Choosing A LASIK Surgeon
LASIK Eye Surgery is something that is on the mind of many people who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Chances are that if you have been wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses there have been a number of times that you would have preferred to not to be so dependent on them. In fact most people who wear eyeglasses or contacts have at some point, become bothered enough to start wondering if LASIK is an option for their vision correction. Today, LASIK surgery is the most popular type of laser eye surgery for correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. LASIK has become a relatively common form of vision correction for millions of people around the world because it is a safe, effective and predictable eye care procedure when provided by an experienced LASIK surgeon who has performed a thorough set of diagnostic tests and helped you identify realistic goals for your vision and daily activities. Your LASIK surgeon and his or her staff should take the time necessary to help you figure out the types of things that you would like to do each day without being dependent on glasses or contacts.
What to beware of when choosing a surgeon.
If you read the newspaper, from all of the tacky low priced advertising you would think getting LASIK is like buying a car. The "as low as $299" or "$35 per month" type of advertising suggests that LASIK is a commodity, like a refrigerator or a new car. However, this is not the case. LASIK is surgery. As with any surgery, there are people who simply are not good candidates. For example, you may have specific contraindications to the procedure or may have unrealistic expectations of what LASIK can provide in your particular situation. Further, LASIK does have risks that need to be carefully reviewed and discussed so that you can make the right decision about whether LASIK is really right for you. The best way to learn about LASIK, its risks and how this all applies to you is by consulting a LASIK surgeon. The LASIK consultation is your best opportunity to establish a high likelihood of excellent results so that your expectations are fully met.
Hopefully you now understand that picking the right LASIK surgeon is the key step in your decision process about LASIK. It should not be about price, the type of laser or technology or the most convenient location….choosing a LASIK surgeon is the most important decision that you will make when deciding to become less dependent on glasses or contact lenses. So how should you go about that decision?
A good place to start is to ask friends, relatives and coworkers-people you trust-about the reputation of LASIK surgeons in your area. Ask not only about how their results were, but also about how they were treated in every step of their LASIK experience. Did a competent and friendly staff treat them? Were they encouraged to ask and discuss questions about their LASIK procedure? Or, were they treated as "just another patient". Pay attention to those characteristics that are important and meaningful to you and choose a LASIK surgeon who cannot only provide excellent clinical results, but whose style of practice and place of practice are comfortable for you. Asking for a referral is an excellent place to begin the LASIK consultation process. If you are found to be a good candidate, but do not feel comfortable with the staff or the way in which you were treated overall, have another consultation somewhere else! Just because you attend a LASIK consultation with a particular surgeon, does not mean that you have to select that practice for your surgery.
Definitely be wary of low price advertising.
If it looks to good to be true, it usually is! Again, LASIK is surgery. You should really only think about responding to credible advertisements that are aimed at giving you information that is educational and unbiased. Many of these types of advertisements are offering to provide you with a chance to have a LASIK consultation at no cost. This gives you further opportunity to meet the staff and ask questions to see if that practice is a "fit" for you. Flashy advertisements, especially those tempting you with low prices are almost always misrepresenting something. Low price advertising is generally a means to get you "in the door" where high pressure sales tactics and bait and switch techniques can be applied. Typically when you attend a consultation at one of these low price advertisers you find out that, " that price is for the older laser, you should be treated on the new laser", "that price is for people without astigmatism and you need to have your astigmatism treated", "that price doesn't include follow-up care and you need to have the follow-up care package", "that price doesn't include enhancements, and you should take the extra coverage for enhancements", or a whole list of reasons why that low price doesn't apply to you.
Always select a LASIK surgeon and practice that is known within the community.
Visibility in the community and commitment to the community prevent the "here today, gone tomorrow" phenomenon. This phenomenon can occur when LASIK surgeons hide behind a "corporate name" and do not have direct visibility. Sometimes the corporate location doesn't meet profit expectations, so it is just closed, leaving patients in a bind. Sometimes the corporate location is retained, but the LASIK surgeon "moves on" because he or she has been terminated or relocated to a different corporate location, again causing a difficult situation with the continuity of your care. Select a practice that you are confident will be around for years to come. Avoid LASIK centers that operate like a "Doc In the Box", where surgeons come and go and employees hide behind the name of a corporate entity.
Choose a LASIK surgeon who has sufficient overall experience in your type of LASIK procedure.
Some surgeons and corporate entities would lead you to believe that having LASIK and buying hamburgers have something in common by make claims similar to McDonald's…"Over 500,000 served". There is absolutely a need to choose a LASIK surgeon who has sufficient experience. In general, if a LASIK surgeon has performed 500-1,000 procedures of the type that you are considering to have, the "learning curve" effect should not be a consideration. However, for consistency in results you should choose a LASIK surgeon who routinely performs some minimum number of procedures each month or so…perhaps 20-25, in order to maintain their skills. While a claim of "over 500,000 performed" may sound like a reassuring advertising feature, it may also indicate an excessively high volume production approach where corners are cut (no pun intended!) In the consultation, surgical planning and follow-up care process. These numbers represent a "quantity, not quality" approach to your care. LASIK is surgery. Beyond a certain threshold to achieve and maintain competence, volume doesn't insure quality. Use common sense and attend LASIK consultation to seeing how you are treated. Remember, you want skill and experience but not to be treated like you are ordering a hamburger.
By carefully choosing a LASIK surgeon who will help you determine your suitability and goals for LASIK, you will find that LASIK is a safe, effective and predictable method of correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
[Page updated 12/2010]
