, I would have had Lasik if I as a candidate. But I wasn't and I am incredibly grateful for Dr. Rocha as he put my eye health before his pocketbook, as any professional should do.  
 
A lens implant was more expensive than laser surgery, but when it comes to your eyes, you shouldn't base your decision on cost.  
 
Dr. Rocha is a world renowned cornea expert. He does Lasik in Winnipeg, but also has other options that may be better suited for you, some of which he can do in Brandon. To my knowledge, even Dr. Rocha's new laser is not of the type used for Lasik. There are a variety of lasers designed to perform different tasks. For example, Dr. Rocha had a laser in his office for irridotimies (where they poke a hole in your iris). This is definitely not a Lasik laser.  
 
Dr. Rocha also stays on top of new technologies so what isn't possible today, may be possible tomorrow. I would not hesitate to recommend him.