 |
|
Globe trotting for surgery may be appropriate, if you are
well prepared for potential problems |
|
| |
|
It may at first seem like a good idea to travel to another country
for conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, RLE, P-IOLs or other refractive surgery procedures. Medical vacations have unique
advantages, disadvantages, and challenges.
Refractive Surgery in Three Steps
1) Initial evaluation and testing
2) The procedure itself
3) Follow-up exams and testing
You need to decide if you are willing to make all or some of
these trips to a far-off location. If there are complications, there
will be more visits to your doctor. Fortunately, refractive surgery
procedures rarely have complications that require an immediate visit
to your doctor. However, if trouble were to arise, you would want
to have your doctor nearby. Using the services of a local eye physician
and a distant doctor may be appropriate, however there are additional
considers. See information about refractive surgery comanagement for details.
Savings
Cost is often the motivator for foreign surgery. It may be possible
for you to travel to another country, have Lasik, and return for
less money than local surgery. This is less true now that heavily
discounted Lasik is available in most markets and if you consider
the additional cost of having someone with you for the immediate
recovery period.
Technology
Technology requirements are another reason why Lasik outside
the US may be appropriate. The FDA is notorious for being slow to
approve new technology. If the technology required to assure you
of a good outcome is not available in the US, then Lasik in another
country may make sense. However, the differences between US and
non-US techniques and technology is normally not significant, and
in most cases if you are not eligible for Lasik or similar laser
eye surgery in the US, you are probably not a very good candidate
and probably should not have the surgery anywhere.
Traveling outside the US can be helpful depending upon your individual
circumstances. If upon examination your eyes present no particular
problems, you may consider staying closer to home. Most approved
refractive surgery techniques (and doctors) in the US produce excellent
results for most people - but in some circumstances the technology
outside the US is superior.
Local Backup
If you are contemplating using the services of a doctor outside
the US -including Canada- make arrangements with a local ophthalmologist
(medical eye doctor) to care for you if you have complications.
Make these arrangements before having surgery. It is common
for US doctors to decline patients with complications from a surgery
performed by a foreign doctor except in an emergency. Your foreign
doctor may be willing to help, but you will need to travel there,
usually at your own expense.
Looking For Best Lasik Surgeon?
If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional
or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, or any refractive surgery procedure, we recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified by the USAEyes nonprofit organization.
Locate a USAEyes Evaluated & Certified Lasik Doctor.
Personalized Answers
If this article did not fully answer your questions, use our
free Ask Lasik Expert patient forum.
