lasik eye surgery

I’m considering having lasik surgery done as I would reallyl like to live without having to wear glasses all the time. What I would like to know is how do I go about finding a quality laser eye surgery clinic, are there any reviews or independent rankings available?

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

When considering refractive surgery, first go over the following checklist:

-Compare the results of various centers.
-Don’t let cost or convenience be the main factor in your decision
-The decisions you make about eyes and refractive surgery will affect you for the rest of your life
-Be wary of eye surgery clinics that advertise 20/20 vision or money back, or package deals
-Remember that medicine is not engineering and there are never any guarantees
-Study the available information on the Internet and the patient handbooks provided by your doctor. When using the Internet, stick to official sites and trusted health sites. You can use Google’s new feature for searching only the authorities’ web pages

-Patients who undergo lasik eye surgery or other refractive procedures, are likely to be happy with the results when they are in the care of an experienced eye surgeon and understand the procedures

-Ask family and friends about their experiences
-Ask your family doctor / primary care physician for a recommendation
-Call the local teaching hospital (University hospital) and ask for advice on finding an eye care specialist
-Contact an official association, academy or society of ophthalmologists
-Check with your insurance company / health plan to see if they have a list of the clinics and eye specialists covered under your health plan
-Use the web resources provided by the National Eye Institute and American Medical Association