What Kind Of Doctor Performs LASIK Eye Surgery?

The different grades of eye specialists can make it a little confusing to understand the level of qualification necessary for a doctor to carry out LASIK eye surgery. The following explains all you need to know when looking for the right doctor to carry out laser vision correction.

Different Eye Care Practitioners and Who Can Perform LASIK Eye Surgery

•     Optician vs. Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist
•     LASIK eye surgery: When only an Ophthalmologist will do

Optician vs. Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist

There are 3 different grades of eye care practitioners.

• Optician: This is a healthcare professional trained to use prescriptions provided by an optometrist or ophthalmologist to design and fit visual aids, such as eyeglasses and contact lenses.
• Optometrist: These clinicians provide primary vision care, including eye exams, vision tests, corrective lens prescriptions, the detection of certain eye conditions, and can carry out some strictly defined surgical procedures. An optometrist trains at an optometry academic facility, not medical school.
• Ophthalmologist: The highest grade of eye care practitioner. They train for at least 8 years at medical school. They carry out eye surgeries (including LASIK eye surgery) and conduct scientific research into causes and cures for vision problems and eye conditions.

LASIK eye surgery: When only an Ophthalmologist will do

Now that we understand the different types of eye care professionals, we can see that only an ophthalmologist can carry out LASIK surgery. While, legally, any MD. could perform LASIK, in reality, the procedure is only carried out by ophthalmologists who’ve specialized in the subject. Experience is key when seeing out a LASIK eye doctor. It pays to carry out your due diligence when determining  the person to whom you’ll entrust your precious eyesight.

Choosing the Right LASIK Eye Surgery Practitioner

•     What to look for in a LASIK surgeon

What to look for in a LASIK surgeon

While cost will, for most people, be a necessary consideration, this certainly shouldn’t drive your decision of LASIK surgeon. The key is to find a professional you feel comfortable with and that you trust. While it might be convenient to choose a local practitioner, it might be that the best person may not be in your neighborhood. When it comes to something as crucial as your eyesight, traveling to get the right LASIK treatment is a small price to pay for peace of mind and ultimate results.Be sure to ask many questions of your proposed practitioner. These should include:

• Asking about their qualifications
• How many procedures have they carried out?
• What is their success rate?
• What pre-surgery assessments do they carry out?
• What LASIK devices and scanners do they use?

You should be wary of any doctor who guarantees that you’ll benefit from 20/20 vision, as this simply isn’t possible to gauge. While the success rate of LASIK is very high, as with any form of surgery there are inherent risks. The best LASIK eye doctors will be clear in their explanation of this—they want their patients to be fully aware of what could occur so they can make an informed decision as to whether the LASIK procedure is right for them. The experience of the clinician generally provides a higher level of skill and therefore an increased rate of success. Various studies, including one carried out in Colombia, have shown that accumulated experience improves the outcome of LASIK surgery. Therefore, you should satisfy yourself that your chosen surgeon has the appropriate level of familiarity with the procedure.

Need LASIK Boca Raton? Contact the West Boca Eye Center Today

LASIK surgery has advanced dramatically in the last decade and technology continues to move forward at a rapid pace. Brent Bellotte MD., of the West Boca Eye Center, plays a leading role in the research and provision of cutting-edge LASIK procedures. Thanks to this dedication, his academic-grade clinic can offer the very latest in LASIK vision correction.Find out more at https://westbocaeyecenter.com and get in contact to book your expert consultation today.