Ask a LASIK Eye Surgeon

Although LASIK eye surgery has been around for ages, people still seem to have questions needing to be answered. So who better to answer all your pressing questions than Dr. Andrew Caster who heads the Caster Eye Center in Beverly Hills, California, was voted into “Best Doctors in America” four years running, was selected by Los Angeles Magazine as the "Best Laser Eye Surgeon in Los Angeles,” and who himself has performed over 30,000 laser vision correction procedures to date.

Andrew Caster MD has also lent his expertise in several Magazine, Newspaper, TV and Radio interviews, written several scientific publications, including a popular book entitled Lasik: The Eye Laser Miracle, and hosted a WebMD live chat answering peoples’ questions on the subject of LASIK laser vision correction.

Usually the burning questions people have about Lasik have to do with its safety, effectiveness, and cost:

Regarding the question about safety: “Does the procedure ever cause irreversible damage?” Dr. Caster answered, “If the procedure isn't done right, it can certainly cause a lot of problems, such as poor vision or halos. Also, an infection, scarring of the cornea. There are a number of technical things that can cause problems. That's why we advise people to go to doctors that have a lot of experience with this technique. In the hands of a very experienced surgeon, the procedure is extremely safe. There's probably a greater chance that the patient will get injured driving in their car to have the procedure done than there is to have a problem during the procedure.”

Of the question asked: “How much can a prospective patient expect their vision to improve after treatment?” Dr. Andrew Caster answered, “We try to have each patient see 20/20 without any glasses afterwards. We achieve that about 80% the time. 97% the time, the patient will see well enough to pass their driver's test without glasses or contacts. Virtually everybody is made better by the procedure; it's just that it's not 100% accurate 100% of the time.”

As for the question: “How much does typical laser surgery cost?” Andrew Caster MD answered, “Prices seem to vary between around $4,000 and $5,000 for the two eyes combined.” And to the follow up question: “How can some laser centers charge only $499 per eye? Why do other doctors charge much more?” Dr. Caster answered, “The less expensive laser centers are able to dramatically lower the price of Lasik by a combination of factors: older, used lasers; older, less advanced testing equipment; less thorough testing; lesser trained and qualified staff (lower payroll costs); less time with the doctor; and many more patients per day, with less attention to each individual patient... For the finest vision after Lasik, there is no substitution for using the highest quality equipment, the most thorough testing, the best technicians, and personalized attention.” Basically, “you don't want to cut corners as far as your vision goes

Andrew I. Caster, M.D. has performed over fourteen thousand procedures to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Dr. Caster is widely considered one of the most knowledgeable Lasik surgeons in the United States. Los Angeles Magazine selected Dr. caster as “The Best Lasik Surgeon in Los Angeles” and W Magazine listed him as one of two top Lasik surgeons in the United States. Dr. Caster has been voted by other ophthalmologists as one of the “Best Doctors in America”. He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and performed his Ophthalmology residency at the Jules Stein Eye Institute/UCLA. Dr. Caster is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American College of Surgeons. For more information please visit: http://www.castervision.com/