Lasik eye surgery: what to look for

Posted By Megan on March 11, 1999 at 06:26:59:







I am thinking about getting Lasik laser-eye-surgery. I am told that I am a perfect candidate for this type of surgery being of moderate short-sightedness with some but not a lot of astigmatism. In order for me to make a decision I need information and much of it seems to be too technical or belongs to doctors promoting this type of surgery.
I would like to know:
1. What are the percentage risks of having worse eye-sight after wards than before, % of complications, % of regression, % of people not being able to wear contact-lenses again if the operation is not successful and % of any other side effects.
2. Is this method now approved by the FDA
3. What reservations would a conservative opthelmologist have about the procedure
4. What is the best equipment/laser to make sure the doctor has
5. What specific questions should I ask the doctor about regarding his experience in order to make sure I have the best surgeon possible.eg: should doctors be certified etc
6. How many pre-surgery visits should I make to the doctor and how thoroughly should he be checking and measuring my eyes
7. I understand the flap should be of a certain width and if its too thin the flap should closed and left for 4 months before the surgery is done again otherwise the patient could get serious astigmatism. How thick should the flap be?
any other information that you think is important for a patient to take into account in order to make an informed the decision
Thank-you for your assistance.
Regards
Megan