What do celebrities look for in a Lasik Eye Surgeon

Shining stars of the red carpet and sports arenas are giving the common Laser Vision name a rise into class acceptance, with stars like Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, Elton John, Nicole Kidman, Wade Boggs, Ashlee Simpson, Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields, Kim Kardashian, Courtney Cox from Friends,  Drew Carey, Reese Whitherspoon, Richard Branson, Bobbi Brown (make-up mogul) and many more – well, let’s just say it’s a long list-setting examples and spreading trends in laser  eye surgery. After all, why not have perfect vision? Not only is it popular, but incredibly practical and affordable.

1. Make sure the New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon is experienced with and can provide all the different vision correction options. These include LASIK, Implantable Contact Lens, clear lensectomy, PRK, LASEK. This will minimize your risks and get you the best visual results.
2. Avoid centers that advertise only one type of procedure, 100% of the time. The specific procedure needs to be chosen based on the unique condition of your eyes. This will enable you to get the sharpest vision for the lowest risk.
3. Choose a New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon who is recommended by other doctors, preferably other eye care practitioners. They are in the best position to judge the surgeons’ quality of work.
4. Ask your surgeon this question: “Are you a fellowship trained cornea specialist?” “Where were you trained?

Three things to avoid when seeking the best New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon:

1. Don’t choose a vision correction company; instead, research and choose the specific doctor himself. It’s important to find not only the best New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon, but one you feel the most comfortable with.
2. Don’t be fooled by celebrity endorsements. Remember that celebrities are paid for doing promotional advertisements, so you may not be able to rely on their endorsement. Research the New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon himself or herself; be objective rather than dazzled by celebrity reviews.
3. Avoid anyone who is trying to lure you in with a surprisingly low price for LASIK surgery.

Under the care of an experienced and conscientious New York or New Jersey LASIK surgeon, vision correction surgery can be a very rewarding experience. Risk cannot be completely eliminated, however it should be reduced to its absolute minimum with the proper attention from your surgeon.

 

Costs of Lasik Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery cost differs widely from one provider to another and depends on many factors. The only universal standard is that LASIK and other refractive surgery prices are quoted per eye (as we do in this article).
Remember that one LASIK procedure equals only one eye, even if both eyes are corrected on the same day. So the price quoted for a procedure doubles if you intend to have both eyes corrected.

Average LASIK Eye Surgery Costs

 

A price report commissioned by AllAboutVision.com from a leading industry analyst was based on results of a survey of refractive surgeons conducted during the first quarter of 2010. Average LASIK costs were:

• $2,150 for all laser-based vision correction procedures (including LASIK) in which a single price is quoted.
• $1,580 for non-customized LASIK using a bladed instrument (microkeratome) and excimer lasers that are not guided by wavefront analysis.
• $2,170 for wavefront-guided LASIK using a laser-created flap.

Note that wide variation can exist in what an advertised price will include. Beware of advertising that, for example, promises "LASIK from $499 per eye." Look for the fine print. Typically, only a few select people are actually eligible for LASIK at prices that sound unusually low, because most eyes require more extensive correction or more follow-up after the surgery.
Average LASIK prices have not risen substantially in several years. That trend continued in 2010, no doubt because of the generally poor state of the U.S. economy. For now, many potential laser eye surgery candidates seem to be choosing more economical vision correction choices, such as eyeglasses and contact lenses, until the economy heats up again.

Average LASIK eye surgery prices in 2010 were about the same as or slightly less than in 2009. In fact, the average price for wavefront-guided LASIK using a laser-created flap on the eye dipped from $2,314 in 2009 to $2,170 in 2010.
Many more eye surgeons (54.1 percent) now quote a single price for LASIK or similar vision correction procedures than in 2009 (47.2 percent). And that percentage continues to grow each year.
This means new technologies such as customized wavefront procedures and laser-created flaps are not priced separately and charged as "extras," in addition to a basic fee for a laser vision correction procedure.
In previous years, you might have been able to find a few eye surgeons willing to charge less than $1,000 per eye for LASIK and other procedures. But the newest 2010 AllAboutVision.com report indicates that most eye surgeons have backed off entirely from charging prices that low.
But on the flip side of that trend, fewer eye surgeons are charging the highest prices in typical ranges quoted for vision correction surgery.
Non-customized procedures are performed with the less expensive options of bladed microkeratomes and excimer lasers that are not guided by wavefront analysis. Most customized wavefront procedures that also use laser-created flaps cost from $1,500 to $3,000 per eye (see charts).

 

LASIK Prices

LASIK prices, after rising for several years, seemed to stabilize from 2006 to 2010, as shown by these average LASIK costs charged at a single price — meaning no extra charges were added on for new technologies:

• 2006: $1,950
• 2007: $2,099
• 2008: $2,105
• 2009: $2,140
• 2010: $2,150

Lasik Eye Surgery risks

As with any surgery, LASIK eye surgery carries risks, including:

• Undercorrections. If the laser removes too little tissue from your eye, you won't get the clearer vision results you were hoping for. Undercorrections are more common for people who are nearsighted. You may need another refractive surgery (enhancement surgery) within a year to remove more tissue.
• Overcorrections. It's also possible that the laser will remove too much tissue from your eye. Overcorrections may be more difficult to fix than undercorrections.
• Astigmatism. Astigmatism can be caused by uneven tissue removal. It may require additional surgery.

 

• Glare, halos and double vision. After surgery you may have difficulty seeing at night. You might notice glare, halos around bright lights or double vision. Sometimes these problems can be treated with eyedrops that contain a type of corticosteroid, but a second surgery may be required. Even when a good visual result is measured under standard testing conditions, your vision in dim light (such as at dusk or in fog) may be reduced to a greater degree after the surgery than before the surgery.
• Dry eyes. LASIK causes a temporary decrease in tear production. For the first six months or so after your surgery, as your eyes heal they might feel unusually dry. Dry eyes can reduce the quality of your vision. Your eye doctor might recommend that you use eyedrops during this time. If you experience severe dry eye, you could opt for another procedure to get special plugs put in your tear ducts to prevent your tears from draining away from the surface of your eyes.
• Flap problems. Folding back or removing the flap from the front of your eye during surgery can cause complications, including infection, excess tears and swelling. The outermost corneal tissue layer (epithelium) may grow abnormally underneath the flap during the healing process.