Your eyes are very important and should not be operated by just any surgeon. If you want to undergo a Lasik procedure, then you need to find the best Lasik surgeon who will ensure that you achieve better vision through surgery. You do not want to take chances with your eyes.
Here are five tips that can guide you in this process.
- Ask around
It is likely that some of your friends, colleagues or family members have had a successful Lasik surgery. Let them know that you are considering the procedure and that you are looking for recommendations. You could also request your ophthalmologist to give you a referral for the best LASIK surgeon in the area. Some will hold information sessions that you can attend for free to learn more about the procedure and the costs involved.
- Check qualifications
The best Lasik surgeon is qualified, licensed and certified. You wouldn’t want a quack to perform a laser vision correction and you end up blind. Check that he or she has a medical degree from a medical school and completed the relevant internship and residency. To ensure excellent service, the eye doctor should be specialized in Lasik surgery.
Make sure the surgeon is licensed to operate in a particular state. You can confirm this by checking the national practitioner data bank.
The surgeon should be certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, which means that they have completed particular training with continuing education in their specialty areas.
- Check experience
A renowned Lasik surgeon should have many eye surgeries using this procedure under their belt. You will find most surgeons having done up to 50,000 procedures which mean they have had enough experience to attain perfection.
One such surgeon is Sidney Gicheru M.D., who has so far performed more than 150,000 Lasik procedures.
Note that the doctor should also screen the patients to undergo the surgery since not all patients qualify for the operation. You may qualify if you have had prescription glasses or lens, no prior eye surgeries or injuries, no corneal or eye diseases, not pregnant or planning to be and no excessively dry eyes. You must also be near or far sighted. Avoid any surgeon who doesn’t screen out patients. The best surgeon uses comprehensive testing to determine if you qualify.
- Find out from past and current patients
What do past and current patients say about the procedures? Were they successful or not. What was their experience? Check customer reviews and testimonials to get an insight into the type of service you will get.
- Is the surgeon versatile?
Can the Lasik surgeon also perform other eye procedures? If your cornea is thin, your eyes are dry or you have anterior basement membrane disease, then Lasik may not be good for you and you may have to do Lasek or PRK. The Lasik surgeon should be versatile enough to provide these other surgery options without referring you to another doctor.
If an eye Lasik surgeon does not perform a particular procedure, then you should ask why.