guidelines for choosing your LASIK surgeon

How do you find a LASIK surgeon? Friends and family are a great place to start. Also, ask your current optometrist or ophthalmologist. He or she knows your eyes and vision problems, and is likely to know which laser vision correction surgeons or centers in your area to recommend.

Once you've set up your initial appointment with a LASIK surgeon, you can start getting the answers you need to the important questions you're sure to have. (Learn more about what you should do before your LASIK surgery.) These guidelines will help you understand what questions to ask about the surgeon, his or her experience, and the vision correction procedure:

• Credentials
• Method of Practice
• Availability
• Laser System
• The Cost of LASIK Surgery
• Finding a LASIK Surgeon

Credentials

Most physicians are perfectly comfortable discussing their credentials. You can find out more information by calling local, state, or national ophthalmic associations, or by contacting the American Board of Ophthalmology or the Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors.

Questions to ask about credentials include:

• How long have you been performing laser vision corrections?
• How many laser eye procedures have you performed?
• What results can someone with my vision problem realistically expect from laser vision correction?
• What are the overall safety and risks associated with laser eye surgery?

LASIK surgeons should be licensed to practice ophthalmology and be trained in the use of laser equipment to perform this kind of vision correction. Medical licensing is in most cases done by local, state, or national medical boards.

Many laser vision correction surgeons are also qualified to perform any eye surgery, including other corrective procedures. Schools of ophthalmic medicine offer courses in these procedures. In addition, all physicians are required to participate in continuing educational opportunities each year by their state medical board. Refractive surgeons, who perform laser vision correction, typically receive training on the laser system they use as well.

Method of Practice

The outcome of laser eye surgery depends to a large degree on the skill of your LASIK surgeon and his or her level of experience with a particular procedure. How a surgeon handles his or her practice differs as well. Some questions to ask include:

• Does the system's tracking device have an FDA-approved claim to improve the accuracy of corneal shaping? (An experienced and knowledgeable laser vision correction staff is able to answer this question.)
• Do you offer customized vision correction, based on wavefront maps that identify higher and lower order aberrations in a patient's vision?
• How many patients do you treat each hour? (The answer will help you gauge how much time you'll spend with the doctor.)
• What are your cumulative results? (Be sure to compare the post-LASIK visual acuity rates of physicians you are considering.)

Availability

Before your surgery, you should know exactly what is included in the price and how many interactions you will have with the LASIK surgeon. When planning your LASIK surgery, ask yourself:

• Will I be able to meet and interact with the LASIK surgeon until key questions are answered?
• Do I have a minimum of four follow-up visits included in the price? Follow-up visits are the doctor's chance to observe your progress.
• Will my surgeon be present at pre- and post-procedure testing and care?

Laser System

You should also know which laser system the LASIK surgeon will use for your procedure. There really are significant differences in technology from one system to another. Make sure you understand why your surgeon's choice of technology matters. Here are some questions to consider:

• What brand of laser system will the surgeon use?
• Is the laser system capable of providing customized vision correction by correcting both higher and lower order aberrations in a patient's vision?
• Does the surgeon use a laser system with a closed-loop tracking device?
• Does the tracking use open-loop or closed-loop technology?
• Is the tracking device approved by the FDA to improve the accuracy of corneal shaping during surgery?
• What type of beam does the system use?
• Is the beam broad or small-spot?

The Cost of LASIK Surgery

LASIK surgery costs vary by the surgeon's experience, time dedicated to each patient and procedure, regional differences, and also by the quality of the laser system used: state-of-the-art technology costs more.

• How much is the total cost of the LASIK surgery per eye?
• Are the follow-up visits included in this cost? How many? (The average number of post-operative visits is four.) Is the doctor present at these visits?
• What financing programs does the doctor make available?
• What else is included in the cost? (The doctor could include pre-operative sedatives and treatments for side effects, such as prescription medicine drops or dark glasses.)
• Does my insurance cover all or part of the surgical cost? (This is unlikely, because LASIK is an elective surgery, but you should check in case your particular vision problem is covered.)
• Are the surgery's financial terms given to me in writing for my records?

Finding a LASIK Surgeon

Alcon has created a very simple, very quick, and very dependable way to find a doctor. You'll find a physician in your area, trained to use the LADARVision® System. Although you'll want to ask the same questions you'd ask any laser eye specialist, the LADARVision® name tells you the physician is aware of the differences among laser excimer systems. You'll know that this physician has selected the most advanced laser system technology for his or her patients, which tracks the movements of your eye during surgery.*

*These guidelines were created with the help of the FDA's site on LASIK surgery and the LASIK Institute site.

Alcon does not make recommendations for physicians and does not test medical ability of surgeons using the LADARVision® System.