Tips For Choosing a Good Lasik Surgeon

Improving your vision with a Lasik method could be 1 of the greatest gifts you could get for yourself.  However, as my mother used to say, “Your eyes are precious.”  It is important to entrust the Lasik operation to a doctor that you trust and have confidence in.

Let’s begin with three factors that should NOT be the sole reason you select a doctor for the Lasik method.  The location of the office is not particularly important, and a number of people travel long distances to have the Lasik method done, for a truly professional doctor will only need to be visited two or three times.  Also, cost or the type of Lasik technology used should not be the sole factor.  The range in surgical skill for a Lasik operation does vary, and there is the old saying “you get what you pay for.”  Further, though the newer types of Lasik methods do have their benefits; many eye doctors in a large metropolitan area often offer two or three Lasik variants.

There are several ways to determine which is the best doctor for you in your area.  One of the qualities to look for in a good Lasik physician is someone who can accurately assess your situation, and advise you if Lasik is even a good choice for you and your lifestyle.  A physician that takes the time to discuss your own physical condition and situation with you is a good indicator that this is a Lasik physician that you can rely on.
Look for a Lasik doctor which has a solid reputation in the area, and has a good track record.  A physician that advertises in a magazine is not a sufficient recommendation to put your trust in that doctor, and needs more investigation before agreeing to have him do your Lasik method.  Sometimes a Lasik center with a large advertising campaign and discounted prices may be indicating that the quality of the surgery is not excellent, and this could be a red flag to avoid that center.

A good Lasik doctor should be involved in the entire Lasik process.  As mentioned above, he should take time to assess your particular case and discuss it with you.  Not only should he do the exam, but he should also perform most or all of the preoperative exam, and also should meet with you personally to monitor the success of the procedure at the dates for checkup.  There are stories from some Lasik centers of the patients never seeing the physician again after the operation until they complained strenuously of some particular problem.

Make sure the physician is honest in their assessment of the general Lasik method, and his track record in particular.  Ask for individual examples of patients that the physician dissuaded from having the Lasik operation, and why.  Ask how many Lasik methods the doctor has done in total, and how many in the last two years.  An experienced surgeon should have performed in the neighborhood of 1000 Lasik methods, with at least 500 of those in the last two years.

Use these questions as a starting point to examine the Lasik centers in your area, and even the highly recommended ones in nearby major metropolitan areas.  It will be time well invested, and the first step to a clearer upcoming.

About Your Lasik Surgeon

For anyone considering a Lasik method to truthful vision, it is crucial to find a physician that is reputable and caring.  It is also very important that they are experienced and knowledgeable in the Lasik method, and that they have a track record of patients that are happy with the treatment they received and the results that they got.

This guide gives a number of basic questions that you should ask when deciding on which Lasik center and which doctor to select for your Lasik method.  The comfort you have during the process, and even the results that you receive, may depend on getting good answers to these questions.  It is important to realize that the answers to these questions will vary from physician to physician.
The first question to ask is “How many years have you been performing this type of Lasik surgery?”  There are several variations of the Lasik method, and the doctor should have a track record of at least three years in doing Lasik methods.  This amount of time also allows the doctor to watch his patients and the long term success of their Lasik methods.
Next, ask the physician for the number of Lasik methods they have performed in the last two years.  The physician should do the operation frequently enough that he is well versed in current procedures.  Also, he should be successful enough that prospective Lasik patients feel comfortable in coming to the Lasik center.  The physician should perform at least 500 Lasik surgeries in the last two years.
At this point, ask what percent of his clients that underwent Lasik surgery ended up with 20/40 vision or better.  Notice that not all patients will achieve 20/20 vision, and that is acceptable.  However, it is important that 90 percent of the patients get at least a 20/40 correction after the first Lasik method.  Claims of much more than 90 percent might make him seem much better, but in this case ask for evidence that that number is true.  There are some exceptional physicians out there, but also a few Lasik doctors that make unfounded claims.  Asking the doctor what percentage of Lasik patients achieve 20/20 should run about 50 percent.  Again, if the number is greatly higher, ask for evidence.

Finally, ask about post-Lasik complications.  The percentage of patients that experience complications after 6 months is complete should be 3 percent or less.  If the physician claims that complications are so rare that he doesn’t keep records, you should be very suspicious and ask for evidence, if any.  No doctor is perfect.  Similarly, when asked the percentage of patients that require an additional operation to achieve clear vision, the number should be less than 10 percent.

To wrap up the interview, ask the physician what types of Lasik methods he recommends and practices, and under what circumstances he denied a Lasik method to a patient.  Not all vision challenged people are good candidates for a Lasik operation, and the doctor should at least have a few examples of people he dissuaded from the operation.

In conclusion, ask about the cost of the operation and if financing plans are available through the Lasik center.  A physician that is willing to sit down and discuss these questions is often a physician that will address any other medical issues that come up, and is a excellent prospect to perform your Lasik method.

Facts for Lasik Surgery Patients

The Lasik operation can be a fantastic, life-changing option for many people whose vision is less than perfect.  There are several different types of Lasik operations now available, from the original and well documented procedure to Lasik methods done with three dimensional wavefronts, or done entirely with lasers.  Each of these variations of the Lasik method should be discussed with the physician that is to perform the operation.
Like any surgery, Lasik does have the potential for side effects.  Sometimes reading the horror stories of the outcomes of a Lasik method can deter people from seriously considering such a choice.  It is also true that the vast numbers of people who have a successful, trouble-free Lasik surgery tend not to report a long and detailed story of their experience, unlike those that have experienced trouble afterward.
However, it is good to know what the possible side effects of the Lasik method are, and also the likelihood that one of these side effects will occur for a particular patient.  Just like any medicine we take, each has a possible number of side effects, but we generally assume that the likelihood of a serious side effect is small, and we take the medicine anyway.  This article will hopefully put concerns of the prospective Lasik patient into perspective so that they can calmly and thoughtfully ponder having a Lasik method done in the future.
More than one million Lasik methods are done in the US every year, according to the FDA.  This arm of the national government has accumulated the following statistics for the most common side effects of the Lasik method.  These statistics will also vary by the physician performing the surgery, so make sure to get as much information on the prospective Lasik physician as possible.
After Lasik surgery, 1.7 percent of patients experience some glare or sensitivity to light after the operation.   This varies by patient, but this sensitivity is especially noticeable when looking at a bright light, such as a streetlight when walking at night, or other strong light and dark contrast.  Another light related side effect is a halo around a light, and this occurs in 3.5 percent of Lasik patients.
The new, corrected vision can be noticed quickly by some Lasik patients, in as little as a few hours after surgery.  Most patients that have undergone the Lasik method find the change is permanent within a few days.  In 2.6 percent of clients that have had a Lasik method done, there is persistent visual fluctuation within at least a part of their sphere of vision.
Finally, some patients do not get a fully corrected sphere of vision after their Lasik method.  This happens with a small number of clients, and the FDA statistics are that only 3 percent of patients have this effect.  In all or nearly all cases, the physician in charge will perform an additional Lasik method to improve this.

This detailing of the most important permanent side effects of the Lasik method should put any personal horror stories into perspective.  Notice that none of the percentages are above III(3) percent, and this should bring relieve to most prospective Lasik clients.  However, it should also motivate them to look carefully at the Lasik physician’s personal record.

How To Choosing a Good Lasik Surgeon

How To Choosing a Good Lasik Surgeon
Improving your vision with a Lasik procedure could be one of the greatest gifts you could get for yourself.  However, as my mother used to say, "Your eyes are precious."  It is important to entrust the Lasik operation to a doctor that you trust and have confidence in.

Let's begin with three factors that should NOT be the sole reason you select a doctor for the Lasik procedure.  The location of the office is not particularly important, and a number of people travel long distances to have the Lasik procedure done, for a truly professional doctor will only need to be visited two or three times.  Also, cost or the type of Lasik technology used should not be the sole factor.  The range in surgical skill for a Lasik operation does vary, and there is the old saying "you get what you pay for."  Further, though the newer types of Lasik procedures do have their benefits; many eye doctors in a large metropolitan area often offer two or three Lasik variants.

There are several ways to determine which is the best doctor for you in your area.  One of the qualities to look for in a good Lasik physician is someone who can accurately assess your situation, and advise you if Lasik is even a good choice for you and your lifestyle.  A physician that takes the time to discuss your own physical condition and situation with you is a good indicator that this is a Lasik physician that you can rely on.

Look for a Lasik doctor which has a solid reputation in the area, and has a good track record.  A physician that advertises in a magazine is not a sufficient recommendation to put your trust in that doctor, and needs more investigation before agreeing to have him do your Lasik procedure.  Sometimes a Lasik center with a large advertising campaign and discounted prices may be indicating that the quality of the surgery is not excellent, and this could be a red flag to avoid that center.

A good Lasik doctor should be involved in the entire Lasik process.  As mentioned above, he should take time to assess your particular case and discuss it with you.  Not only should he do the exam, but he should also perform most or all of the preoperative exam, and also should meet with you personally to monitor the success of the procedure at the dates for checkup.  There are stories from some Lasik centers of the patients never seeing the physician again after the operation until they complained strenuously of some particular problem.

Make sure the physician is honest in their assessment of the general Lasik procedure, and his track record in particular.  Ask for individual examples of patients that the physician dissuaded from having the Lasik operation, and why.  Ask how many Lasik procedures the doctor has done in total, and how many in the last two years.  An experienced surgeon should have performed in the neighborhood of 1000 Lasik procedures, with at least 500 of those in the last two years.

Use these questions as a starting point to investigate the Lasik centers in your area, and even the highly recommended ones in nearby major metropolitan areas.  It will be time well invested, and the first step to a clearer future.