Lasik Surgery Blog

Lasik Surgery Made Available For Low Income Families

The Pepose Vision Institute in St. Louis and the University of Missouri School of Optometry started a program back in 2001 that provided Lasik surgery to low income families. Now the program also includes providing emergency personnel the ability to undergo Lasik surgery.

In total there have been over 188 surgeries performed with the average people chosen are between the ages of 20-55 and make less than $25, 000 per year. However, the income limitation does not apply to emergency personnel.

People chosen to have the surgery are required to pay $70 to cover the beginning examination. While screenings and post surgery care is done at Southern Illinois University’s East St. Louis Center, the surgeries are completed at the Pepose Institute.

However, even though it is popular with emergency personnel, Dr. Mujtaba Qazi stated he hoped that more poor people would take advantage of this offer, in which Lasik surgery typically costs between $3,000-$5,000.

Finding The Right Lasik Doctor Not Easy

According to an article entitled, “>Choosing A Lasik Doctor Continues To Be Challenging”, it seems as if patients have a hard time finding the right doctor to perform their surgery.

This is summed up eloquently by Glenn Hagele of USAeyes.org, who stated, "Even a decade after Lasik became available and over 5 million U.S.

surgeries, the average patient is better equipped to select a toaster than an eye surgeon”.

Hagele goes on to say, “Surgeon selection is the most critical step for any Lasik patient. The doctor is even more important than the laser because no amount of technology will compensate for an inferior surgeon. The number of previous surgeries and claims made in paid advertisements are not enough to make such an important decision."

Hagele ends the interview by stating that consumers should remember that ‘Lasik surgery is not just medicine but a business transaction’. He cautioned buyers to be aware.

10 Year Anniversary For Lasik Surgery

It has been estimated that approximately 2 million people had Lasik surgery. This is particularly important as Lasik reaches it ten year milestone. According to Dr. Paul Azar, "It's a tremendous procedure, and I'm a big advocate of it," Azar said. "By far, the problems are very limited compared to the results. I've done it for seven to eight years, and people keep wanting it because it's a safe, effective operation. It's the 'Wow' operation, because that's the reaction for people when it's done."

Usually the people who have undergone Lasik surgery are in the late 30’s with an income of approximately 88,0000 per year. This information was revealed by Dave Harmon who is president of Market Scope. Harmon went on to say,

“Their education level is significantly higher than average," Harmon said. "Very few people in their 20s have it done. Very few people in their 50s have it done.

You can find out the >full details of the article here.