“Doctor, my son wants laser eye surgery – do you think that’s a good idea?”
This is a question that I am asked almost daily at the office. After spending 11 years performing LASIK vision correction on thousands of patients, I feel uniquely qualified to answer. LASIK is a safe, effective, and relatively permanent method to eliminate the need for glasses in the right patients.
A comprehensive screening examination is critical to ensure that you are a candidate for the procedure. The appointment takes one-and-a-half to two hours and includes measurements of the steepness and thickness of the cornea as well as a dilated check of the prescription. At Akler Eye Center, our technical staff are all highly experienced in performing these important measurements, and every patient is seen by me, at which time I will go over your vision needs and expectations to make sure that LASIK will achieve your goals.
I am sometimes asked how many patients I turn away for LASIK. The answer is that 25-30% of patients I see are not candidates for the procedure for various reasons including the prescription being too high or low, presence of eye conditions that make LASIK unsafe, or the cornea being too thin for LASIK. In these situations if an alternate procedure is appropriate, I will discuss it with you.
Another important question to ask your surgeon is how many LASIK procedures they have performed and with what degree of success. Studies of eye surgery have shown that the more procedures a surgeon has performed, the lower their rate of complications. In general, a surgeon who has done more LASIK cases will have better results, however, high volume surgery does not mean patients should be treated like a number. At Akler Eye Center, your LASIK experience from start to finish will be individualized based on your vision needs and goals. My staff and I will take the time to explain every step from the preoperative tests through the procedure itself.
LASIK is an option many people consider when they desire independence from glasses and contact lenses. It is a great procedure for the right patients in the hands of an experienced surgical team.
Michelle Akler, MD
Akler Eye Center
Sterling Heights & Dearborn
Akler Eye Center is one of the top laser eye & LASIK surgery centers in Detroit, Michigan.
