| Refractive Surgery
It's hard today for our patients to know what to do...and who to believe...when it comes to refractive surgery today. Ads seem to be everywhere, with many ophthalmic surgeons advertising themselves as the best that there can be. You've probably researched the various procedures, and may now be even more confused by it all. Or, just scared since you know what the surgeries entail.
What I have seen over the past 20 years of practice in working with eye surgeons and optometrists (and working in one of the largest refractive surgery centers in the Bay Area) is that any surgical procedure involves risks and benefits. In addition, the risks of every surgery involves potential complications. What I want my patients to know is just what the risks are that they are taking with their eyes when having refractive surgery as well as what the benefits are of these revolutionary surgeries.
Am I a candidate?
The only way to really know if you are a candidate for refractive surgery is to have a consultation. Call us at 775-825-0506 or 530-832-0202 for an appointment.
Benefits
- Less reliance on glasses and/or contact lenses (but not usually complete elimination)
- More natural vision than glasses...similar to contact lenses without the need for lens care
Risks
- Possible loss of "best corrected vision"...that is, after the surgery we cannot correct your eyes to 20/20 no matter what we do
- No knowledge of effect of procedure long-term. We just don't know what will happen to these eyes after 25 years. It looks like there will not be any significant long-term problems at this time, but we frankly don't know what the effects will be.
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