It may still feel like summer is nowhere near…but if you have always dreamt of snorkeling in a beautiful ocean without having to worry about glasses or contacts…you have thought about LASIK.
You’ve probably thought about cost, risk, maybe even if you are a candidate for the procedure.
But have you asked yourself when is it the best time to do it? You would probably want to schedule it before any spring break or summer excursions where swimming or poolside activities would be happening, right?
Well our LASIK Frequently Asked Questions will share ALL there is to know. And then, we can step in for anything else!
It’s good to plan ahead, and we are here to help!
Here are two of our most frequent, but please visit our LASIK FAQ’s page for the full list, all the info, and even some Fact & Fictions!
- Who would you consider a good candidate for LASIK?
Stephen Slade MD: The best thing for anybody who’s thinking about this technology, who’s looking at our website, is to come in, have a screening evaluation. There’s no charge to it. You come in, it doesn’t take that long. It doesn’t cost anything. I’ll talk to you. Dr. Baker will talk to you. You’ll have the exam. We’ll run you through the machines. And we’ll be able to give you a good idea of whether you’re a candidate or not. Then, you can go home, research it. Get more information from the website, and kind of start thinking about whether you want to have it done. Who typically is a candidate? Most people with nearsightedness. Most people with farsightedness. Importantly, we have wonderful ways now to treat astigmatism as well. Up to very wide ranges. Very, very high ranges. Now, there are people who are too nearsighted for LASIK. Luckily, there are little tiny soft contact lenses now, the ICL that can be implanted for those people. So there are options. It’s very important to go to a doctor who has other options, than LASIK, so that he’s not trying to fit everybody into something that might not be for everybody. In any case, you want to learn what your options might be and if you’re a candidate. Most people are indeed candidates.
2. Houston is a big city, with a lot of LASIK doctors. Why should I choose Slade & Baker Vision for LASIK?
Stephen Slade MD: There’s lots of LASIK doctors in Houston. Some very good ones. And, it’s important for any patient, though, to do their homework. To make the choice that’s best for them. Luckily the technology is good. The doctors are good. What I would do, if I were a patient, and I think that’s the best way to answer it, is I would want first to know if I was a candidate. Again, go in, have an exam. Find out if this is something that really is an option. Then start investigating it, finding out, you know. “Is this something for me?” So what are the questions that I ask? I certainly want to know how long the doctor’s been doing the procedure. That would be important to me, that he is experienced. I would want to know does he have different options for me? Does he have different lasers? Might one laser fit my eye better than another? Rather than sort of everybody getting the same tool, you know. I would want to know is he on the forefront? This is rapidly moving stuff. These lasers are developing, the different algorithms, the ways of applying them, the pharmacology. The drops we use. All of this is rapidly evolving stuff. I would want to know, is this a doctor who is engaged? Is he out there nationally, internationally, giving talks, learning from other doctors? I would be impressed if he was teaching other doctors. If he had the latest information that he was sharing with other doctors. Probably one of the most important things I’d want to know is, what do the other doctors, his peers, think of him? Does he do surgery on other doctors? Have other doctors come to him, specifically eye doctors, to have their own surgery done? And then, since I’m probably going to spend a lot more time with [the] staff than with [the surgeon], what’s the vibe there? How do I feel about them? What messages are they giving me? Are they proud to be where they are? Are they happy to be where they are? Are they enthusiastic to be working for this doctor? All those things, I think, are important.
A great thing to point out, if you have not perused our website before, is that Dr. Stephen Slade MD was the FIRST surgeon in the US to perform LASIK. Please feel free to look through all of our pages about all the laser vision correction options we provide. And please keep in mind that your vision is our utmost priority, so when you come in, we will let you know what YOUR best vision could be, and how we could get you there.
Please call us at 713-626-5544.
