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Dr. Stephen Slade was the first surgeon in the United States to perform LASIK eye surgery and also has the longest experience with Bladeless LASIK or LASIK performed with two lasers including one to make the flap. Dr Steven Slade has extensive experience and has performed LASIK and other types of refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Houston and around the world. More recently, Dr. Steven Slade performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard in cataract care. LASIK eye surgery pioneer Dr. Stephen Slade, MD, FACS is a Houston, Texas native who is a specialist in vision correction procedures. Patients from all around the world seek the professional ophthalmology and LASIK eye surgery services of Dr. Stephen Slade. The following article is by Dr. Slade:
Surgeons who have surgery. The cover focus this month is on Ophthalmologists who put their eyes where their money is made and lay down on the operating table. Although some detractors criticize us as not practicing what we preach, a high percentage of surgeons do have eye surgery. We surgeons go under the knife at the highest rate of any identifiable demographic group (Richard Lindstrom, Royal Hawaian Eye Meeting 2005)
In the spirit of disclosure, I have not had eye surgery, (I am a little myopic in one eye and old enough to like the natural monovision). Nevertheless, I am humbled and a bit amazed each time a surgeon selects me for their surgery. It is the highest honor of my career without a doubt.
Each time I see a surgeon/ patient in consultation it makes me think about the obvious issues that each doctor must confront in their decision to have their own eyes operated on. How is their decision to have surgery made? Why now? Which surgery and what parameters? Who to do the surgery?
I believe the decision for a surgeon to have surgery is the same as any patient, intensely personal and individual. Either yes or no is completely ok. I don’t believe a surgeon must have surgery on his own eyes to avoid being hypocritical or to be able to consult properly with his own patients. A surgeon who has undergone eye surgery is uniquely positioned to counsel his patients though. As to when to have surgery, of course there is always something better around the corner (we have included RK stories!). But here I like Bruce Greene’s quote, “There is never something perfect around the corner”. I believe many doctors choose their surgeon based on the operation they want. For example, few doctors ever come to me for PRK although I certainly do the procedure. Many come to the doctor that taught them the procedure. Most go out of town. I know they all contemplate the risk of a devastating, career ending complication.
The surgeons who come to me are the best of patients. Many are good friends that I am excited to simply visit me, let alone have surgery. They are uniformly good natured, properly motivated and a joy to work with. They all play the patient role well. We use their valuable knowledge of the field to confer and plan the surgery together, yet when they lay down on the table, they become patients. They are not complainers. If I could have a practice consisting entirely of surgeons, I would in a femtosecond.
I hope you enjoy this issue; I did. I suspect you will all see a bit of yourselves in these wonderful personal stories whether you have had surgery or not.
One last thing. What was their most common preop question to me about the surgery? Not about complications, my experience, recreational activities or science but:
“When can I go back to work?”
Maybe we are a bit too dedicated?
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[...] Stephen Slade MD – Surgeons Who Have Surgery [...]
[...] refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Houston and around the world. More recently, Dr. Stephen Slade MD performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard [...]
[...] recently, Dr. Stephen Slade MD performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard [...]
[...] refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Houston and around the world. More recently, Dr. Stephen Slade performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard [...]
[...] refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Houston and around the world. More recently, Dr. Stephen Slade performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard [...]