It’s Easy… If You Know What’s Important!
Ask Your Surgeon These Questions:
YES – Dr. Herschel will see you from the beginning to the end of your vision correction experience.
It is important for you that your surgeon gets to know you, your unique eyes, lifestyle, and vision goals. It is essential that the surgeon performing your procedure comprehensively evaluates the health of your eyes; performs and reviews vital measurements; and discusses your treatment options, desired outcomes, and potential risks with you. Your post-operative care is equally important, as you may respond differently to surgery, much as you might to medications. Unlike many centers, at Herschel LASIK and Cataract Institute, Dr. Herschel personally provides your care from your initial consultation to your last post-operative visit.
Most doctors doing vision correction procedures have training in refractive surgery (vision correction), but many of these practitioners have no specialty training in the cornea and little if any, day-to-day clinical experience diagnosing and treating problems of the cornea. Because the cornea is the part of the eye where vision correction surgery is performed and because healthier corneas provide better vision outcomes, it is optimal for your surgeon to have fellowship training and extensive clinical experience in both cornea and refractive surgery. Technology alone is no substitute for this kind of experience and expertise. Among the busiest vision correction practitioners in Orlando, Dr. Herschel is the only doctor with these optimal qualifications.
YES – Dr. Herschel has the training, experience, and expertise to help patients with these eye conditions achieve their vision goals at any age.
Following the approval of LASIK and PRK in the United States, there have been significant and almost continuous advancements in vision correction technologies and techniques. Advanced technologies are now available to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Dr. Herschel is experienced with the latest FDA approved technologies to treat these conditions. Eye conditions vary and are unique to each individual and each eye. Depending on your eyes, lifestyle, and vision goals, you may even have choices! Read more about the choices below.
YES- Dr. Herschel is experienced with the latest FDA approved vision correction technologies and can provide you with the best option for your eyes and lifestyle!
Vision correction is no longer one-size-fits-all. In many centers, LASIK is the only option, but today new, advanced technologies are available to treat a wide range of different vision conditions. Dr. Herschel offers his patients these latest technologies including all-laser LASIK, PRK, topography-guided LASIK/PRK, Visian ICL, refractive lens exchange (RLE), refractive laser-assisted cataract surgery (ReLACS), premium intraocular lens (IOL) implants, treatments for presbyopia (reading glasses), and Keratoconus treatments. Wouldn’t you like to know all of your options before making your vision correction decision? Dr. Herschel will get to know you and your eyes, lifestyle, and vision goals and together you will choose the treatment option that best meets your needs.
YES – Dr. Herschel uses the femtosecond laser, NOT a blade.
Many studies have shown that the laser is safer and more precise and provides better results than the older microkeratome (mechanical blade) technology.
YES – Dr. Herschel has a history of participating in new and innovative clinical trials.
Participation in FDA clinical trials enables your surgeon to stay on the leading edge of technology and technique. Starting in the early 1990s with the FDA Phase III clinical trials that eventually led to the approval of LASIK and PRK in the United States, Dr. Herschel has been involved in new and innovative vision correction technologies and techniques. Most recently, he was a Principal Investigator (the only one in Central Florida) for an FDA Phase III clinical trial using corneal collagen cross-linking to treat patients with Keratoconus and corneal ectasia. This technology has now been approved by the FDA for use in the United States.
YES – Dr. Herschel uses only advanced technologies for all procedures; when these technologies are combined with his expert, personalized care, patients achieve outstanding outcomes.
Advances continue to be made in vision correction technologies and surgical techniques. This requires an ongoing investment by our practice in equipment and training. Dr. Herschel has used cutting edge vision correction technology since the 1990s when he was involved in the FDA Phase III clinical trials for nearsightedness and farsightedness with the excimer laser. Using the Ziemer femtosecond laser for the corneal flap and the Allegretto excimer laser for corneal sculpting, Dr. Herschel achieves outstanding surgical results for his patients. Amazingly, over 90% of our LASIK patients see 20/20 or 20/15 after their procedures! Of course, there are no guarantees that you will achieve these same results. But at Herschel LASIK we will assist you in selecting the best procedure to achieve your vision goals, help you get your eyes in the best possible condition before surgery, and provide you with outstanding care after surgery, so you have the best chance to achieve your best possible results. Technology cannot substitute for experience, expertise, or personalized care; it can only be a partner.
Yes – Dr. Herschel has 25 years of experience in both vision correction and cornea.
When choosing a LASIK or cataract surgeon, it is wise to select a doctor who has special expertise and decades of experience. Because the cornea is where vision correction surgery is performed, having a vision correction surgeon who is also a cornea specialist is ideal. Dr. Herschel is fellowship-trained in both vision correction and cornea and has 25 years of experience. Patients deserve to have a refractive surgeon who has the expertise and experience to understand what is seen during an eye exam, especially something non-routine or out of the ordinary. Such depth of knowledge requires special training and years of experience. Over his career, Dr. Herschel has personally examined over half a million eyes—each of which was unique. He brings this depth of knowledge to each of his vision correction patients during their entire experience at Herschel LASIK.
YES – Dr. Herschel routinely receives referrals and consult requests from other Central Florida eye care specialists on the most complicated cases.
As one of Orlando’s most sought-after ophthalmologists, Dr. Herschel regularly receives referrals and consult requests from colleagues for many different eye conditions.
YES – Herschel LASIK offers a variety of financing options for qualified applicants.
We strive to make vision correction affordable for all our patients. We offer different financing programs with attractive terms for virtually every budget. We also offer various insurance, student, military, and government employee discounts.
YES – We understand busy work and home schedules. In addition to regular hours, we offer convenient evening and Saturday appointments.
YES – We believe that there are some practices among LASIK service providers that are not in patients’ best interests. Patients who have done their homework will know to avoid these LASIK providers. Herschel LASIK does not engage in any of these practices.
Patients should avoid:
- Unreasonably low advertised LASIK surgery prices–it’s a bait and switch tactic.
- LASIK surgery in which a mechanical blade (microkeratome) is used to cut the flap–using the laser to cut the flap customizes the treatment to each individual patient and produces better vision outcomes.
- Same day LASIK–rushing into the procedure means that the essential step of preparing the corneas for surgery will be skipped, so the opportunity to achieve the best possible vision outcomes will be lost.
- Surgeons who do not provide pre- or post-operative care, but who push off these very important parts of vision correction care to someone else.
- Vision correction centers that provide only LASIK and no other vision correction options–LASIK is not the best option for every patient, but patients will get LASIK anyway because that is all that is offered at such centers.
- Marketing hype such as “High-definition LASIK” and “3-D LASIK”–High-definition and 3-D LASIK do not exist. These terms are made-up and are used solely for marketing purposes.
