Myth Debunked: A Physician Would Never Have Laser Vision Correction On Their Own Eyes!

LASIK and variations of Laser Vision Correction (LVC) has changed the lives of millions of people in the United States and abroad. As the safest, most successful, and most performed elective procedure in the world the Laser Vision Correction industry has been under a microscope for decades. As of recently, the media has been unfair to the industry as a whole, and more specifically to SMILE, the 3rd generation of Laser Vision Correction. With this media speculation and click-bait articles, many myths have surfaced, with one of the being that a “physician would never have Laser Vision Correction on their own eyes!” Well, I am here to right this myth and debunk it with facts.

Physicians are four times more likely to receive Laser Vision Correction

That’s right! Per a study done by Kezirian[1] et all, refractive surgeons are four times more likely to receive Laser Vision Correction than the general population. To put this into perspective let’s dive into some fun, hypothetical scenarios:

• You love pizza (who doesn’t?), and you just stumbled upon a fun fact that several head chefs from reputable restaurants in the Metro Detroit area frequently dine at this one specific pizza place. As a pizza lover, do you have a desire to check out this restaurant?
• You are into fitness, are training for the Detroit Marathon, and you want to perform at a high level. You learn that there is a trail in Rochester Hills that many elite runners train at. Are you more likely to want to do your morning runs at this location (if convenient of course)?
• You’re looking to get cosmetic work on your teeth. They aren’t as straight as you want them to be and you find out about this straightening procedure where doctors across the country are four times more likely to receive than the general population. Are you interested in learning more about this procedure?

I am willing to bet that you checked off YES to all of these. This is the same with Laser Vision Correction. Doctors, physicians, surgeons are significantly more likely to receive Laser Vision Correction than the general population. As a shopper myself, this is a huge qualifier for me and it applies to all aspects of my life (research is everything!). Knowing that a physician is more likely to receive the procedure, this should give LASIK shoppers the trust they are looking for.

Now let’s sweeten the pot and add in world-renowned, Custom LASIK pioneer and surgeon like Dr. Haddad, who is right in your backyard! At Laser Eye Institute, we treat a lot of doctors and other health professionals who are obviously in the know and do their research. Wouldn’t you want to go to the doctor that other doctors go to?

What are your thoughts? Are you ready to free yourself from glasses and contacts and schedule your Laser Vision Correction consultation with Dr. Haddad? I bet you are!

1. Kezirian GM, Parkhurst DG, Brinton JP, et al. Prevalence of laser vision correction in ophthalmologists who perform refractive surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2015;41:1826-1832.