How I Chose My Lasik Surgeon

As someone who was very squeamish about having lasik surgery, it was extremely important to choose the right lasik doctor for me. Choosing the right surgeon is vital to having a successful procedure and a good experience. I will go over the criteria I used to help me decide and maybe you will be able to learn something from my thought process.

First of all, I live in a major US city with a number of competing lasik providers so I did have a fair amount of choice about where I went, but location was not a deciding factor. Closer to home would obviously be better for both the surgery and the aftercare, but I was willing to go anywhere in the city and surrounding suburbs if I felt that’s where the best care and treatment was.

Price was a concern as insurance does not cover lasik surgery and unfortunately I am not exactly made of money. Price, however, was not my primary concern. I saw a number of advertisements in my local paper and looked up some local lasik centers online. There were a couple of very low prices being advertised, but most didn’t advertise price. I made a list and started calling. Most were hesitant to discuss price and terms over the phone, but all suggested coming in for a consultation. A couple were kind of pushy which was a major turnoff for me. I knew I was going to have to set up an appointment in order to get a price, because everyone’s circumstances and needs are different, but I was able to narrow down my choices after my initial round of phone calls. I crossed off the ones who seemed a little too hesitant to discuss costs as well as the ones who seemed a little too eager to get me to come in.

Next, I talked to some people I knew that had lasik surgery performed locally. A coworker and a friend’s wife were both nice enough to share their experiences with me. I asked a LOT of questions. They were both familiar with a couple of the doctors on my list and were very forthcoming and honest about their lasik experience. I could not thank them enough for talking to me about their surgery. My conversations with them proved to be very helpful in choosing a lasik doctor.

I ended up meeting with three doctors. I am not sure if that is more doctors than most people would consult with, but I was pretty nervous about laser eye surgery so I wanted to know as much as possible and feel comfortable with my choice before I committed. My consultations consisted of eye tests, discussions of my options and questions and answers.

In the end, I went with the center with which I felt most comfortable. By comfortable, I mean that all of my questions were addressed thoroughly, I was not made to feel rushed or pressured, the surgeon had a good recommendation from someone I trusted and I just got an overall good vibe. It was not the cheapest quote of the three but it was closest to my house which was merely a coincidence.

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