As I See It
The LASIK Fear Factor

Walter Sears

Those of us with interests in the domestic refractive surgery market have long suspected that there's much more to patient acceptance of laser vision correction than offering the right price point. Recently, I met a young woman whose situation shed new light on the matter. Let me introduce you to "Mary."

Mary works in the front office of a nationally renowned ophthalmologist and laser refractive surgeon. She was a low myope with a high degree of cylinder relative to sphere. Mary fit well within the typical target demographic for LVC: mid-20s, active lifestyle, professional, wearing glasses. Though she could function in a limited fashion without glasses, her employer generously offered to treat her at no charge. Even so, she waited more than a year and a half before agreeing to be treated. I recently had a candid conversation with her about why.

WHO ME? LVC?

She said she'd been hearing about laser vision correction for years, but she never really imagined it for herself. She didn't think something that 'radical' was necessary for her myopia. When she finally realized it was a viable option, she was seized by a range of emotions from nervous apprehension to terror.

At work, Mary saw people coming and going every day, obviously enjoying the benefits of laser vision correction. She knew it was safe, and she suspected it should be no big deal. But her feelings said otherwise. The idea of the LASER on her eyes was terrifying.

As she thought about her fear, Mary realized she didn't really understand the technology or the procedure. She also was skeptical of the clinical claims she saw advertised, believing it couldn't be as good as the hype. Besides, if it was so good why were so many doctors discounting their fees? Finally, she knew she would be the one half of one percent that got a less than satisfactory outcome. She was a long way from saying yes to LASIK, even if it were free.

THE DOCTOR'S ROLE

Mary wanted to believe LASIK could give her the unaided vision she desired. Pressure from her immediate supervisor to have the procedure didn't help. She was finally converted by personal attention and education from her surgeon. He listened. He respected her fears and concerns, and then set about the process of educating and reassuring her. She got the distinct impression that her surgeon cared about her visual outcome and would give her and her eyes first-class treatment even though her procedure was free.

She got her eyes done, and can't believe the wonderful results. This conversion story speaks volumes about today's LASIK candidate and the power of genuine, compassionate care from the doctor.

Walter Sears is the Senior Manager of Practice Development Marketing for VISX.