Choosing an appropriate laser eye surgery clinic is actually more important than what most patients think. When this procedure is performed at an approved clinic, the patient can always be guaranteed of specialized care and the desired outcomes. Unfortunately, some patients use low quality laser eye clinics and end up with adverse symptoms such as chronically dry eyes, fluctuating vision and poor night vision. This article will therefore educate the reader on how to choose a proper laser eye surgery clinic:
First and foremost, check with your doctor whether laser eye surgery is medically available to you. There are quite a number of medical conditions such as pregnancy, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy that would not allow you to undertake this procedure. If your doctor permits you to undertake this procedure, request for a list of referrals for clinics and eye surgeons. You can also later browse the web for eye clinics in your locale to add on your list.
Conduct your own research on the eye surgeons and clinics you have on your list. Since this procedure is quite expensive, you have to ensure that your investment is worthwhile. While conducting your research, first try to identify a good number of laser eye clinics that have national recognition especially those with refractory surgery as their specialty.
To narrow down your list further, pick out those laser eye clinics that are affiliated to teaching institutions. This is because some laser eye clinics are now more oriented towards business than the medical profession itself. Specialists in unaffiliated eye clinics may be qualified but their focus is mostly profit maximization and not scientific research. You will be in safer hands when you are handled by eye surgeons who are continuously exposed to the most recent studies, research and technological advancements.
Personally visit these clinics and experience firsthand how the environment in each clinic looks like and the general state of facilities. Assess how the personnel at the different institutions attend to their clients. Talk to the staff about the services they offer, especially if they provide clinic aftercare and also ask to talk with the eye surgeons. They should all be a knowledgeable resource for all your questions. Simply eliminate those which you feel fall short of your expectations.
Based on your visits, try to identify at least two clinics that you believe will offer you the treatment to the standard that you are contended with. Do not let your decision be purely influenced by the different costs or finance options advocated for by the eye clinics. All the same, most eye surgery clinics have a form of financial plan in place.
Know the surgeons. Find out statistics such as the number of successful or unsuccessful operations the eye surgeons have or if there are any medical negligence cases pending against them. Also try to establish their academic and professional backgrounds and narrow your final list to at least two specialists. If possible, try talking to their previous clients or any other person who has undergone the procedure and obtain information on how they coped with the surgery.
Finally, make your ultimate decision. Only undertake this form of surgery if you are comfortable with it as there are no guarantees. Remember to follow all doctors' instructions to ensure that your surgery is successful.
