Your vision is priceless.  When you need an eye surgeon, 
how do you decide whom to trust?  First, educate yourself.  Ask questions.  
We suggest the following:

1.      How long has the doctor or clinic been in practice?
Look at the individual doctor's years of experience, as well as when his or her practice was "founded."  (Some doctors purchase their practices from others and then link their credentials to the former owner's start date.)  Eye Care Specialists was founded in 1985—by two of our six physicians.  Since then, more than 121,000 people have turned to us for cutting edge technology and expert personalized care in the medical, surgical and laser treatment of everything from cataracts and glaucoma to crossed eyes and diabetic retinopathy.  We have provided refractive & laser vision correction services since 1992 to thousands of patients.

2.      Does he/she practice alone or with a team?
Our five ophthalmologists and one medical optometrist live and practice in the Milwaukee area—ensuring patients the benefit of qualified, 24-hour back-up coverage, as well as the sharing of techniques and ideas. 

3.      Is the surgeon well-rounded in his/her skills?
Eye Care Specialists is regarded as one of the leading ophthalmology practices in Wisconsin  
in terms of both volume and exceptional skill.  One of our physicians alone has performed more than 20,000 cataract procedures, and all are often asked to turn the operating room into a teaching environment for visiting doctors and equipment manufacturers.  Our physicians have pioneered new surgical techniques and equipment, including phacoemulsification (ultrasonic) and topical anesthesia (eye drop) cataract removal, and were the first eye surgeons in Wisconsin to utilize foldable lens implants to correct vision.  In addition to cataract operations, our surgeons have performed tens of thousands of other procedures requiring equal or greater expertise, including eye muscle surgeries, corneal transplants, retinal repairs, ophthalmic plastic surgery, laser vision correction to reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses, and laser therapy for diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma. We have the skills to help you now or should any injuries or conditions occur in the future.  Ask your friends or relatives about us.  Chances are, our team has helped improve the vision of their child, grandparent, or someone they know. 

4.      Is the surgeon known on the national level for his/her work?
Our doctors have served as Clinical Investigators in FDA-related studies on the safety and effectiveness of laser vision correction. They are trainers for the Technolas® 217 excimer laser, regional educators for Restasis™ dry eye disease therapy, and were named among "Top Doctors 2004" by Milwaukee Magazine. Our practice has also earned special certification from the American Board of Eye Surgeons (ABES) for surgical skill in the field of cataract/implant surgery.  As part of ABES' rigorous evaluation process, our surgeons had to record and submit data from hundreds of cataract/implant cases, as well as perform surgery for evaluation by an on-site observer and videotape review panel.  Our surgeons are among approximately only 200 ophthalmologists in the U.S. awarded ABES certification.

5.      Where do they operate?
Whenever medically appropriate and possible, we perform diagnostic and treatment procedures in-office for patient convenience and cost-effectiveness.  Examples of this include OCT laser scans to detect early signs of glaucoma, fluorescein angiography (dye-mapping and photography) of the back of the eye to track diabetic retinopathy, and corneal topography (scanning and mapping) measurements to set surgical parameters for laser vision correction. 

For more advanced surgical and laser procedures, we are proud to own and conduct surgery at the Eye Surgery & Laser Center of Wisconsin, the first free-standing, non-hospital affiliated eye surgery center in Milwaukee.  Located in Milwaukee County Research Park, this 10,000-square-foot facility has four surgical suites and the only state and federally certified sterile operating room in Wisconsin for performing laser vision correction. The center offers eye-only surgery patients a comfortable, caring environment provided by a handpicked team of nurses with an average of 20 years of experience.  The center also features some of the finest equipment available for performing cataract surgery, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy laser treatment, and other procedures.  
For laser vision correction, we utilize the Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix™ Personalized Laser Vision Correction System—the only system clinically demonstrated to improve night vision and contrast sensitivity and to reduce higher order aberrations (key factors to determining overall patient satisfaction).  All of these factors enable us to provide excellent patient outcomes.

And, for those patients whose insurance or other needs require that they receive services elsewhere, our doctors also have surgical privileges at most of the major hospitals in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.

6.      Are they committed to the community as well as patients?
Eye Care Specialists is one of the only ophthalmology groups in the country to write and publish its own series of in-depth, color, educational booklets on common eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, dry eyes, macular degeneration and laser vision correction.  More than 750,000 of these booklets and educational newsletters have been provided free-of-charge to senior centers, retirement communities, civic organizations, visiting nurses, employers, and any individuals or organizations in need of eye care information.  We also offer free educational slide seminars and vision screenings for interested groups.

7.      Do they work with referring physicians?
Since 1985, Eye Care Specialists has conducted one of the nation's most extensive continuing medical education programs for optometrists and fellow physicians.  In addition to sponsoring all-day, multi-topic conferences, we often have doctors-in-training visit our offices and follow our staff members.  And, we publish our own newsletters and updates for the medical community.

8.      If you are considering LASIK, is their pricing really what it seems?
Many discount laser centers advertise one price, only to charge hundreds of dollars more if you have a high prescription or astigmatism.  This is called "tiered pricing."  At Eye Care Specialists, we offer one price no matter how poor your eyesight.  We believe it is unfair to try to profit from certain patients, when the cost of performing the procedure is the same no matter what the prescription.  Some competitors argue that higher prescriptions warrant higher prices because they involve a higher enhancement rate (secondary procedures to fine-tune vision).  Others charge a separate fee for enhancements.  At Eye Care Specialists, however, we feel we have the most accurate laser available and, therefore, one of the lowest enhancement rates.  As such, our global fee includes the price of enhancements for a generous three-year period after surgery— which is almost always when such procedures are done.

If someone's prices are well below most reputable practices' rates, where are they cutting costs?  Are they trying to make it up in volume—cutting patients short on pre-testing, informed consent and Q&A time?  Eye Care Specialists realizes the magnitude of the cost, time and effort involved in pursuing laser vision correction.  As such, we have dedicated a separate hotline and staff for the counseling and scheduling of LASIK candidates.  Their role is to educate and guide people to the best decision.  They are not paid commissions or bonuses for converting people to surgery.  Is a low-priced center using the latest equipment in a sterile environment?  We own and conduct surgery at the Eye Surgery & Laser Center of Wisconsin, which features the only state and federally certified sterile operating room in Wisconsin for performing LASIK.  Registered nurses, not technicians, assist with cases.  We follow strict protocols for sterilization and use of new surgical blades on each patient.  Unreputable centers have been charged with reusing blades-putting patients at risk of infection and exposure to AIDS and hepatitis.  Any of these cuts in quality and care are risks no patient (or doctor) should take. 

9.      What type of insurance and financial aid do they accept?
Eye Care Specialists' surgeons believe that money should never be an issue to prevent someone from achieving and maintaining their best possible vision.  As such, we accept all major insurances, HMOs and Medicare.  We are also participating providers in the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeCare America®:  Seniors EyeCare Program, Diabetes EyeCare Program, Glaucoma EyeCare Program and Children's EyeCare Program.  For LASIK and other elective vision correction procedures, our special surgery coordinators assist with researching financing program, flex plan, and insurance options.  And, we work with local employee benefit providers to find ways to make LASIK surgery more affordable for their members.

10.  How do their LASIK outcomes compare nationally?
Our latest analysis shows that 98% of our patients have 20/40 or better vision (the level needed to legally drive without glasses or contacts) one month after surgery, and the overwhelming majority are happy with their new "focus on life."