Re: How do you select an eye surgeon for cataract surgery?

Wow. Since when is cataract surgery entirely elective? The end result
of a cataract is loss of visual function. The only "elective" aspect
is how much vision loss is tolerable to the patient. There are also
common standards, such as requirements for the operation of a motor
vehicle. LASIK, on the other hand, is elective in virtually all
situations.

Somehow, I believe that our patients expect us to be more than just
spouting fountains of statistics.

DrG

Anon E. Muss wrote:
On Thu, 1 Jun 2006 19:14:22 -0400, "JJ Lee" <jjlee@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I'm a 40 year old male and need to have a cataract surgery in my right eye.
My aunt, a pediatrician, recommended an eye surgeon in my area. He has a
good reputation and 24 years of experience. I have high myopia, so he sent
me to a retina specialist to make sure my retina is fine.

That was wise.

The specialist, after examining my eye and doing OCT and FA,
_convincingly_said to me, "You don't have to see like this. Have a
surgery and you'll see much better." In contrast, my eye surgeon's
take on my surgery is something like, "You MIGHT see better." I think
he's very cautious.

I NEVER recommend elective surgeries, like most cataract surgeries,
LASIK, etc.

I inform patients of the risks/benefits, tell them the pros/cons and
answer all their questions to the best of my ability. I tell them
THIS is your problem and THESE are the options (including doing
NOTHING). Then the patient makes their decision after being
completely and fully informed.

I never say, "You need to/should have (elective) cataract surgery", or
"You should have refractive surgery"*

That is IMHO asking for problem. If something bad happens, I do not
want the patient to be able to say, "YOU TOLD ME TO HAVE THIS
SURGERY!"

However, if asked, I will answer the question, "Well, what would you
do if you were me? Or what would you do if you were in the same
situation as I was?"

I know that at the end of the day it's the surgeon's skills that
matter. I guess my question is, "Would you be more comfortable with a
cautious surgeon or an assuring one?"

I'm not comfortable with ANY surgeon who RECOMMENDS a completely
elective surgery.


* (If a patient has a hypermature cataract, a cataract so dense that I
cannot adequately visualize the fundus details, then I will suggest
it. But that is like, maybe, <5% of the time.)

.

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