The calls are coming in already. Patients are asking about "super vision." Have they been exposed to too much premature hype? Maybe. Do they have some time to wait before we can deliver? Yes. But are these eager patients nudging us toward our next big challenge? Absolutely. In the past, our goal for patients post-LASIK was 20/40 or better visual acuity And for the most part, they were satisfied. Today, sometimes even 20/20 is not enough. Patient expectations are at an all-time high -- and we must be there to meet them. Whether we see it as good or bad that this consumer engine drives refractive surgery, it's reality, and it raises the bar for us.

PLENTY OF DECISIONS TO MAKE

In the very near future we'll need to evaluate what we need to remain on the cutting edge. We'll have to educate ourselves in a whole new realm of technologies. We'll have to scrutinize and invest in new equipment, such as aberrometers, and new lasers that incorporate the latest features, such as high-fidelity eye trackers. We'll have to determine the right time to buy, with personal computer syndrome looming over us the whole while: If I buy mine now, will it be obsolete in 6 months?

We'll have to determine whether we want to update our marketing plans. You can bet that any new technology will figure heavily into the corporate laser centers' advertising campaigns. Our patients need us to explain that quality surgery is a composite that results from combining the latest technology with those equally important ingredients -- surgeon experience and skill. Now is a good time to solidify our relationships with our patients, educating them on what the future brings and reminding them that LASIK is already a safe, effective procedure. And hopefully as it improves, we'll be able to offer relief to some of those whose first experience with refractive surgery left them with less than optimal vision.

So learn all you can from this month's cover package. It contains insights on the progress of custom ablation and how to use wavefront technology. We've got a lot of work ahead of us because 20/20 is no longer enough. Our patients are counting on us