Medical Malpractice

Since LASIK surgery has been so popular, many doctors started offering it. That's good for us, the potential patients. It gives us a wide array of possible eye surgeons to choose from.
So it's up to us to choose well. To do that, we need to prepare a list of good questions to ask our potential doctors. Then we should set up a series of interviews with the best candidates.
You can find names of LASIK surgeons by:

Asking friends and acquaintances

Asking your family doctor for a referral, or your regular eye doctor

Looking at advertisements or the phone book (but see under The First Principle!)

Contacting the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) (http://aao.org/)

The first principle

The thing we shouldn't compromise on is quality. How can we trust a doctor who puts his profit ahead of our eyesight? Some LASIK facilities advertise low prices and this may at first look attractive.

Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

A facility which charges low fees has to make up for those low fees by:

· Processing large numbers of patients as quickly as possible

· Purchasing cheap equipment

· Buying or leasing an old, cheaper laser

· Re-using things which should be fresh for each patient, such as latex gloves and microkeratome blades

· Autoclaving (sterilizing) equipment less often

· Paying lower salaries, which means hiring less skilled staff

· Giving you less surgeon time, since surgeon time is expensive, being so highly skilled

· Omitting parts of the initial examination of your eyes to determine if you're a good candidate for LASIK

So it's best to resist those low prices and instead look among the facilities where surgeon time is given more freely and no corners are cut.

Some questions to ask your candidates

1. Is he actively associated with an academic medical center?

A LASIK surgeon who stays in touch with research and new developments will be up to date in his practice and aware of any downsides to new technology, as well as its advantages.

2. What professional organizations does he or she belong to?

Some examples are:

· The AAO - keeps LASIK surgeons in touch with each other, and offers further training, professional support, etc.

· The American College of Surgeons - has a stiff credentialing process and enables its members to stay current with surgical advancements.

3. How long has he been doing LASIK surgery?

You would want at least 3 years of experience. Don't believe any statements like "Oh, over 20 years..." because the FDA didn't approve LASIK in the U.S. until 1999.

4. How many times has the surgeon previously done the exact procedure recommended for you?

Expect about 100. You want a surgeon with extensive experience, both to do a premium job for you, and in case anything goes wrong. A novice might not be able to handle an emergency situation.

5. What percentage of your patients have gained 20/20 vision?

You'd be looking to hear "About 50%". That's the average. Any higher number would have to be backed-up.

6. Ask for the names and contact information of some previous patients who have had the exact same procedure you're planning to have. A good LASIK surgeon will have names ready to give you.

7. Has the surgeon ever had malpractice insurance coverage denied? If so, move on.

8. How many other eye surgeries has the LASIK surgeon performed?

Besides LASIK, some others are:

· LASEK

· PRK

· CK

· Lens replacement

Choose an eye surgeon who knows the whole field, not just one sliver of it. With thorough knowledge of all vision correction surgeries, the surgeon can recommend the best one for you.

Making the decision

When you interview your candidates, don't be shy about pressing for a clear answer. A good LASIK surgeon will take time to develop a good understanding with you and make sure you're clear on your options, and on the benefits and potential risks of your surgery.

After you interview everybody, if you still aren't sure you've found the right surgeon, go ahead and interview some more. Don't feel you must go with the surgeon you've just talked with.

Good eye surgeons realize that many people are anxious about having someone work on their eyes and use a laser doing it. You can end the interview saying that you need to think some more. Your eyesight is far too important to put in the hands of anyone you mistrust, even slightly. So trust your intuition and keep looking until you feel fully confident with the LASIK surgeon you choose.