It is important to note that all surgeons provided to you by this site are using the most advanced technology and have 98% plus 20/20 outcomes or they are not listed.
LASIK Eye Surgery is one of the safest and fastest elective procedures anyone can select.
However, attaining the desired surgical outcomes with the lowest probability of complications is directly dependent upon three things:
The surgeon
The laser eye surgery technology
The protocols of the surgical center
The surgeon is paramount in your pursuit of the safest LASIK choice
There are several factors is selecting the right surgeon. How long has the surgeon been providing Lasik? Have they performed literally thousands of procedures?
Some critical questions that may help guide you as to who is in it for the money and who is advancing the field are as follows:
- Does the surgeon collaborate with the technology manufacturers to continue the pursuit of perfect outcomes?
- Do they statistically track all surgical outcomes and compare them to national and global outcomes?
- Are they a regionally or nationally recognized expert in this field?
- Is there immediate success rate of attaining 20/20 or better 98% plus? The providers on this site are.
These are all questions the consultation expert should know immediately without hesitation.
A primary guideline of LASIK is no blades EVER!
The use of blades is outdated and has significantly more risks. Blades do not have the depth or centering precision of lasers. There are two major implications. First, the chance of infection and inflammation during the healing process is higher than using lasers. Second, and more importantly, is if you need an enhancement 10-20 years from now, they may have removed so much tissue that is makes the enhancement procedure more difficult.
In our nationwide research, a Dr. told us they do not believe in Lasers because they are unproved. This particular surgeon only uses blades. He was wrong. For him, it was about selling the procedure, not attaining the best possible outcomes. You will not find that surgeon or any others like him on this site. We strive to only make referrals for you to the highest quality surgeons using the most updated technology. Lasers are proven more effective and it is unfortunate that there are Lasik providers who are not focused on the optimal outcomes for their patients.
Are all lasers the same?
The short answer is no. The Femtosecond laser is the most advanced technology for making the flap under which the cornea is shaped. The Ziemer laser 6 or 8 shape the cornea. They pulse at 5 million pulses per second. This is 25 times faster than any other laser. This means time "in your eye" is minimized. This means less time in the eye redcues the probabiltiy of dry eyes.
The Ziemer 6 is integrated with proprietary software that is used on your initial consult. The software does a detailed topography or “finger print” of your eye. It searches for any imperfections and is the basis of the laser programming. This means the movement of the laser is literally different for every person who has Lasik. The programming is also designed to take the minimal amount of tissue off your eye. This is very important long term because if you ever need an enhancement, you want to preserve the maximum amount of cornea tissue so that any future procedure will be less complicated.
The software should also have built in “motion detection”
In other words, you cannot possibly move in any manner during surgery that will compromise the surgery. If they do not tell you about this during the consult, ask. The standard is for the detection to work 15X faster than you can move.
There are other lasers on the market that many surgeons use which are a few years old. While these lasers can have good result, they use more energy and therefore have a “hotter” cut when the initial flap is made in the eye. This means that the probability of inflammation is higher even though they are statistically very safe.
The third guideline for considering LASIK Eye Surgery is the surgical center
LASIK eye surgery is a medical procedure and all operating room protocols must be in place. When you go in for a consult, ask to see the surgical center. You will be able to tell immediately, usually through protective glass, how clean it is, how the surgical team and patient enter and the condition of the equipment. If the sterilized area is not pristine, ask why. We witnessed one surgical area that has a tear in the fabric of the surgical table. While the team we were speaking with did not think it was a big deal, we did. The reason is, as the surgeon or surgical staff rubs up against that table, they could cause fibers to float free, become airborne and end up in the flap created during the procedure. While unlikely, your surgery should be with an organization that eliminates all possible risks they can control, without exception.
Another interesting question to ask the surgeon or surgical staff is if they program their laser before every surgery with your patient data? The answer should be yes. Since the programming is specifically for your eyes, this is a must. Feel free to ask them how they do that.
Also, the temperature and humidity should be carefully controlled because something as small as a 1% change start to impct the outcome.