on the internet
Useful Web Sites for Investigating Refractive Surgery

Arming your patients with knowledge about refractive surgery in advance of their surgery may help to alleviate the fear and misunderstandings that patients have about refractive procedures. In addition to the patient education sponsored by your practice, you may find the following Web sites useful in helping patients find answers to their questions about refractive surgery and how to best avoid complications:

• www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/avoid_lasik_problem.htm sponsored by Access Media Group

• www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/lasik.html sponsored by the Eye Surgery Education Council

• www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/lasik.htm sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission and in cooperation with the American Academy of Ophthalmology

• www.isrs.org/isrs/public/patient_information.cfm sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology

• www.eyedoc.org/faqrn.html sponsored by the California Academy of Ophthalmology

• www.usaeyes.org/faq/lasik_faq.htm sponsored by the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

We have omitted company and practice sites in order to provide non-biased information to patients.

Below are some of the topics and questions that are covered on these sites:

• The definition and history of refractive surgery

• Criteria for determining a good candidate for vision correction surgery

• How to better understand the LASIK procedure

• How to avoid LASIK problems

• What can affect LASIK outcomes

• Review of expectations, eligibility and risks and complications in regard to LASIK surgery

• Answers to frequently asked questions about LASIK, PRK, LASEK, epi-LASIK, lasers, refractive surgery, vision, eye health and complications.

If you've discovered a Web site or service that's been useful to you in practice or at home, we'd like to know about it. E-mail Leslie Goldberg at goldbergl@boucher1.com or call her at (215) 643-8082.