Los Angeles LASIK Eye Surgery
Los Angeles probably performs more LASIK procedures than any other city in the world. Among the most famous LASIK surgeons in the world work in Los Angeles. Because of the high demand, Los Angeles is one of the most competitive areas of the world for LASIK surgeons. Hollywood, the modeling industry, and other high fashion trends has a high supply of patients seeking LASIK eye surgery. With the most modern LASIK equipment, residents of the Los Angeles can expect the highest quality LASIK treatment from the best surgeons. There is still a difference in LASIK surgeons and LASIK centers so residents of Los Angeles should consider there choices carefully. Although complications are rare in LASIK eye surgery, they can occur and it is important that you select the best LASIK surgeon so that the equipment and skill of the LASIK surgeon give you the highest chance of a successful procedure.
What to look for in a LASIK surgery center in Los Angeles
Doctor Accolades - LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles will claim a number of awards to demonstrate their success and quality. Many of these awards are more bogus than real and are worth very little as any doctor willing to pay a fee can receive similar awards. Beware of awards from media organizations or organization that are supposedly rating the quality of doctors. There are no real organizations that rate the skill of a LASIK surgeon so don’t trust a doctor based on supposed awards they have received.
Even the medical school is of limited worth in determining the skill of a surgeon. It is more important to learn where the doctor received the specialty training. It is also important to visit more than one LASIK surgeon. With so many LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Experience - All LASIK surgeons are not equal. There are LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles who have over 8 years of experience in laser vision correction and there are others who are new to the field. Don’t allow the Los Angeles surgeon to practice on your eyes. Make certain that the LASIK surgeon has performed over 10,000 procedures and is very experienced with the technology that is being used. In Los Angeles, there are several LASIK surgeons who meet this qualification. There are also many who don’t. There are dozens of LASIK surgeon. Some have exceptional results. Some are average. And some are below average.
Cost - This should actually have little importance on your selection of LASIK surgeons. Some of the best surgeons are affordable. Some of the worst charge more than those with better results. Do not pick a LASIK surgeon because they are the most expensive or cheapest. Don’t allow money to enter into your selection. Pick the best or postpone LASIK until you can afford it.
Technology -First of all be certain that the surgeon uses an FDA approved laser. While the best lasers are not FDA approved yet more than likely if a Los Angeles surgeon owns an excimer laser that is not FDA approved, that LASIK clinic is behind the curve and not in front of it. Upgrades come almost every year and should be taken advantage of by a technology savvy LASIK surgeon. Make certain that your LASIK surgeon has the newest upgrades available in the Los Angeles market. Here are some upgrades that are available.
Wavefront LASIK (also called custom LASIK) - Every LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles should have upgraded to wavefront LASIK. There is really no excuse not to. While wavefront LASIK cannot be applied to every single case, it is certainly beneficial in the majority of cases. The best surgeons in Los Angeles use wavefront LASIK in at least 75% of their treatments if not more. If your doctor in Los Angeles does not have wavefront LASIK, that doctor is certainly behind the times. If the surgeon does not offer you wavefront LASIK ask why? Ask for them to perform a wavefront analysis on you even if you do not undergo wavefront LASIK. At least you will know they have the machine. Some eye doctors will suggest that it is not beneficial because they don’t have that machine available to them.
Iris Registration - This improvement in LASIK is nearly as valuable as wavefront custom LASIK. While it is not usable in every case, it is important. A patient’s eye can rotate 3-5 degrees or more when lying down. Iris registration accounts for this torsion and recalculates the treatment to adjust for the rotation. This can be extremely important in cases of high astigmatism and is important to correct application of any wavefront LASIK treatment. There are a few Los Angeles LASIK centers that use Iris Registration.
Intralase (also called bladeless or bladefree LASIK) - One of the most complicated parts of LASIK is the making of a flap. Intralase can decrease this risk in many patients. It does not need to be used for every patients but a LASIK surgeon should have this available in case it will provide added safety for that patients. Ask your Los Angeles LASIK surgeon if Intralase is available if needed.
Results - It is difficult to confirm the success of a particular surgeon. In the Los Angeles there are several very successful surgeons. There are also surgeons that inflate their success rate. No LASIK surgeon is 100% successful. If you go to a Los Angeles surgeon that tells you this they are clearly lying to you. While some doctors might achieve success in the 90% range. It is rare to achieve much higher than this.
Also ask about enhancements. Enhancements should be included in the price of the surgery. A LASIK surgeon should have an enhancement rate below 5%. Every surgeon performs enhancements. If your LASIK surgeon states that enhancements are never needed that surgeon is lying. It is simply not possible to never need enhancements.
Los Angeles can provide you with excellent LASIK surgeons. I would advise visiting more than one so that you can compare the facilities.
Advertising - Don’t get too caught up in the advertising hype. Some Los Angeles doctors advertise low prices in order to bring in more customers. Remember that you get what you pay for. The best surgeons in Los Angeles do not need to compete on price. They consider there services to be valuable and have many patients that desire their skills. A Los Angeles LASIK center advertising $499 an eye is simply too cheap to be possible. The newest technology costs are far too high to be able to offer this to a patient at this price.