Selecting A LASIK Surgeon

If you think the benefits of LASIK surgery outweighs the risks, you should consider the following factors in selecting a LASIK surgeon:

1. fellowship training in cornea
2. significant academic credentials
3. affiliation with a university teaching hospital
4. a conservative approach to surgery, especially here, where LASIK surgery is entirely an elective procedure.

If one doctor has expressed reservations about performing LASIK surgery, or has indicated you may not be a suitable candidate, why look for a more aggressive surgeon who will do it? Using a more aggressive doctor may lead to a serious LASIK malpractice case. This is not cancer treatment. I have had two cases where one doctor said “no”, and the second doctor said “yes”, with predictably bad outcomes each time for the patient.

Finally, I would not select a doctor, no matter how good his or her credentials are, where:

1. there are lawsuits
2. the doctor works at a high volume national LASIK center, like TLC, or the local equivalent.

Lawsuits are like cockroaches. Where there is one, there are likely to be several. You do not want to be perceived by your doctor as merely a potential cost of doing business.

Good doctors make bad mistakes at high volume LASIK mills by being inattentive, over-delegating responsibility for your screening, care and post-operative treatment, or simply by running the LASIK patient conveyor belt too fast. You are paying for, and deserve, individualized medical care. Make sure your LASIK surgeon accepts responsibility for all facets of your care and always consult a New York LASIK malpractice attorney if there are complications or disagreements about said responsibility