Eye Doctors

Finding the Right Eye Doctors Is Important!

Have you ever watched television commercials for doctors offering breast enlargements, tummy tucks, liposuction or Botox injections and wondered if maybe these doctors are more interested in simply making a buck than in helping people? Or how about all of those stories that seem to be constantly on the news about physician malpractice, botched procedures or unqualified physicians? All of this means that you would be wise to do adequate questioning and research before selecting a physician for elective surgery.

What Makes LASIK Different?

For one thing, LASIK is not really elective surgery in way that we normally think of it. While LASIK is not essential for survival the way that, for example, a kidney transplant is, LASIK should not be though of as just another form of cosmetic surgery because it is a procedure that corrects a legitimate medical problem. We’ve gotten used to thinking of eye problems as merely cosmetic because of the ready availability of glasses and corrective lenses. However, the very fact that you need glasses means that there is a disfunction in the eye that needs to be corrected in order to work properly. In fact, many insurance carriers are now beginning to provide partial coverage for this procedure.

LASIK can only be performed by board-certified eye doctors. It is generally offered by eye surgeons who are thoroughly qualified and trained to do these types of procedures. If you are unsure about how to find a qualified eye doctor in your local area, your state board of optometry should be able to recommend the names of a number of fine specialists. www.lasik-surgery.com is also an excellent resource. This site is operated by the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (CRSQA). They offer a certification for eye care professionals who specialize in LASIK procedures. To qualify for certification an eye doctor must have performed at least 1000 LASIK procedures with a minimum of 250 per year for four years and have a ninety percent success rate achieving at least a 20/40 vision correction. These two resources should get you started. Beware of LASIK specialists who advertise to heavily on television, the internet or in print. Like many professionals, a good surgeon will gain patients through reputation and experience, not how much money they spend on advertising.