The way it is important to work out and manage diet in order keep one’s body fit and healthy, it is equally important for your eyes to need professional help for preserving one of your most precious senses, i.e. sight.
While choosing an ophthalmologist, you trust him to safeguard your vision. And thus, selecting an eye doctor is a very crucial decision. Following are some of the important things which should know before considering an ophthalmologist Toronto:
- Ophthalmologist is different from optometrists: While both optometrists and ophthalmologists are trained doctors that diagnose and treat vision related problems. An optometrist is a doctor who has completed four years of college degree program followed by four years of postgraduate optometry school training. An optometrist is licensed to examine and prescribe medications and eyeglasses or lenses to correct any vision problem that you might have. On the other hand, an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor with specialization in ophthalmology. An ophthalmologist completes four-year degree followed by four-year medical school, internship and three years hospital-based residency. They too can examine and prescribe glasses and lenses like optometrists, their edge over optometrists is that they are licensed to perform eye surgeries too.
- Check the provisions for insurance: Ophthalmology in Toronto is being provided under many insurance covers. You can shortlist doctors on the basis of the vision insurance or a health insurance covering eye care that you might be having. Find out if the hospital is an authorized service provider for your insurance plan by calling at their office. Also, ask about the procedures that are covered and the ones for which you will have to pay. You can also find a directory of authorized doctors from your insurance providers. The document will list all the doctors that are registered to provide eye care under the company’s insurance plans. You can choose from the list.
- Lasers used for LASIK eye surgery are not created equal: The most common refractive surgery that alters the eye to correct vision-laser surgery-continues to grow in popularity. However, even with the best equipment, the surgeons must be consistent in getting their lasers updated regularly in order to help guarantee a safe performance. When looking for a laser surgeon, ask doctors how often do they perform treatments. A good resource to research about the laser options is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informational site.