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Things to consider before getting LASIK Eye Surgery
If you are thinking of getting LASIK, be sure to follow these important tips.
LASIK eye surgery has become one of the most popular elective procedures across the country and has helped millions of people around the globe to regain amazing vision that they could never have imagined otherwise. In fact, every single day, hundreds of people opt to have this beneficial vision surgery in order to get rid of their contact lenses or eyeglasses once and for all.
However, even though this amazing procedure offers minimum discomfort for patients and boasts recovered eyesight sometimes as soon as the following day, it is still an intricate surgical procedure and should not be taken lightly.
In order to fully benefit from the results of LASIK eye surgery, you must first put in the proper amount of research and time in order to ensure that you are getting the results that you want from this procedure. For instance, you need to take the time to find the right surgeon for you and make sure that all of your questions about the surgery are answered as best as they can be.
To help you properly prepare for your LASIK eye surgery, and to also ensure that you have the best chance for success following the procedure, we have put together a basic checklist that you should follow if you are thinking of undergoing LASIK. Following these steps will help you reach results that will last long after you ditch your corrective lenses.
1. Research A Good LASIK Surgeon
While searching for a good LASIK eye surgeon may not be as difficult or life-altering as choosing the right doctor for a major medical surgery, a poorly performed LASIK procedure could affect your life just as drastically as if you had a poor medical operation. Therefore, make sure that you are choosing a quality surgeon that has plenty of experience, expertise and a good report with past patients.
What Exactly Makes a Good LASIK Surgeon?
Look for licensing first; a surgeon’s credentials should be certified by the state’s licensing board, or you can look up their licensing yourself with the National Practitioner Data Bank. Along with checking for licensing, to ensure your selected surgeon has had proper training and education related to LASIK, ask your surgeon if they are in fact board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Any practitioner can have a license to practice medicine, but in order to be specifically certified to perform surgery they must be certified by a credible board.
2. Meet With Your Eye Doctor
Once you think you have found the right LASIK surgeon for you, it is time to make an appointment with them and schedule your first consultation. Not only will this meeting ensure that you are a good candidate for treatment (following a comprehensive eye exam), but it is also a great chance for you to ask any questions that you are unsure about. Here is a small list of questions you should ask at your appointment:
- How many procedures have you done?
- What is your complication rate with past patients?
- If a complication does occur, what is your specific policy regarding follow-up?
- Has there been any outbreaks of eye infections from your surgery center? If there have been, what infections were they?
- Do you charge extra if an enhancement is required?
- Will my bill be broken down into sections so I can understand all the costs?
Take full advantage of this appointment, as it will help you feel more at ease about your procedure.
3. Go Over The Benefits and Risks
Once you have determined that you are a good candidate for LASIK, you should discuss the benefits and possible risks with your surgeon. For instance, while surgery itself is very brief and most improvements come quickly in the days following your surgery, all surgeries have some risk of complications. Ensure that you fully understand all of the risks and benefits before setting an appointment for your surgical procedure.
If you are thinking of having LASIK eye surgery, be sure to contact OCLI today to schedule your free consultation. Here at our office, we take pride in helping patients achieve the vision results that they have always dreamed of, and you could be next.
