Lasik Surgeon
When deciding to get your eyes done with eye surgery, the type of laser eye surgery is the first big decision to make. Then the next decision, and most important one, is which LASIK surgeon to use. You want to find the most experienced eye surgeon at the type of eye surgery you have picked. Your eyes cannot be easily repaired, if at all, if something goes wrong. So spend a great amount of time researching your LASIK surgeon.
When you meet with the LASIK surgeon don’t hesitate to ask questions. If the surgeon is very uncomfortable or even aggressive then cross them off your list. You have a right as a patient to find out everything you can to make sure you won’t have anything go wrong. Eye surgery is not like getting a wart removed!
Ask the LASIK surgeon when they started performing eye surgery. How many lasers are they familiar with and have used in surgeries? How long have they been doing eye surgeries with the laser you want? How many surgeries have they performed in the last year? What percentage of patients are deemed unsuitable for eye surgery? You don’t want an eye surgeon that takes all patients. There are many medical reasons that should prevent people from getting LASIK surgery. If the surgeon takes everyone, or nearly everyone, that’s not a good sign.
How many patients after surgery can pass a driver’s eye exam? What percentage of patients have side effects such as halos around lights and dry eyes? How long do the side effects last? What post operative care is provided? Have there been any complaints or lawsuits filed? For that last question you may very well need to research it on your own. You can call the medical board in your state to find out if there have been any complaints or lawsuits about a certain doctor. Ask for names and phone numbers of previous patients so you can ask them what their experience was. If the eye surgeon refuses to give them, look elsewhere.
Also find out the name of the laser the LASIK surgeon is using. Make sure it is on the list of FDA approved lasers. Getting your eyes operated on to improve your vision is a very fast surgery, but not one to be taken lightly. It deals with your vision and you do not want to leave that to chance. Do your homework and you will be happy with the results.