Cataracts can literally blind you but the condition is nothing that an experienced eye surgeon cannot remove. While the surgery is simple, it can be botched in the hands of an inexperienced surgeon. To ensure you make an informed decision, keep these things in mind when you are looking for eye doctors in West Palm Beach who can treat this condition:
1. Who Will Be Performing The Surgery?
Many people don’t know this but not all eye doctors are qualified or have the skills to perform cataract surgery. Ophthalmologists are certified medical doctors who spend many hours perfecting their skills before they are even allowed to treat a patient.
An optometrist, on the other hand, is an OD i.e. a Doctor of Optometry and they are only certified and trained to conduct eye exams and vision tests. They cannot perform cataract surgery but they do work with ophthalmologists sometimes, so don’t worry if you are assigned one.
2. Are They Certified?
The best way to determine if your eye doctor in West Palm Beach is authentic is to check whether he/she is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). If yes, that means they abide by the strict standards that ABO sets when it comes to quality care and accountability.
An eye doctor who has this certification should meet your requirements and should be on the top of the list for your cataract surgery.
3. Ask Previous Patients
If you know someone who had cataract surgery successfully, ask them about their experience and what they liked about the service. It would be better if you also consulted with the surgeon who treated them.
Some of the questions you can ask someone who went through the procedure are:
- How did he/she know that the surgery was a success?
- How was the post-op care?
- Was the staff friendly and courteous?
- Did the surgeon explain the procedure thoroughly and discussed the lenses that would be put in?
- Was billing explained clearly or did the patient have to pay extra in the end?
You can get accurate information if you visit the doctor yourself via consultation and a cataract screening. Pay attention to how clean the clinic is, how long you had to wait before you were called in and how friendly the doctor is. If something doesn’t feel right, feel free to leave. The risk is just not worth it.
If you are looking for reputable eye doctors in West Palm Beach, book a consultation with South Palm Eye Associates today. We have a dedicated team of eye doctors on our staff who have the education, skills and qualifications to perform complex eye surgeries and have a great track record to prove it.