Things to consider when choosing a vision correction center and a doctor
Advertisements can be informative, but slick ads and low pricing should not be your only reason for selecting a laser center or surgeon. In choosing the right surgeon to correct your vision, consider the following:
1. Know your doctor’s qualifications. What are the surgeon’s medical qualifications? Is he or she board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties? Do they have additional fellowship training or other rigorous training experience in corneal and refractive surgery at an established academic setting such as UT Southwestern? A refractive surgeon that is associated with an academic medical center is more likely to be up-to-date with the latest technology and issues related to new procedures.
2. Know your doctor’s outcomes. Does the surgeon analyze outcomes regularly? What is the surgeon’s complication rate? Does the surgeon publish his/her outcomes?
3. Know your doctor’s standards. Does the surgeon carefully evaluate patients to determine who is a good candidate? What is the surgeon’s rejection rate of patients seeking refractive surgery? The surgeon’s evaluation of patients should include: corneal mapping (topography), wavefront determination, measurement of corneal thickness, assessment of tear function and ocular surface to look for potential healing or dry eye problems, as well as measurement of pupil diameter in light and dark settings. There are three categories of candidates:
- Ideal candidates, for whom a good outcome is generally expected;
- Less-than-ideal candidates, for whom additional measures are necessary both before and after the procedure to ensure proper healing; and
- Non-candidates, who should not have the procedure.
4. Know your doctor’s commitment to you. Will the surgeon provide your care before, during and after surgery, or another staff member? You should have the opportunity to meet your surgeon and to ask questions before the day of your surgery. Feel comfortable that the surgeon has your best interests in mind. The doctor should take time to examine your eyes personally and answer your questions before surgery. He or she should also see you at each post-operative visit.
5. Know your doctor’s commitment to quality control. What standards of quality are enforced by your doctor and the laser center team? Ask if one-time use disposable instruments are re-used or if microkeratome blades are used for more than one eye. If the answer is yes, then the surgeon is cutting costs but increasing risk to the patient. Does the surgeon insist on quality laser equipment? No single laser is right for every patient. Be wary of laser centers offering only one laser technology.
6. Know your doctor’s position on quality versus quantity. Enough is important. That is, a surgeon needs to have acquired enough experience by doing procedures so that he or she is comfortable doing them and has developed a good track record. But enough is enough! Too many patients on a schedule can result in an assembly line mentality, where getting through the vast numbers overshadows the importance of personalized attention to detail.
7. Know how to evaluate your doctor’s pricing. Beware of “as low as” advertised prices. These ads are frequently used to attract patients, and then add-on's inflate the final price. The surgeon’s practice should be professionally driven, not profit-driven. At UT Southwestern's Laser Center for Vision Care, we are up-front about our basic vision correction surgeries, and that custom procedures cost more. That said, when we quote you a price, it includes all of your eye care.
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