In many areas you will be fortunate enough to have to make a choice between one lasik doctor and another.
This is a good problem to have, because it gives you a chance to assess the various lasik eye surgery clinics that will be competing for your business.
And most important of all, it gives you the chance to choose the lasik doctor who is right for you.
While there may not be a strictly laid-down right or wrong way to choose, but the following points are worth some thought.
Look for an Experienced Lasik Doctor
Probably the most important factor to consider is experience.
There is a lot of evidence that a more experienced Lasik eye surgeon has a lower “problem” rate. Reports put the problem rate for new surgeons at 5%; with experience this figure normally drops to less than 1%.
Some people believe that the magic number is 1000 – the number of procedures a lasik doctor must have performed to be considered experienced.
In fact, choosing the right lasik doctor is probably the most important decision you can make when you consider Lasik vision correction.
Ask around. Try to find friends or acquaintances who can talk from personal experience, or who can introduce you to someone who can. Word or mouth can be misleading, but it can also be very accurate.
Talk to the doctor and/or optician who normally look after your eyes; they will have a good idea of who is available in your area, and who is to be trusted.
Read a lot. Read the information the eye clinic will give you. Read about the techniques and equipment.
Compare the risks and benefits offered not only by the various procedures, but also the differences between various types of equipment.
Keep the same Lasik Doctor from Start to Finish
Try to find a lasik doctor who will deal with you from start to the finish. Avoid a Lasik eye center of the type that has an assembly-line approach and moves patients through quickly, one right after another.
In such eye clinics the lasik doctor may not see you until the actual procedure. Someone else may well have recorded your health history and carried out the initial examination.
Common sense would suggest that your Lasik doctor should be the only one involved in your eye care. One person should be responsible the initial examination, the actual surgery and should handle the follow up visits. This personal approach should ensure a more customized procedure and will likely result in a better outcome.
Choose a Lasik specialist.
Read up on the latest equipment and techniques, and find out how knowledgeable your potential lasik doctor is about the latest technology.
Don’t buy a Lasik Doctor on Price
Don’t buy only on price. The FDA’s own website warns: “Be wary of eye centers that advertise ‘20/20 vision or your money back’ or ‘package deals’. There are never any guarantees in medicine.
“Be cautious about ’slick’ advertising and/or deals that sound ‘too good to be true’. Remember, they usually are.”
(See the separate articles dealing with Lasik eye surgery cost).
That same FDA site warns that “you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of….refractive surgery”. Look for a lasik doctor who takes the time to explain the risks and complications associated with Lasik.
Don’t expect perfect vision and don’t use a Lasik doctor who tells you otherwise.
Try to find someone in your area.
You’ll probably need to see your lasik doctor at least five times. You’ll meet for an initial appointment, for the surgery, a check up after the procedure, and then further checks at three and six months.
Immediately after your surgery, you will certainly need someone to drive you to and from the clinic, so choosing a local Lasik doctor can be very convenient.
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