Patient satisfaction after LASIK remains consistently high but no medical procedure has a satisfaction rate of 100%. Why are so many patients delighted with their results and others disappointed? Obviously there exists a group of patients who have had had unanticipated complications but this is fairly rare. One of the more common reasons may be unrealistic patient expectations.
Why should a patient seek vision correction surgery? To reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Occasionally however, patients undergo LASIK or other refractive surgery because of dissatisfaction with the quality of their vision in glasses or contact lenses. If the surgeon is not attuned to this, expectations may not be met and dissatisfaction results.
For example, around the age of forty, patients commonly develop presbyopia, or a reduction in focusing ability. In glasses, a common solution is bifocal glasses in which the top of the glasses are utilized to view distance objects and the bottom correct for near. The LASIK procedure can eliminate the need for glasses for distance (ie driving) but patients may still need reading glasses for near tasks. If the patient is not aware of this before undergoing the procedure, disappointment can result.
Another example is the patient who notices a decline in the quality of his vision who repeatedly has his glasses remade because he feels the doctor “just can’t get the prescription right”. Finally, out of frustration he seeks the counsel of a LASIK surgeon. If the surgeon fails to extract the real reason the patient is seeking vision correction, the opportunity to perform diagnostic testing to detect subtle cataracts, retinal or optic nerve disorders may be missed. The patient may be free of his glasses but still be left with quality of vision issues and dissatisfaction with the result.
LASIK is a safe and reliable procedure which has had years of refinement. It may not, however, be the best procedure for all patients and all vision problems. Because we are not a “LASIK only” center we can treat a wide variety of vision disorders and customize a treatment program specifically for you. Our goal is no surprises and total patient satisfaction. Come in today for a free, no-obligation, consultation.
Posts Tagged ‘satisfaction’
Patient Satisfaction with LASIK
Sunday, December 27th, 2009Vision Stable to 14 Years After Laser Vision Correction
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009How long will my LASIK last?
This is a common question I am asked by patients. For most patients, the benefits of LASIK may last a lifetime. Notice that I didn’t say that you will be 20/20 or have perfect vision for a lifetime. LASIK or PRK does not prevent normal aging changes from occurring. Thus if you were destined to develop increasing astigmatism as you age or the need for reading glasses in your later years, this will still happen. However, in most instances, patients will maintain excellent distance vision for many years. A majority of patients will continue to pass their driver’s license exam without restriction. This is not just my observation but is confirmed by recent study performed 14 years after laser vision correction. The results showed that the majority of patients were still satisfied with their vision and that acuity remained remarkably stable. For more information on this study, click on the link www.osnsupersite.com/view.aspx. If you are ready to explore the possibilities and visual freedom that LASIK can offer you, come in for a no-obligation consultation.