How to Choose a
Lasik
Surgeon
Lasik
eye surgery is
not a complicated medical process. However, if the
procedure is done in the wrong way, the outcome will affect
your life as bad as a failed heart surgery. Therefore,
choosing a good Lasik surgeon is a must.
A lot of Lasik eye surgery centers are
advertising their services on radio, newspapers, and TV.
There are some with extra informative advertisement while
there are those that peddle exceptionally good pricing.
However, this
should not be your main criterion in looking for a good surgeon. Don’t believe too much on the power of media.
There are other important
criteria for you to consider before deciding on which
surgeon to be chosen. Ask if the surgeon is associated with the
academic medical
center. There is a lot of misleading advertisement, be
attentive. If someone confess that they had been expert of
laser for almost 20 years, don’t believe them since it could
be something else since Lasik procedure hasn’t been around
for that long. Ask for referral from eye care practitioner
and tell him that you are looking for one with the best
reputation in your area that can do the Lasik procedure.
Moreover, you should decide
by yourself if the surgeon is versatile. Lasik isn’t the
sole game in this world and it is not the answer to
everyone’s eye problem. Therefore you should also see if the
surgeon is competent in any other tasks. Look for one which
is capable of doing PRK, Lasik, CK, LASEK as well as clear
lens replacement. If your surgeon is knowledgeable enough in
doing multi-procedures then you can be confident that he
will be able to look for a particular means to correct your
vision.
If your having a doubt, never
think as if your are obliged to hire his service. Of course,
you can talk to other surgeons so you can compare rates and
service better. This does not mean that you are offending
anyone. It is a normal practice to look for a second opinion
and doctors would even ask their patients to practice doing
such. You should work with someone that you
are comfortable with and someone whom you trust. If you can’t
develop a rapport then there is no point in hiring his
service.
You should remember that
Lasik surgery has its own risk. Therefore, choosing a good
Lasik surgeon
that could lessen the menace is your first step. Any
reputable surgeon will not perform the surgery unless the
patient has been properly screened.
Moreover, the Council for
Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance listed various
questions to ask the surgeon. Below is a short recap:
-
How long have you been
expose to refractive surgery procedures?
-
How many procedures have
you done?
-
What percentage of your
refractive surgery patients was able to obtain Snellen
uncorrected visual acuity?
-
What fraction obtained
20/20 or better?
-
Can you provide names
and contact numbers of your past patients?
-
Have your license for
refractive surgery had been revoked before?
-
These questions will
provide the necessary information that you would surely
love to get from your doctor.
