“When I went for my consultation they told me I might have LASIK or I might have PRK depending on what the surgeon says,” said the exasperated patient sitting in our exam chair. That’s because when the patient went for their consultation, they didn’t actually meet with the surgeon: they met with a technician who was not qualified to make a decision as to the suitability for LASIK. We have heard similar stories of patients who were canceled or had their procedure abruptly changed on the day of the procedure when the surgeon recognized that their patient, scheduled for LASIK, was actually a poor LASIK candidate. This type of scenario is much more likely to play out at a discount LASIK center where LASIK is performed on everyone unless a specific contraindication is detected.
But today there are a number of refractive surgery procedures and the best strategy is to select the procedure that is safest and most likely to result in a successful outcome. Sometimes a patient is a good candidate for more than one procedure and a discussion of different potential side-effects, expected longevity of the procedure and costs would be appropriate. Obviously it is poor form to operate on a patient never examined by the surgeon as this increases the possibility that something might be missed. In addition, the patient may be placed at a disadvantage if the procedure to be performed on them is sprung on them moments before the scheduled surgery time.
Our advice? Meet the surgeon. This gives you the opportunity to evaluate and feel comfortable with the individual who will be performing surgery on your eyes. You will have the assurance in knowing that a qualified doctor was able to judge the appropriateness of your eyes for surgery and had an opportunity to select the best treatment for your particular vision problem. It will also give you the opportunity to ask questions and feel comfortable that you are fully informed of your choices, risks, side effects and expectations. At the Laser Eye Center of Carolina, we perform a number of different vision correction procedures and every patient is personally examined by Dr. Dornic. Before you leave the consultation, you will have a thorough understanding of your options and have an opportunity to digest the information before making a final decision. Second thoughts or forgot to ask something during the consultation? Every patient gets Dr. Dornic’s email address and, of course, phone calls or return office visits are always welcome. We want you to feel just as good about your decision to have vision correction as we feel confident in our ability to deliver excellent results.