LASIK surgery patient ‘never felt like just a number’ at Sanford Health

This paid piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

Before LASIK surgery, if Kimberlee Gonsor didn’t have her glasses, she couldn’t see.

She had the procedure on her radar for a while but wanted to make sure that whomever she got it from was the right fit.

And she did her research.

Gonsor’s stomping grounds are in Sioux Falls. She has co-workers in town who’ve had LASIK surgery done. She picked their brains and learned pretty much everything there is to know. Price, duration, providers, etc. You name it, she knew it.

Finding Sanford Health

However, she had never really looked at having this procedure done at Sanford Health.

That changed when she brought her daughter in to see Dr. Geoffrey Tufty, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Sanford Health. She met with Tufty and asked about LASIK surgery at Sanford. She asked things like where it would take place, how much it would cost, but also who would do it.

Tufty recommended that Gonsor see Dr. Andrew Ollerton, an ophthalmologist and ophthalmic surgeon.

“I asked Dr. Tufty about LASIK and the physician, and he stated that his mom had had cataract surgery with Dr. Ollerton and that she was really impressed with him, especially now that she has to see the dust in her house,” she laughed.

Gonsor kept this in the back of her brain and mulled everything over. She said she wanted to give it more thought before deciding.

She ended up reading a story about Janelle Peterson’s LASIK procedure at Sanford Health. The firsthand testimonial – and learning even more about Ollerton at another one of her daughter’s checkups – were big factors in her decision.

“I waited until we saw Dr. Tufty again and asked him again about Dr. Ollerton. He said the same thing with even more compliments,” she said.

Feeling valued

Gonsor set up an initial screening with Ollerton. It was at that screening where she knew she made the right choice.

“I selected Dr. Ollerton when a nurse walked into the exam room during my screening and mentioned that Dr. Ollerton is ‘very thorough,’ and that is something you especially want when it comes to your eyes. Not someone that is trying to do as many surgeries as possible to make a profit,” Gonsor said.

Gonsor always felt like she had a say in her care. She also said she always felt valued.

“Before going with Dr. Ollerton, I looked at a different place across town. I felt like I was just another number for them to make money,” she said.

Related: Cataract patients have options at Sanford Bemidji Eye Center

She said it’s easy to see how much Ollerton cares about each and every patient.

“I was impressed with several things that Dr. Ollerton did differently. First, he double-checked my prescription prior to surgery to make sure it was correct. After the surgery, he placed contacts on my eyes to make sure the flap doesn’t move until my next appointment the next day. And, third, he prescribed me some prednisone drops, which helped with inflammation and, I believe, also helped with pain as I had absolutely no pain after the procedure. He also had several follow-up appointments,” Gonsor said.

“I have the utmost confidence and respect in Dr. Ollerton. He did an excellent job, and I will go to him in the future if needed.”

Learn more

• Retina specialist helps when health and eye concerns overlap
• Life in focus: LASIK now available at Sanford Health