What questions should you ask before you choose a doctor?

 

Brenda S. Sheets, Executive Director, offered these suggestions.  "Patients should always ask for a listing of their doctor's credentials.  Are they Board certified, and if so, by which Boards?  How many LASIK procedures have they performed?  What are their outcomes (complication rates, etc.)?  What is their overall experience?  These questions should give the patient a general idea of the physician's qualifications.  In addition, we always recommend that the patient ask the doctor for the names of 2-3 other LASIK patients with whom they may speak.  This is usually a very effective way of determining what may be expected through the entire treatment process."

 

Regarding the number of cases the surgeon has performed, though every surgeon's skill level is widely different, a minimum of 50 - 100 cases should be a good base line, though some suggest a minimum of 1000.  If a surgeon is not actively performing LASIK (should do at least 10 - 12 cases per month) they may be unable to keep their skills up.

 

In addition, in the opinion of Robert S. Dotson, M.D., Oak Ridge, TN, Board Member for the American Board of Eye Surgery, vision threatening complications for LASIK should be rare, and considerably less than 1%.