How to choose who to trust with your eyes The most important decision a Lasik eye surgery candidate can make is choosing the best in Lasik Eye Surgeons. Only ophthalmologists are permitted to perform Lasik eye surgery. Your optometrist who performs your regular eye exam, can give you a list of Lasik Eye Surgeons in your area to choose from but your optometrist is not licensed do your Lasik surgery. Look for a surgeon who is versatile and competent in several refractive procedures. Lasik isn't the only surgical procedure to correct your vision and isn't the best solution for everyone. Choose a surgeon who is familiar and experienced with many different techniques; PRK, Lasek, CK, clear lens replacement and Lasik. By choosing a surgeon who is experienced in several of these techniques, they can better help you to decide which procedure is best at correcting your vision problem. A surgeon who has performed 20,000 PRK procedures isn't necessarily the best at performing Lasik surgery. Once you and your surgeon have decided which procedure is best for your eyes, ask your surgeon how many procedures they have done using that particular technique. You might also ask your surgeon if they are board certified in ophthalmology. This means they have passed additional exams beyond medical school, internship and residency. Ophthalmologists who are Lasik eye surgeons must take special courses in this technique and complete many hours of hands-on training. Hospitals, Lasik surgery centers and manufacturers of Lasik surgical equipment all require this special training before surgeons are allowed to practice Lasik eye surgery. All Lasik eye surgeons who are new to doing this specialized surgery are trained by a skilled Lasik surgeon. Don't hesitate to ask to see documentation of the training and courses that your Lasik eye surgeon has completed. They should be proud to show you all that they have accomplished. After your initial consultation with a Lasik eye surgeon, don't worry that you will hurt their feelings if you choose to consult with a second (or third) surgeon. This is a common and accepted practice to ask for a second opinion. Choosing the best Lasik eye surgeon is probably the most important decision that you will make this year so take your time and do your homework before putting your eyes in their hands. Eye surgery terminology Lasik - laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, a flap in the cornea is created using a microkeratome and a laser reshapes the underlying cornea. PRK - photorefractive keratectomy, a laser is used to remove the surface layer of the cornea Lasek - laser epithelial keratomileusis; a form of PRK but the surface layer of the cornea is not removed, just pulled back to allow the laser to reshape the cornea. CK - conductive keratoplasty,radio frequency energy used to correct farsightedness Clear lens replacement - surgical removal of the crystalline lens through a tiny slit in the cornea and a clear lens is put in its place |
