missy wrote:Ronbo - the Lenscrafter up the street from me has a very, very good optamologist. While I just need periodic "checks" to see if everything is ok (as I said at the beginning of this thread, I had Lasik 9 years ago), he still does a thorough job and doesn't cost a fortune - and I'm not getting any glasses or contacts made.
He goes to Africa several times a year and does eye care and surgery with a mission group.
I've been going to optamologists since I was 3 years old (had problems with cysts and things around my eye and eventually had to have surgery), so I never have my eyes checked by anything less.
But I REALLY hate having my eyes dilated. They never go "back" until I go to sleep that night, and I seem to always pick the sunniest, brightest day to go! I also hate the newer glaucoma tests (with the puff of air). Give me the old needle gauge anyday.
Sounds like some minor clarification is needed here:
Ophthalmologist - a medical doctor who specializes in eyes and is the only physician you should see if you need INVASIVE surgery of the globe, orbits or adnexa (lids and surrounding tissue) also performs LASIK, LASEK , PRK, RK etc. They are eye SURGEONS, which does not make them ANY better at refracting or fitting eyeglasses. Some in fact refuse to refract or fit at all, preferring instead to focus exclusively on surgery, and medical issues.
Optometrist - also a doctor with a MINIMUM of eight years of school, four university, and four specifically in optometry. Far more directly related eye training initially than an MD/ophthalmologist. In many cases, you will see a much higher percentage of actual face time with the doctor seeing an optometrist, and will, as a general rule, have a much greater chance of accurate refraction and overall assessment of general ocular health with an optometrist. Bear in mind however, that this may not ALWAYS be the case.
Optician - a support technician (as a nurse is to an MD) who administers tests, may or may not fit spectacle lenses and/or contacts, and a huge variety of other duties around the practice. Opticians may or may not choose to sit for national board exams to certify their level of expertise. And there are more than one level, as well as several other optional certifications available depending on the individuals career choice. Several states (Arizona and Nevada come immediately to mind) also require STATE certification which is generally several orders of magnitude more difficult than the national boards and often requires a certain number of years actively working in the field in that state before the exams can even be taken. Many opticians are capable and indeed DO much of the pre-testing and even refractions for their optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Not every state requires certification however, and not every doctors office requires even the national ABOC standard be met. Hiring experience is expensive in ANY field, and medicine is no different. A sad truth is also that regardless of certifications on the wall, a bad optician is still a bad optician. There are plenty of doctors who are simply in it to make a quick buck - and this is of course not limited in any way to the optical field.
So what can you possibly do? The answer is simple. ASK. Ask to see the certification of your optician. Ask them about their experience. What fields have they worked in? How many years? Take in an old pair of glasses and have them adjust them. Are you COMPLETELY happy? Do you have ANY question or doubt as to their ability? Do you feel rushed out the door or like you're an annoyance to the office as soon as you step inside?
Or - do you feel like the professional sitting across from you really cares about your vision? Do they ask you questions about your lifestyle in order to really TRULY get to know you? Do they make you feel comfortable and encourage you to ask questions of them yourself? Do they take ALL THE TIME NEEDED to make absolutely CERTAIN all of your questions are answered? Do they offer EVERY possible option for you regardless of cost, and explain how they each relate to your prescription? Do YOU feel like you're the most important person in the practice when you enter, and even more so once you've paid and left?
There are SO MANY misleading advertisements in the medical world these days, and possibly most of all in the optical industry. Thin and light lenses. Glasses in an hour. Try anything and if you don't like it bring it back whenever, no questions asked. There are ALWAYS exceptions and reasons companies advertise certain things like these and they are not always in your best interest.
The point is that the doctor/patient or optician/patient relationship is a two way street. You don't have to be mean, or demanding. But you DO have to go in with a sense of what you would like to accomplish with your vision. Sometimes, and very likely MOST of the time, it won't be the fastest or the cheapest option. But it will be the CORRECT option to optimize your vision needs and afford you the very best vision you've ever had in your life.
I'll apologize in advance if this post oversteps the medical advice guidelines and won't be offended if it needs to be deleted. My hope is simply that people will realize that ANY fitting of a medical device requires participation from both the physician/technician and the patient. This is true with any situation involving someone with knowledge or expertise and someone hoping to benefit from it I believe.
If you come to Durango anytime soon, I would be most happy to give you the best experience you've ever had buying glasses. Period.
Brian~
P.S. Missy, they've NEVER (to my knowledge) EVER used a needle of any kind to test for IOP (Intra Ocular Pressure). Which, by the way, is not an indication of glaucoma by itself. It is one facet of many the doctor looks at as a whole to determine if a patient is at risk, the actual state of the optic nerve and disc being the primary indicators. The procedure you describe is called:
Goldmann applanation tonometry and uses a small curved plastic probe which is VERY gently and extremely quickly applied to the front of the cornea of the numbed eye.
