How to choose the right LASIK surgeon

Because LASIK is a very popular method of correcting refractive errors, a lot of clinics and offices have transformed this procedure into a business primarily. In a sea of clinics offering LASIK surgery and discounts and amidst the bright advertorial campaigns and ads, it gets difficult to see which one is credible and which one’s not. You should remember that while LASIK is popular procedure, doesn’t mean it’s simple. LASIK surgery is a critical one and you should be very careful in choosing your LASIK surgeon. Here are some guidelines to follow when choosing a credible one:

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Choose a LASIK surgeon in your are through websites and compile a list. Read throughout the website for useful information. This way you could narrow down the list of those which you think have the best credibility.

One of your criteria should be the period of time the surgeon has been practicing LASIK surgery. The surgeon must be practicing for at least three years, and should have done at least 500 refractive surgery procedures.

Don’t be blinded by discounts, and never let the cost be one of your criteria for choosing a LASIK surgeon. The procedure is going to affect you your whole life, so it’s not wise to compromise on that. Anyway, there are insurance claims and other financial options available to help you on the expenses of LASIK.

The best way of looking for a credible LASIK surgeon is through referrals. Ask people you might now who have had LASIK surgery about their experiences and through that you can narrow your list further down.

Absolutely avoid LASIK centers which are big on advertising, and deals which are too good to be true, for the simple reason that they are! Some LASIK centers claim to give your money back if they don’t give you a 20/20 vision after the surgery, but in medicine anything can happen as there really are no guarantees.

Next time you go looking for a surgeon, be sure to take extra consideration about the things mentioned above.

LASEK: Alternative to LASIK

Not everyone will be a good candidate for LASIK since every patient’s situation is unique from the others. But there are other alternative procedures that are available to correcting vision, and one is LASEK.

LASEK stands for Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis. It is a procedure done to patients who have think or flat corneas and who are poor candidates for LASIK surgery. LASEK procedure is combination of the PRK or Photorefractve Keratectomy and LASIK or Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The main goal of the LASEK procedure is to keep the corneal epithelium. In LASIK surgery, the flap is created in the cornea. In LASEK however, since the patient has a thin cornea to start with, the flap is created only in the epithelium, then alcohol solution is applied to loosen the flap’s edges.

This is a relatively new procedure, and not a lot of surgeons yet are skilled or trained enough to do the procedure. If you’re not a good candidate for LASIK, you don’t have to worry because other procedures might be appropriate for you.

This doesn’t mean that one procedure is better or more effective than the other. It just shows that patients have different and unique situations and a lot of other options are surfacing to meet these needs.

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How the Aberrometer helps in LASIK surgery

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The Aberrometer System is a big help to surgeons in that it lets them see perfectly into these refractive fractions through rotating 3D images. But one may wonder about how the Aberrometer can do this. First, the Aberrometer releases a laser light with just a minimal energy right into the eye. Next, the eye then bounces back this light into the retina and then goes through the lens and cornea and exits as a wavefront. Then the Aberrometer gets hold of this wavefront and measures it to find out both lower and higher order aberrations of the entire optical system. Lastly, once the aberrations are determined, they are projected on-screen in exact 3D images.

From the measurements provided by the Aberrometer, the customized corneal ablation comes in next. The surgeons interface that data digitally with the Excimer Laser Eye Surgery System. It uses a high-speed computerized eye-tracking method that assists Laser Eye surgeons to boost the treatment process.

Since the eyes are making jumping movements constantly and very fast whether we like it or not, the eye-tracking system helps the surgeon scan the eye at a wicked speed of thousands of times per second. It therefore creates a very accurate display of the laser beam for the customized ablation surface. And by manipulating the system through the computer, micro-adjustments can be made to adjust the pinpoint laser beam in between pulses of light, making it possible to trace even the minutest movement your eye makes during the treatment process.

Besides the said facts, the Excimer Laser Eye Surgery also uses another type of laser, another minute beam of laser less than a millimeter wide, so minute that it’s even smaller that the width of a strand of human hair. By controlling it with the high-speed computer, the Excimer Laser Eye Surgery System moves this almost microscopic beam of light on the surface of the cornea in random, very fast and very tiny movements, and in an overlapping pattern. This way the surgeon gets to create an effective customized corneal shape which is unique to the patient’s prescription enabling his speedy visual recovery.

Traditional vs. custom LASIK eye surgery


As you may have gotten some idea, the key words in the two terms are “traditional” and “custom”. On the one hand, traditional Laser Eye Surgery deals with the most common optical aberrations or lower order aberrations. These aberrations are what usually cause astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. On the other hand, Custom LASIK Eye Surgery deals with a more specific treatment plan specifically suited for each patient who has higher order aberrations. The aberrations are measured by an Aberrometer, and are addressed more precisely which results to an almost perfect vision once again.

Before you consider undergoing LASIK Eye Surgery, you must first be familiar with the concepts concerning the surgery, and the steps involved in the process. You must also understand first what preparations you should do before the surgery, and the necessary safety measures you have to do after the surgery. By understand all these first, you can make the most of your LASIK experience.

The first thing you should do is consult with several doctors first, to know which options you have. They may differ in offers, but you’ll basically have the idea behind LASIK Eye Surgery. In the initial consultation, make sure that you ask all the questions you have about the operation.

The doctors and staff will be more than willing to let you u on the process, to ease your mind about the treatment process. Remember that by being knowledgeable in something this serious will be most beneficial for you, and will ensure better results in your operation.