2. How Should You Choose a 1
Glaucoma Surgeon 2
3
Most people consider their sight to be their 4
most important sense. Yet, every year thou-
sands of people have surgery on their eyes 5
without having done any research about their
eye surgeons. Who performs your glaucoma
10 Things You Should Know 6
before choosing
surgery is one of the most important decisions Your Surgeon
you will make in life. 7
It doesn’t need to take a long time to choose 8
your surgeon. The following list of “10 Things
You Must Know Before Choosing Your Glaucoma
Surgeon” will tell you how. With this list you Click to Watch Online
can decide on an excellent eye surgeon in less
time than many people devote to choosing
their next car.
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
3. 1
Don’t limit your choices to only will be getting past the hospital’s automated tel-
ephone menu and gaining access to a live oper-
1
those doctors in your insurance
network. Despite what your insurance ating room nurse.
2
company’s marketing materials may suggest, the
3
main factor in determining who is “in-network” Research your surgeon’s education. 3
is who is willing to accept that insurance con- Where did your eye surgeon train? You
tract. Currently there is no validated method may not know which training programs 4
of grading doctors and any insurance company are the best, but it is easy enough to check their
that suggests their network of doctors is the ratings once you know where your surgeon 5
most qualified is disingenuous at best. trained. Don’t get too hung up on the ranking order:
If your surgeon trained at a Top 15 institution, he or 6
2
Ask those you trust. Good sources she received top-notch education. Two objective re-
of information include your internist, sources are U.S. News & World Report’s Annual 7
optometrist, and friends who rating of:
have had glaucoma surgery. Even bet- 8
ter sources include the operating room Currently Medical Schools:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.
nurses and staff at your local hospital. there is no
com/grad/med/search
They are often in surgery with the eye validated
doctor and know who has the “best method
Eye Hospitals:
hands.” Nurses are by nature very help- of grading
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals
ful people and will often be happy to doctors
answer your questions. The challenge
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
4. 4 6
Research your surgeon’s State Visit your surgeon’s Practice Web- 1
Licensure. Your surgeon must be li- site. Assuming the above background
censed to practice medicine in his or check is favorable you can sometimes 2
her state. In addition to confirming licensure, obtain useful information from your eye sur-
many state license websites will also tell you geon’s website. Although some sites do pro- 3
if there is any history of disciplinary or legal vide educational materials keep in mind that
action against your surgeon. In California you the primary goal of most websites is to market 4
can look up this information online at: http:// the practice. You won’t find anything negative
www.medbd.ca.gov about your doctor there, but it can confirm the 5
positive information you have already obtained
5
Confirm that your surgeon is Board and give you some insight into the surgeon’s 6
Certified. In order to obtain certifica- background and practice philosophy.
tion an ophthalmologist must success- 7
fully pass both a written and oral examination.
Additionally, younger ophthalmologists must 8
recertify every ten years – a process that can View
take up to three years to complete. You can
confirm that your surgeon is board certified by Sample
checking the website: www.abop.org or www. Website
abms.org
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
5. 7 Find out what others have experi-
enced. Are testimonials available online
(doctor ranking sites or practice website)?
Are testimonials available in your surgeon’s of-
fice for your review? Will your surgeon provide
8 Find out how many eye surgeries
your doctor has performed. There
is a reason they call it the “practice of
medicine.” Just like a sports pro, a surgeon’s
abilities improve with practice and experience.
1
2
3
you with the name and phone number of some- Every surgeon requires a minimum number of
one who had surgery that you can talk to? It “cases” to become proficient. For eye surgery I 4
shouldn’t be too burdensome for your surgeon think this number is probably around 500. Some
to come up with a live person who would be will- would suggest a lower number (perhaps around 5
“
ing to discuss the glaucoma surgery experience 250) but to be safe I’d recommend you have
with you. Keep in mind 6
that Federal privacy regu-
lations limit the amount 7
of information a surgeon I love the guy. I give him a hug every
may be able to offer re- time I see him!” – Joan McFadden 8
garding other patients who
have had surgery. I’m Joan McFadden and I’ve been a patient of
Dr. Richardson for probably five or six years,
and I love the guy. I give him a hug every time
I see him. He has helped me so much with my
eyesight, and he’s given me confidence...
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
6. surgery performed by someone who has done able with this person. Trust is an important con-
at least 500. How do you find out the number sideration that cannot be sufficiently developed
1
of eye surgeries your surgeon has done? Ask. without meeting your surgeon face-to-face.
If you are uncomfortable asking directly then
2
10
bring someone with you to the appointment to Finally, get a second opinion.
ask for you. This is a very important question.
3
Most people wouldn’t purchase a
These are your eyes. You only have two. Get car without test driving at least one 4
over your hesitation. Just ask. other car. Why would you limit your choice of
surgeon because “he’s on my plan” before get- 5
9
Meet your Surgeon. The above re- ting a sense of how comfortable you are with
search can give you an idea if your surgeon the choice your insurance has made for you? 6
is qualified to perform your eye surgery. This is a very important decision. Unless you
However, you cannot know if this is the per- are completely comfortable with your surgeon, 7
son you want work- get a second opinion. The best surgeons do not
ing on your eyes mind that you have or 8
until you meet are going to get a sec-
with him or her. “How do you find ond opinion. In fact,
In addition to out the number of one quick test of your
confirming his cataract surgeries surgeon’s comfort
or her creden- your surgeon has with his or her own
tials, you need performed?”
to be comfort-
“Ask.”
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
7. ability is to let him or her know that you would
like a second opinion. If the surgeon becomes
1
defensive about this then you know the second
2
“
opinion was a good idea, after all.
3
4
I would, of course, be pleased if you were
to consider me as your glaucoma surgeon 5
(and I’m always happy to give a second
opinion even if for whatever reason you 6
are not able to choose me as your sur-
geon). Call now (626.289.2223) or request 7
an appointment online and my staff will
be happy to set up a time for us to meet. I 8
hope this advice was helpful to you as you
make this very important decision.
David D. Richardson, M.D.
© 2011 New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com | call 626.289.2223 | CA 91776
8. Thank You for Reading!
I hope you learned something of value.
Dr. David Richardson has had may years of clinical experience.
He has performed thousands of eye surgeries using the most ad-
vanced techniques. He is trusted not only by thousands of patients,
but also by other medical professionals.
In a series of surveys, medical professionals were asked a
simple question: “If you needed medical care, which doc-
tor would you choose?” Based on the results of these
surveys, Dr. Richardson was named a “Super Doctor” by
his peers in the Los Angeles Magazine in 2010 & 2011.
In a similar survey conducted by Pasadena Magazine,
Dr. Richardson was also voted as a “Top Doc” for the
past 3 consecutive years (2008 ,2009 and 2010). Actions,
though, speak louder than words - Dr. Richardson is the
personal eye surgeon for many of the most respected doctors in the San Gabriel val-
ley. Dr. David Richardson is among a select group of ophthalmologists in Southern
California offering Canaloplasty as a treatment option for his glaucoma patients. For
more articles by Dr. David Richardson, please visit
New-Glaucoma-Treatments.com
