Choosing the Right Eye Doctor
Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, Washington
Like so many people, you may have wondered about how to eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. And, like many, you may wonder about which eye doctor would be the right one for you. If so, there are two factors you will want to consider. The first step in choosing the right eye doctor is to choose the right kind of eye doctor. The second is selecting the one best qualified to treat your vision correction needs.
Choosing the Right Kind of Eye Doctor
Only four types of eye specialists treat patients, and, most likely you have been seen by only one or two types of these specialists.
You are probably most familiar with the optometrist. This specialist is a doctor of optometry but not a medical doctor. The optometry license allows them to diagnose and treat refractive errors by prescribing corrective lenses and rehabilitation treatments. While they are permitted to detect diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension, they are not permitted to treat those diseases, and must usually refer patients to an ophthalmologist for medical eye care.
The orthoptist diagnoses and treats eye movement disorders such as lazy eye. The orthoptist can prescribe rehabilitative treatment, but cannot give medical treatment.
An ocularist is a specialist in making and fitting patients with artificial eye replacements.
The ophthalmologist is a medical doctor trained and licensed to diagnose and treat all eye diseases and disorders, prescribe medication, and perform eye surgery. Dr. Kent Leavitt and Dr. Christina Farag are both ophthalmologists serving patients at Bellevue LASIK & Cornea.
Choosing the Best Eye Doctor
This step takes time and a bit of sleuthing, but the most important information is not hard to find. You can get some of this information by doing a little research and the rest directly from the eye doctors you are considering. The staff at Bellevue LASIK & Cornea is happy to provide information such as:
General questions:
- What degrees, continuing education, post-graduate training, certifications and board certifications have you earned?
- Has this ophthalmologist ever been denied malpractice insurance coverage?
- Has this ophthalmologist ever been refused participation as a provider in a health insurance plan?
Questions specific to your care:
- What specific training have you obtained regarding the procedure I am going to have done?
- How long have you been performing my procedure or how many have you performed?
- What professional associations do you belong to?
- Do you have a corrective treatment policy? May I have a written copy?
- What does eye surgery cost?
- What do you charge, if anything, for corrective procedures, such as redoing an under-correction of refractive error?
- Do you take my insurance?
- What are your payment expectations, and what financing is available?
- Has this ophthalmologist’s license or any certification ever been revoked, suspended, restricted, or placed on probation?
Some of these questions may be answered on the ophthalmologist’s website. Others can be answered by making a phone call or visit to the office.
For questions about pending disciplinary actions, legal violations, or insurance denials, you may have to go to your state’s licensing agency. They should be able to direct you to a source where you can obtain this information.
If you are looking for an ophthalmologist for eye surgery near Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, Washington please contact Bellevue LASIK & Cornea to schedule a complimentary evaluation with Kent Leavitt, M.D., one of Washington’s experienced eye surgeons.