My surgeon fired me today!
Posted , 10 users are following.
Today I had my 2 week follow up after I was told I had inflammation in my Symfony eye. The tech when checking my vision said that my last visit was for dry eye. What??? I was told I had inflammation not dry eye. My immediate concern face, which is it? Had some more testing done, my distance today 20/20 reading 20/25. IOP 10 in each eye.
Dr. comes in and starts talking about how great my numbers are and how dry eye can affect vison. I'm like but I thought it was inflammation? I'm confused and concerned. This Dr. likes to talk and go off on tangents. He asks how my vision is on a 20 scale? I'm confused, like 1-10? He goes off on another tangent about eagles being able to see a pine needle. I tell him again that my initial concerns were my distance vision being blurry and my night artifacts, and that I'm pleased with near vision. I said I didn't understand about the distance and being left myopic (which he confirmed at my last visit). He said he didn't target me myopic but for best vision and went on again about healing and how it changes. So my concern face grows more, I know what he told me last time. He did another slit lamp and still saw a few cells, more anti-inflammatory for another week. He did a tear stain and said I'm a 5-7.
He then started telling me that I'm not a happy patient, that he can see it in my face. I told him I want to understand things, he goes off on another tangent about how he invents things but how he doesn't have the knowledge to integrate it a computer, and that he went to med school. He basically says that he's the doctor and he would like me to just be a patient. I told him I felt that things were not being explained to me, that last time it was inflammation, now it's dry eye, the appointment screw up etc. He then said he wouldn't feel comfortable doing my other eye surgery. That no matter if my results with that eye were great from his perspective, I would be unhappy. He said the more time he spends with me takes away from his other patients. He says my right eye is not that bad and that I should hold off and then find another surgeon when it becomes untolerable. He says we only did your left eye because of the severe glare you were having and the right eye can wait. Told him last visit he said to get the right eye scheduled ASAP, he said they would cancel it.
I'm p****d to say the least.
0 likes, 12 replies
derek40125 Komiko
Posted
Komiko:
I would take his advice and find another surgeon. You really need to feel comfortable with your eye surgeon and my able to talk with him/her honestly. There are doctors who possess both excellent communication and surgical skills. Some excel at one or the other and a few at neither.
I trust my surgeon's skill level and I'd give him a 6.5 out of 10 for communications skills. He tends to be extremely busy and doesn't have a lot of time to spend. He also doesn't volunteer a lot of information unless you ask about it. However, since I learned so much on this board, I did ask a lot of questions and he turned out to be quite good at explaining, reviewing options, and giving me his opinions on various issues. He was very polite and honest but it took effort on my part to get to this point.
I would NOT want to be dealing with a surgeon who reacted to my concerns and questions that way that yours seems to be responding. I understand that you are p****d but maybe this is for the best. You may end up finding someone who you like so much better going forward.
Komiko derek40125
Posted
I don't have a choice about finding another surgeon since he refuses to do my right eye. At this point, I will not be able to have the right eye done, until sometime late next year, after I retire and sign up for Medicare. I already maxed my deductibles this year and needed to get this done by the end of the year. I was told by him and my optometrist that it was important to get both eyes done for neuro-adaptation, especially because of the night artifacts I experience, and that because I'm seeing thru two different vision systems, it's harder to adapt. That's more what I'm upset about right now.
They made an appointment with my optometrist in 2 weeks to check my eye again. Interestingly the appointment card says for dry eye, not inflammation. Aren't these two different issues? I ask too many questions. 😦
Sue.An Komiko
Posted
Komiko - you do not need to have both eyes done close together for neuro- adaption to take place. If your unoperated eye doesn't have a cataract to point where vision cannot be corrected with contacts or glasses you can wait until it needs doing. Experiment with contact lenses - optometrists will give them free of charge and you can try different powers to see what works best. I really don't think night time artifacts and glare diminish much if you have 2 surgeries as opposed to one.
AS Derek said you need to feel at ease with a surgeon and it is better for you to find someone else. After that discussion hard not to lose confidence in one you had.
john56935 Komiko
Posted
I agree with Sue--he doesn't sound like I doctor I would want either. I had a bad experience with my doctor and found a better one and have been living with a symfony in one eye for 2 years so you don't have to get the other one done right away even though they say you neuroadapt better when both are done together. It actually gives you more time to decide if you want another symfony or go with a monofocal perhaps.
Komiko Sue.An
Posted
I don't understand then why they were telling me that having both done would facilitate neuroadaptation and my perception of these things would subside in time because I would be seeing the same way in both eyes. I was specifically told that.
I have a pair of night driving glasses on order from my optometrist with .5d correction for my left eye and my regular prescription for my right, will see how that works out for driving at night. I don't know if contacts will work for me. I'll ask when I go to see them in two weeks for my inflammation check.
Komiko john56935
Posted
Yes I'm very disappointed in him. He came highly recommended and I know dozens of people who have had their surgery by him, albeit none had a Symfony lens implanted.
How are you doing with one Symfony? I'm going to have to figure out what to do with my right eye (glasses, contacts, readers) in the meantime while I research a new surgeon.
Komiko
Posted
I have an appointment for a consult with another surgeon for the end of December. This guy is a highly recommended ophthalmologist who specializes in difficult cases. We will see if I like him and what he has to say. I was told by someone who used to work in his office that I never should have gone to the other surgeon with my history of former lasik surgery. So the journey continues. I will keep you all updated.
Salty0 Komiko
Posted
Lose that guy and consider yourself lucky
seeherenow49806 Komiko
Posted
Yeah, probably the best thing that could have happened for you.:)
I had a good surgeon and good result on my first (left, dominant) eye. But because that surgeon was unenthusiastic about my choice of mixing a monofocal IOL with a Symfony, and because of a lack of rapport, I chose another surgeon for my right eye. He was even more qualified and actually excited to share info when I asked intelligent questions. Very happy with results so far, even tho still healing.
It's been 5 months now since the first surgery. At a post op appointment for my 2nd eye yesterday, I tested even better than last month in the left eye. So it is possible to continue healing & improving for over 4 months!
The night time artifacts are very minimal for me because the dominant eye has the monofocal IOL and intentionally better distance vision (20/20 or 20/25, even tho residual -0.25D or -0.5D measured). I asked to have the right (Symfony) eye aimed slightly more myopic, so I am seeing fine print easily with that eye ~ 20/25 or 20/30 distance and 20/15 near. The combination is awesome! Might be worth exploring this possibility for your 2nd surgery.
I went with a contact lens in the RE for 4 months with no problem, other than the growing cataract. Glasses didn't work for me in the interim because my prescription was so high that the images were too different in size. I'm having no problem with neuroadaptation, but expect continued improvement.
Some surgeons are just locked into doing both surgeries close together. It's more cost effective and profitable for them that way. But a good surgeon will be happy to wait if the situation indicates that as the best course of action. I waited because I wanted to be sure of the ~ final vision in the left eye before aiming the right eye. I say the onger you can comfortably wait, the better.:)
If you post what region of the country you're in, maybe someone on this forum will have a surgeon recommendation for you.
Komiko seeherenow49806
Posted
I had my optometrist make up some night driving glasses for me -.05 correction for my symfony eye, I wanted plano for my right cataract eye but he wanted my prescription (from 6/28/2018) for that eye +1.00 -0.75 113axis. I haven't worn glasses in the last 2 1/2 months. Well the left (symfony) eye is good, can see distance well, but the correction in my cataract eye is off. Makes distance vision worse, blurry and seems skewed. I can definitely see better without correction in that eye. Optician did a quick auto refraction on my right eye and refraction came up with +0.75 -0.75. Apparently the cataract is still changing my vision. I have a follow up with my optometrist for the dry eye? inflammation? issue next week and will see what he comes up with for my right eye.
Optician will give him a heads up about my problem with the surgeon and said he can get me more referrals. I'm located on the SE coast of North Carolina near the South Carolina border. Welcome any suggestions if anyone has for a good surgeon in this area.
betwixt Komiko
Posted
sent you a private message -- I am pretty sure I know who you are talking about -- hmmm invents things, you don't have a happy face?
mjcg Komiko
Posted
How frustrating... and it should have been you firing him! 😃