SAN ANTONIO – From athletes to entertainers, to military snipers, eyesight is crucial to the job and in many cases, Lasik refractive surgery is the best option. Now a new study co-authored by a San Antonio surgeon shows doctors like him are five times as likely as the general public to also get the procedure themselves.
It’s a case of “physician, heal thyself,” and with good reason. Excellent vision is critical to providing successful eye surgery, according to Dr. Gregory Parkhurst, who also provides services at Nuvision Parkhurst Eye Center in the Medical Center.
“I had my procedure when I was an intern, actually, back in 2003," he recalled.
He was in the military and learned Lasik techniques from those who pioneered the procedure.
Parkhurst said it worked well then, and it still does.
"My vision is now what I would consider perfect for me. When I’m measured on the eye chart, it's better than 20/20, it's 20/15 vision," he said.
He co-authored a study that was featured in the prestigious Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery that showed the choices for better vision among 250 surgeons who qualified for the procedure. 62.6 percent said they choose Lasik to correct their vision. 91 percent said they recommend it for their immediate family members.
“I use microscopes and lenses to look at eyes. We are using micron detail of the retinal vasculature and the optic nerve. A lot of our examination techniques and surgical techniques are direct hand/eye feedback, so it would be absolutely critical that I would have the best vision," Parkhurst said of the results.
He said the potential side effects and complications of Lasik are quite small compared to the impact of daily contact lens use, which is another reason why doctors would chose Lasik over glasses or contacts. He said that over time, it’s also much cheaper.
For more on refractive eye surgery, visit SanAntonio-Lasik.com and RefractiveAlliance.com.