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.