How to choose the best eye doctor

When it comes to our five senses, most people would probably agree the most important is sight. Nothing else connects us to the world to the same degree.

As a result, when illness, injury or disease diminishes our ability to see, it is critical to have an eye doctor who can restore that most precious sense. Finding the right doctor can sometimes be a challenge. You might not want to trust your eyes to the first name that pops up in an online search.

Here are some suggestions to help you connect with the best eye physician for you.

Get referrals

Asking friends or family members about their eye doctor recommendations and experiences is always a good place to start. If they give you the name of a doctor, ask what they liked or didn’t like about the doctor, his staff and even his office. If you are considering LASIK eye surgery or the new Kamra inlay, make sure to get referrals from patients who have undergone those specific procedures. You can also ask your optometrist or general physician for a referral.

Make an assessment

After an initial visit, try to remember a few things about your experience.

• Did you wait long?
• Did the exam seem thorough or did it feel rushed?
• Did the doctor listen carefully to your questions and did he answer them clearly and fully?

 

It is important that you feel completely comfortable with the doctor and staff. If not, you might avoid or delay future check ups and follow-ups until you find someone better suited to you.

Verify credentials

With all the information available through the Internet, it is usually fairly simple to find out about a doctor’s training, education and professional credentials. In most cases the data should be easy to locate on the doctor’s website.  The predominant professional body for eye doctors is the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Make sure the doctor you consider went to an accredited school and check online reviews from prior patients. As with any other ratings, comments from one or two disgruntled customers might be chalked up to simple misunderstandings. Be cautious, however, if the same complaints show up repeatedly.

The American Board of Medical Specialties offers a search function that allows you to verify whether or not a doctor is board certified.

Check areas of specialty

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye treatments. Just like other physicians, many eye doctors have specialized areas of expertise. If you have a specific need or condition, you should try to locate an eye doctor with that area of experience.

In some cases, only certain doctors are trained or qualified for certain procedures. For example, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new surgical procedure for a Kamra inlay that can eliminate the need for reading glasses. At present, the number of eye doctors offering the inlay to patients is limited.

Nothing beats experience

“Experience is just as important as proper credentials,” explains eyedoctorguide.com. “If you have complicated eye conditions you may need to seek a more experienced ophthalmologist.”

Let’s be honest, when you consider allowing a doctor to correct your vision with a laser, you are going to feel more comfortable if the doctor has done 38,000 procedures rather than a couple hundred. When your vision is at stake, you want total confidence in your eye doctor.

About Dr.Schwartz

As a leading eye care professional in the Scottsdale and Glendale areas, Dr. Schwartz is arguably the most prolific refractive surgeon in the valley. Having performed over 38,000 LASIK surgeries and being the first ophthalmologist in Arizona certified to perform the Kamra Inlay procedure, it is not hard to see why professional athletes and Arizona residents have trusted the Schwartz Laser Eye Center since 2001.