Foresight drives Greenwich vision practice

By ANDREW SCOTT

Isabelle Filatov

Isabelle Filatov has no regrets that she left a high-level position with the United Nations in 1999 after being drawn into the laser surgery practice her husband Vadim Filatov had begun three years earlier.

When Filatov began working with her husband, she handled the company's public relations and put together protocols for the staff to follow to ensure the company's success.

In October, her husband of nine years died, leaving her to carry on the vision he had of offering a premier practice for those needing laser vision correction in the region.

"I was drawn in by my husband's commitment and affection for the business. It was so infectious," said Filatov, executive director of Greenwich-based Diamond Vision, a laser vision correction practice. "I enjoy doing it because it helps me keep connected to him in some way."

Recently, the company reported a 50 percent increase in surgery volume over January last year, and to keep up with the demand for services, Filatov said the company plans to hire additional surgeons.

Besides the Greenwich site, the company has locations in Westport and Glastonbury. It also has two centers in New York and one in New Jersey.

"Laser vision correction has changed a lot in 2003 with the introduction of two innovations," Filatov explained.

It now offers customized procedures to remove what some patients describe after surgery as glare and night vision, explained Filatov.

The other innovation is the introduction of bladeless technology, called IntraLASIK. The technology, unlike traditional LASIK, allows the laser to go to a specific depth in the eye before creating bubbles under the cornea. The bubbles carve out a flap without any foreign object touching the tissues of the eye. This flap is then flipped and laser vision correction performed.

Before the IntraLASIK technology, the flap would be created with a surgical blade, which sometimes would not allow for a perfect flap to be formed.

"The IntraLASIK removes 90 percent of the complications associated with traditional LASIK technology," Filatov said. The surgery costs $2,750 per eye, compared with $1,300 per eye for regular LASIK. The IntraLasik is only available in the company's Manhattan location.

"I believe the IntraLASIK technology will become more and more popular and at some point I see it becoming the standard of care," said Dr. Jhansi Raju, LASIK specialist with the company.

Filatov has learned a lot about the business from her husband who - when he was ill- insisted that she take up the challenge and expressed his confidence in her.

"I didn't think I was ready when he asked me to take the helm of the company, but it landed in my lap and I took the bull by the horn," said Filatov.

She said the sound structure of the company and the goodwill expressed from the people who loved her husband helped with the transition.

"I'm glad he insisted for me to take up the challenge. Everything he knew he told me," she said.

Tiki Barber of the New York Giants experienced the best year of his career in 2000 after having laser vision correction with the company.

"I had the procedure when many people were still scared about it," Barber said. "Now, a lot of guys I play ball with either have had LASIK or are strongly considering it".

The company has experienced tremendous success in Fairfield County which it attributes to word-of-mouth exposure and the emphasis it has placed on enhancing the patient's experience.

Filatov indicated that thorough training of staff and constant technology upgrades are an unmistakable combination and approach the company has taken, a move that has resulted in its success in the area.

"With laser vision correction, you have patients hugging you because they say they can now see the leaves on the trees outside. It is really a feel-good profession," said Filatov.

She plans to continue with the plans her husband had for the company.

"We want to continue thinking what comes next, what's the best procedure to have, and what technology to adopt," said Filatov. "We're continuing that tradition."