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How to choose the right Lasik center(Philippine Daily Inquirer Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE number of eye centers offering laser refractive surgery in the country has doubled. This is good news to patients as medical marketing helps keep surgical costs affordable and gives them the power of choice. But the power to choose can also put patients in a dilemma: Which eye center is the right one for me? Most patients choose based on how much an eye center charges for refractive surgery. Quite a number decide based on referrals from relatives or friends who have undergone the procedure. Some choose based on how near the eye center is from their home or place of work. Others are referred to a particular eye center by their ophthalmologist or optometrist. Only a few actually conduct research before deciding on which eye center to undergo this life-changing procedure. Here are important points on how to choose the right refractive surgery center. Vision is priceless One of the realities of life is that quality does not come cheap. State-of-the-art excimer laser machines used in refractive surgery are expensive. Maintaining them in tiptop condition is likewise costly, involving 24/7 climate control and stringent preventive maintenance protocols to ensure accuracy and safety. With your vision on the line, you have to ask whether cheaper is really better, i.e. are you willing to risk your sense of sight just to save on costs? In these economically difficult times budget is of course a prime consideration, but note that many eye centers now offer 0 percent interest installment schemes for up to 6 months. Screening is key The fact of the matter is most eye centers in the country can effectively and safely perform the procedureprovided you are the usual refractive surgery candidate. How would you know if you are this kind of patient? You wont; at least not until the eye center has completed an extensive screening process, which is at the core of any reputable refractive surgery center. The screening process is actually the most important part of refractive surgery. If the preoperative screening and planning are faulty, it will take nothing short of a miracle to get the exact results you want. Be wary of quick screens that railroad you through the process and invariably certify you as a suitable candidate. Keep in mind that not all refractive surgery centers in the country are fully equipped to maximize scrutiny of your eye during the screening process; most only have the minimum requirement to perform this all-important series of tests. Each person is unique. Even your right eye may be different from your left. A comprehensive screening process will include a detailed examination of your lifestyle, medical history, current health status, and expectations. Make sure your doctor spends time with you to answer all your questions and concerns. Track record, training, experience Check out the credentials and track record of the eye center, its surgeons and staff. The level of personnel training and experience affects all aspects of refractive surgeryfrom screening and the procedure itself to post-op care. During screening, it would be very easy to miss a rare, exotic eye irregularity and mistake it for normal, which could cause problems for the patient later. Conversely, an uncommon but normal eye variant can be quite easily misconstrued as abnormal, disqualifying an otherwise suitable candidate from undergoing the procedure. A highly trained and seasoned refractive surgery team can recognize these subtle nuances. When an unexpected complication develops during a surgical procedure, the only things that can bail you out are the training and experience of the surgeons and their staff. The same holds true in the rare instance when post-op problems crop up. Specialists are called specialists for a reason. If you want to seek the most appropriate treatment for a heart problem, you go to a cardiologist. If you have a lung condition, you consult a pulmonologist. Therefore, a person who is considering refractive surgery should consult an eye doctor (ophthalmologist), particularly one with special training in cornea and refractive surgery. Technology As important as professional expertise is the technology available at an eye center or, to put it more accurately, the range of technologically advanced treatments. Remember that there is more than one way to improve your vision and the choice of the procedure you will undergo should always depend on whats best for your eye, not on whats available in the eye center. Another key but often overlooked consideration is whether an eye doctor has any financial interests in the eye center, i.e. if the doctor (as stipulated in his/her contract) is required to perform a minimum number of patients in the eye center where he/she is practicing. Imagine if your eye doctor practices in an eye center that only offers one type of refractive surgery. See the picture? Technology available today has gone a long way from traditional laser refractive surgery and has ushered in a new era of super vision (i.e., better than 20/20 vision). These incredible results were made possible largely through technological advances in wavefront correction capabilities of the new excimer lasers. Note, however, the difference between wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized corrections. Wavefront-optimized corrections keep the shape of the cornea as aspheric (not quite spherical) as possible, making them, in many cases, better than traditional corrections. Wavefront-guided corrections, however, are potentially superior treatments that allow even better vision for some people who will not benefit as much from wavefront-optimized corrections. Make sure your eye center has a wavefront aberrometer as this is the best way to measure the wavefront that needs to be corrected and to determine if you will benefit from the wavefront-guided correction to begin with. In considering refractive surgery procedures (such as Lasik) offered by eye centers, remember that latest or newest are relative terms that shouldnt be confused with most technologically advanced. Latest or newest could mean that the technology was already available in other countries but launched only recently in the Philippines or that the equipment had been available for years but was just recently bought by the eye center. Excimer lasers are manufactured by several companies and, like car manufacturers, these companies regularly come up with their latest models which are upgrades of the basic model. In general, an eye center that claims to offer the latest laser is simply saying that it has purchased the latest model of a particular manufacturer. As such, the most advanced laser available will change as often as manufacturers upgrade their product lines. The best way to choose the best excimer laser (in terms of proven efficacy and safety) is to look for those with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Bottom line: Choose a refractive eye center that satisfactorily addresses all your questions and concerns, one you are comfortable with, one you can entrust your eye sight. *** Angelo Palmones is a science and technology broadcaster. For feedback, please e-mail the Healthcare Technology and Outcomes Information Bureau at [email protected]. Total refractive surgery center ST. LUKES VISION LASER CENTER IS THE TOTAL REFRACTIVE SURGERY center. Its staff of highly trained experts complemented by a wide array of state-of-the-art equipment is capable of addressing the entire range of refractive errors. The Center is also equipped to manage patients who have had previous refractive surgery elsewhere. The Vision Laser Center is the only refractive eye center in the Philippines located in a hospital accredited by the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI), which guarantees the highest quality of patient care and safety. For inquiries, please call 723-0101 ext. 4142, 722-2965, (telefax) 727-5459, log on to www.2020.stluke.com.ph, or visit the Vision Laser Center at the 1st floor of the St. Lukes Medical Center Main Building. Copyright 2007 INQ7 Interactive Inc, Source: The Financial Times Limited |