- You can reduce your chance of LASIK complications by up to 50% if the humidity is right.
- There is a new kind of LASIK laser that is potentially better than any other. Its called Wavefront.
- Ignore all those LASIK ad's you see; the AAO.org lists EVERY doctor! (AAO is the American Academy of Ophthalmology).
- Most LASIK websites are commercial sites with only one goal, to sell advertising. Just the AAO.org instead.
- There are some medical conditions that don't work well with LASIK. Do you have one of these conditions?
- Evidence from a single individual is often unreliable (though we do include some for those that are interested).
- Choose a doctor that has done a lot of these procedures; experience matters.
- Surgeries are better when done earlier in the day.
- It is important to ask questions after the surgery if something does not seem right.
- The best LASIK doctors are either corneal specilists or did a one year fellowship in refractive surgery; ask!
Our Website will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about LASIK. Did you know:
Before the Surgery:
- Risk: A small chance your vision could be irreparably damaged. But over 90% see 20-20 or better, if the doctor is good.
- 2nd Opinion: If you have any questions or an unusual situation, consider a 2nd opinion by another eye doctor.
- Lawsuits: Check if anyone is suing your doctor, and find out why.
- Pupils: Have your pupils measured on at least two different ocassions.
- Price: The lowest price might not be the best choice, when it comes to your eyes.
- Dry Eye: If you have any dryness problems it could be worse after LASIK; ask for the Shirmer Test.
- Both Eyes? Don't do both eyes on the same day; results can be fine tuned if you do them on different days.
- Operating Room: Check if the operating room appears to be clean and hopefully, sterile.
- Wavefront LASIK: Wavefront LASIK may be better for you; make sure you find out from an eye doctor (who has one).
- Contraindications: Some health conditions mean you are not a good LASIK candidate; find out!
Some Possible LASIK Complications:
- Incorrect corrections (under, over, astigmatism, regression)
- Decentered application of the laser
- Oversize Pupils
- Vision Problems: Haze, Halos, Glare, Double Vision, Ghosting, Starbursts, Loss of Contrast, Poor Night Vision
- Irregular Flaps (folds, wrinkles, etc)
- Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis
- Dry Eye
- Epithelial Ingrowth
- Infections
Types of Eye Doctors:
- Optometrist: A Doctor of Optometry (O.D. degree) is not an M.D. They complete four years of optometry school, and use non-surgical means to help eye problems. This includes eye drops, oral medications, and various lenses. They are also trained to diagnose disease. No Optometrist should be doing LASIK but they can help with pre- and post-operative care. In addition, children with vision problems should see a pediatric-Optometrist or preferably a Pediatric-Ophthalmologist, for a more comprehensive result.
- Ophthalmologist: Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (M.D. degree). They do see patients for routine vision care, including prescription of eyeglasses and contact lenses. The majority of ophthalmologists have completed a surgical residency. Surgery on the eye is a very demanding skill and Ophthalmologists also recieve continuing medical education to maintain their license. Another term (seldom used) for Ophthalmologist is 'Oculist'. The word Ophthalmologist (one of the hardest words in English to spell correctly) comes from the Greek word "opthalmos" meaning "eye," and the Greek word "logos" meaning "the study of."
- Retina Specialist: Retina specialists are eye doctors, typically (but not exclusively) ophthalmologists, who have completed additional sub-speciality fellowship training in the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and laser treatment of retinal disease.
- Corneal Specialist: An Ophthalmologist who has done further training; more desirable for LASIK.
- Optician: A group of specialists who make the custom glasses and contact lenses from prescriptions of the above doctors.
- Orthopist: Therapist to straighten 'crossed eyes'.
- Ocularist: Fitment and manufacture of artificial eyes (Ocular Prosthesis).
General Information sites:
FDA (Excellent Introduction): www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/
Humidity Complication Issues (Wake Forest Univ. Study): http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040421235442.htm
Stanford Says Wavefront LASIK is More Accurate: http://med.stanford.edu/ophthalmology/laser/html/wavefront.html
NIH (National Institutes of Health): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lasereyesurgery.html
H-LASIK for Far-Sightedness: http://my.webmd.com/hw/vision/ut1280.asp
AAO (American Academy of Ophthalmology):
AAO: http://www.aao.org/aao/
AAO Doctor Locator (search the category "Refractive Surgery"): http://www.aao.org/aao/find_eyemd.cfm
Various Directory Resources:
Yahoo
DMOZ
AAO Directory
Personal Experiences:
Opposing Views
Personal Experiences (from Yahoo)
Personal Experiences (from DMOZ)
