Nothing will make more of a difference in your LASIK experience than your choice of LASIK surgeon. There are many LASIK surgeons in Santa Monica, Rancho Cucamonga, Burbank, and surrounding areas. It’s important to take the time to consider your options and find the one that’s right for you.
Here are some tips for finding the best LASIK surgeon for you.
Talk to Friends and Family
LASIK and other laser vision correction procedures are very popular. The odds are good that you know several people who have had or considered LASIK surgery. You should talk to these people about their procedures, including their surgeons, their experiences, and their results.
If they would recommend their surgeon, add them to your list of candidates.
You can also talk to your regular eye doctor for recommendations. Your eye doctor will likely be able to give you qualified recommendations, but don’t forget to ask your doctor why they are recommending this particular LASIK surgeon to make sure it’s based on actual qualifications and not just a paid referral.
Go Online to Evaluate LASIK Surgeons and Add to Your List
Next, it’s important to go evaluate surgeons that have been recommended. Just because a surgeon was right for a friend doesn’t mean he will be right for you. Instead, you want to look at a surgeon’s qualifications.
When you go to a LASIK surgeon’s site, you want to look for:
- Qualifications
- Experience
- Options and alternatives
- Practice philosophy
You want a board-certified ophthalmologist with extensive experience who has the technology to offer you procedures like wavefront / topography LASIK and PRK along with other alternatives if you need them. You also want to find a patient-centered practice that will give you the long-term care that will give you reassurance against worries for complications, which are rare, but always possible. The role of your surgeon in your post-operative care should always be a strong consideration in decision making.
Schedule Consultation
Next, you will want to schedule consultations with LASIK surgeons. Your vision is very important, and you don’t want to make a decision without understanding what separates surgeons.
During your consultation you will want to evaluate:
- The surgeon’s dedication: Did he/she devote his attention to you? Did you even get to meet him/her? Never schedule LASIK with a surgeon you haven’t met.
- Ask surgeon about complications, risks, and corrections. Make sure the surgeon is experienced in handling all types of LASIK complications.
- Overall care: was the staff attentive to your needs and answer all your questions about the procedure?
- Quality of exam: do you feel the LASIK surgeon did a sufficiently detailed exam to make informed recommendations about your treatment?
- Cost, financing, and payment options. You never want to select a LASIK surgeon because of price, but it’s important to make sure you can afford the procedure.
Select the surgeon that gives you full confidence in his/her ability to give you the LASIK results you desire. If you don’t find one that gives you full confidence, start your search again–your vision is too precious to risk with anything less than full confidence.
Dr. Armin Vishteh offers complimentary consultations to make it easier for you to compare LASIK surgeons. Please contact Armin Vishteh, MD today for a free consultation at our offices in: Rancho Cucamonga, Burbank, Santa Monica.