When you do your research, you will find that there are many LASIK surgeons in the Orange County area. With so many places to choose from, what's the best way to select a surgeon? Here are a few tips on what to look for.
You should look for a surgeon that has completed a Cornea Fellowship after residency training in ophthalmology. A Cornea Fellowship indicates your surgeon has spent extra time - between 1 to 2 years - studying the art and science of refractive corneal surgery. If you experience any problem after your vision correction procedure, a cornea-fellowship trained surgeon will be able to effectively handle your problem. After you find a surgeon that has Cornea fellowship training, you should know where the training was completed. With so many claiming to be "the best," how do you decide? Simple...be objective. Dr. Shah, our laser surgeon, has completed Cornea Fellowship training at the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Johns Hopkins Hospital1 has been ranked #1 by US News and World Report for almost 20 years! You can be confident that Dr. Shah has the latest and most comprehensive skill set to ensure you have the best chance for success. There are less than a handful of surgeons that have trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital for refractive surgery practicing in Southern California.
Laser vision correction has become a very safe procedure, and patients can expect to have a great chance to enjoy improved vision as long as the surgery is done by a skilled and experienced surgeon. Dr. Shah is conservative and will advise you thoroughly and ethically as to which procedure is best for you and why. Many surgeons tout the benefits of All-Laser LASIK and charge you more for it. Laser vision correction has certainly become safer with this option, but has your doctor informed you that an even safer option exists than All-Laser LASIK and it does not cost more? It is called All-Laser LASEK or Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA). Realize that approximately 90% of complications of LASIK2 occur because of the flap. I-LASIK or Intralase-LASIK cuts a flap with a laser instead of a blade. Common sense would dictate that in order to eliminate flap complications instead of simply reducing the likelihood of complications is to not cut a flap at all in the first place! All-Laser LASEK is an All-Laser, no blade, no flap procedure! It offers these lifetime advantages for the tradeoff of a little extra healing time. Dr. Shah specializes in this procedure and guarantees that your risk of flap-related complications with this procedure will be ZERO! To read more about All-Laser LASEK in detail, click here.
Everyone has seen LASIK ads for $999 per eye. If you choose to go this route, make sure you read the fine print. Typically, this rate will apply to a very select subgroup of patients that have a very low prescription and no astigmatism. The likelihood is that you will not qualify for this discount and a visit to these centers will only result in disappointment. We have a single price for the procedure you choose and will not "bait-and-switch" the price on you. We also have no interest, 12-month financing available to make the procedure more affordable. As eye physicians and surgeons, we still believe that medicine is a noble profession and we hold ourselves to that standard. Remember, you only have one pair of eyes. Make your decision carefully!
Surgeon experience is very important. We often find that surgeons advertise as having done "hundreds of thousands" of LASIK surgeries. The question to ask is, of those surgeries, what percentage were successful? A surgeon should be candid about these issues and open to discussing them. Monitoring outcomes are essential to getting great results. Because we are constantly monitoring our outcomes, they are subject to change. Dr. Shah will proudly provide his current results upon request at your consultation. Other surgeons advertise a "20/20 money back guarantee." If you got your money back but had to live with a poor visual outcome for the rest of your life, would you be satisfied? Once you are our patient, we will be committed to helping you achieve the best visual outcome you can get. At Beach Eye Medical Group, we have a team of doctors that can diagnose, evaluate, and treat unforeseen outcomes. We pride ourselves on personal attention and detail. We are not a LASIK-only factory, but rather a comprehensive medical eye care practice that handles a variety of eye conditions.
Who performs the follow-up, postoperative care for your eyes after your surgery is completed and what qualifications do they have? Often, you will find that a non-medical doctor, such as an optometrist, will perform your postoperative care. A ophthalmologist (M.D.) has undergone rigorous training with four years of medical school and a minimum of four or more years of postgraduate training to become an expert in the management of surgical patients. Dr. Shah will perform your postoperative care until your eyes have stabilized. Dr. Shah will always be available to you for any concerns you may have before, during, or after your surgery.
In eye care, you should be familiar with a term know as co-management. It refers to a care arrangement between a willing surgeon and your optometrist where the optometrist, instead of the surgeon, is responsible for and paid for the post-operative care. Comanagement is completely your decision and in some cases may be appropriate. But for most people considering laser vision correction, if you are able to travel to your surgeon's office, you should do so. Your surgeon will know the specifics of your surgical care better than anyone.
Not every laser platform on the market is the same. Though we do not expect all patients to be intimately familiar with each of the laser platforms, you should realize that the doctors at Beach Eye Medical Group will only use the very best and latest technology on your eyes to correct your vision. We will provide a customized procedure for you that is as specific to your eye as your fingerprint is to your finger. Surgeons offering laser vision correction at very low prices can typically afford to do so by using older generation lasers instead of the newest technology. As with many other things in life, you get what you pay for!
Dr. Shah is the "doctor's doctor." When doctors look for the care of their own eyes, they trust Dr. Shah at Beach Eye Medical Group. Dr. Shah has performed laser vision correction successfully on many doctors with excellent results. This is a testament to the trust that other people within the field place in Dr. Shah. However, more important than any particular endorsement is the support and confidence that every patient has in him. Some surgeons use paid celebrities, such as Tiger Woods, to endorse them. Did you know Tiger Woods received $2 million dollars to endorse TLC Laser Eye Centers? (Click here to read more.) This is a form of advertising and should be recognized as such. The most meaningful endorsements are from former patients and the outcomes of the surgeries speak for themselves. (Click here to read testimonials.)
In some cases, the first time you meet the surgeon will be the day of your surgery. What if you don't feel comfortable with him or her? Dr. Shah will meet you personally to examine you, review your test results, determine your candidacy for vision correction, and answer any questions you may have prior to surgery to make you feel at ease. If your surgeon does not have time for you, would you trust your eyes to that surgeon?
Find a surgeon that has an active California medical license in good standing and is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Board certification means that a doctor has completed a rigorous three-year residency in ophthalmology (specialty training in the care of diseases and surgery of the eyes), and has passed both a written and oral exam after residency. You can call the American Board of Ophthalmology3 directly at (610) 664-1175 to verify board certification.
Has the surgeon you are seeking been involved in a lawsuit because of negligence or malpractice? Because of the meticulous care we provide, none of the eye physicians at Beach Eye Medical Group have been involved in a LASIK lawsuit. This information is available for review online for any surgeon you choose. To visit the Medical Board of California website to review the physician you are considering, click here4.
If you got to the bottom of this page by reading all of the material above, you are obviously serious about laser vision correction and we are serious about treating you! For your free consultation, contact us. You will be glad you did!
References
1 JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE. Available: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
2 LASIK eye surgery. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/lasik-eye-surgery/about/pac-20384774
3 American Board of Ophthalmology. Available: https://abop.org/
4 Medical Board of California. Available: https://mbc.ca.gov/
Written by Dr. Shah
Everything about this practice is fantastic: the staff, doctors, professionalism and location. From dealing with medical issues involving the eyes to yearly optometric exams this is the place to go.
Dr. Semaan provides excellent care and goes out of his way to ensure your vision is the best it can be.
