Choosing a LASIK Surgeon

There are two primary factors that will impact the success of your LASIK procedure – the technology used and the skill of your surgeon. Therefore, it is important to choose your LASIK provider wisely to ensure that you achieve the best possible results.

Your LASIK surgeon should have extensive experience performing laser eye surgery – he should have performed hundreds of procedures on patients with a similar refractive error to yours. Your LASIK surgeon should also utilize the most advanced technology available, such as Custom LASIK and IntraLase technology, to provide you with the most precise results.

It is important to ask your potential surgeon the following questions at your initial consultation to make sure he possesses the qualifications to deliver the exceptional care you deserve:

• How long have you been performing LASIK procedures? (at least three years)
  
• How many refractive procedures have you performed throughout your career? (at least 500)
  
• How many refractive procedures have you performed in the last 12 months? (at least 250)
  
• How many refractive procedures of the exact type you intend to use for me, with the same equipment, and the same refractive error, have you performed? (at least 100)
  
• What percentage of patients achieve 20/40 vision or better? (90% is the norm – if the surgeon quotes a higher number, you should be skeptical)
  
• What percentage of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better? (65% is the norm)
  
• What percentage of patients report unresolved complications six months after surgery? (should be less than 3%)
  
• Will you perform a Wavefront technology diagnostic of my higher order aberrations prior to recommending refractive surgery? (this answer should always be yes)
  

If you are interested in refractive surgery in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the Chicago LASIK surgeons at Doctors for Visual Freedom today to schedule your initial consultation.