SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 12, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Advertisements
for Lasik, the laser eye surgery that corrects vision, often praise
doctors as "award winning," "pioneer," and tout "thousands of surgeries."
Selecting a qualified doctor from all the competing claims can be
a challenge for the patient.
"Even a decade after Lasik became available and over 5 million
U.S. surgeries, the average patient is better equipped to select
a toaster than an eye doctor," laments Glenn Hagele, Executive Director
and founder of the nonprofit USAEyes advocacy group. "Surgeon
selection is the most critical step for any Lasik patient. The doctor
is even more important than the laser because no amount of technology
will compensate for an inferior doctor," warns Hagele. "The number
of previous surgeries and claims made in paid advertisements are
not enough to make such an important decision."
Lasik eye doctor Gary W. Hall, Sr. in Phoenix, who advertised
heavily and had performed tens of thousands of surgeries, recently
had his medical license suspended because of poor Lasik patient
outcomes.
In addition to a list of independently evaluated Lasik doctors,
the USAEyes website provides its 50 Tough Questions For Your Lasik Doctor that guide someone evaluating a potential doctor and will
help the patient understand what issues are important to consider.
"The patient needs to remember that Lasik is not just medicine
but is also a business transaction and the buyer needs to be aware,"
says Hagele.
USAEyes.org is operated by the Council for Refractive Surgery
Quality Assurance, a nonprofit nongovernmental patient advocacy
organization, which provides the public detailed refractive surgery
information and certifies refractive surgeons. Website for
Lasik Information
