Bad Lasik Eye Surgery

How To Avoid Bad Lasik Eye Surgery

The doctor's skill is what stands between you and bad Lasik eye surgery. 

 It stands to reason that you must do some investigation before you choose a Lasik doctor.  This article will explain how to choose a doctor for Lasik vision correction and give yourself the opportunity for a perfect outcome.

There are a number of ways to check the credentials of a Lasik eye surgeon before you decide to call for an appointment. The time spent checking will save you time, money and perhaps botched Lasik laser surgery.

Many surgeons now advertising their services in newspapers, on the radio, and on TV. Taking notice of these ads can be your first step in Lasik vision correction. You will find the some ads are more informative than others.  Yes, some feature extremely good pricing, but never choose any service on price alone.  

If you single out the names of one or two Lasik doctors you should contact the office of each and ask if the surgeon is associated with an academic medical center.  That could be a teaching hospital or a school that is well-known for advanced technology.

New Techniques

The surgeons who work in, or are associated with academic medical centers are more likely to keep up with current information.  These surgeons will have constant exposure to new techniques and to issues related to new procedures.  Of course, not every surgeon has a medical center within the area where he or she is practicing.  That does not mean that they don't keep up to date with seminars and continuing education.

Remember that Lasik vision correction is truly surgery.  Because of that you may wish to select a doctor who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  The credentialing process of that organization is rigorous and they are diligent about advancing the field of surgery.

The competition for patients is vigorous these days, so watch out for misleading advertising. If a surgeon claims he or she has been using a laser for 15 years that's cheating.  Some surgical procedures have used a laser for the past 15 years, but not Lasik.   The Lasik laser is a more recent development.

It is perfectly reasonable to ask for a referral from your regular optometrist or ophthalmologist. Even your family doctor may be able to help.  Explain that you would like direction to the Lasik surgeon in your area with the best reputation.

Refractive Surgery

Another good idea is to check the American Academy of Ophthalmology's website at aao.org.  There you will see a "Find an Eye M.D." feature. Specify "refractive surgery" under "specialty."

You can telephone refractive surgery centers in your area.  You will find them listed in the Yellow Pages. Most Lasik surgery centers now have websites that explain their specialties and doctor credentialing. Many let you search for particular surgeons on their sites.

After you made your preliminary selection make an appointment for a consultation. Before this meeting write down every single question you can think of.  You should have compiled a good list during your research.  Don't be shy about asking every question on your list during this first visit.

Did you know that the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance has a list of 50 questions on its website? We will list just a few here...

The Questions

Doctor, how long have you been performing refractive surgery procedures? (Not less than three years.)
 
How many total Lasik procedures have you done? (Not less than 500.)
 
How many refractive procedures of the exact type you intend to use for me, with the same equipment, and the same refractive error, have you performed? (Not less than 100.)
 
What percentage achieved 20/20 or better? (Around 50% is the norm; ask for proof if a higher number is stated.)
 
Will you provide me the names and contact information of at least ten previous patients who have had the exact same surgery with similar refractive error?
 
Have you ever had malpractice insurance coverage denied?

 
Have you had your license to perform refractive surgery revoked, suspended or restricted?
 
Before you begin you can explain to the doctor that you are going to be asking the tough questions recommended by the CRSQA   Expect straight answers.  Your precious vision depends on your surgeon's competency. You need to be absolutely sure that you chose the right person.

Don't feel that you are obligated to use the first Lasik surgeon you interview. You are completely free to talk to other doctors. There is no need to feel that you are offending anyone. It has long been an accepted practice to seek a second opinion, and most doctors would urge their patients to do so.

It all come down to this, if you are not happy with the answers to your questions thank the doctor for the time and take your questions to another surgeon.  That's the proper way to choose a Lasik doctor and avoid bad Lasik eye surgery. 

 Bad Lasik Eye Surgery