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By Debby Teich
Feature Writer
For many, the thought of waking up and being able to see the alarm clock, playing sports without glasses or eliminating the hassles of wearing contact lenses seems unimaginable.
Dr. Cory Lessner, medical director of Millennium Laser Eye Centers, 1601 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway, is helping this dream become a reality for some. He has performed more than 10,000 corneal refractive procedures over the past 10 years and is one of the few surgeons in the country whose practice is limited to vision corrective procedures. He recognizes that his patients lead busy lives and uses the Internet as an efficient tool to educate consumers about laser surgery and evaluate them as potential candidates.
"Our greatest challenge is to educate consumers about LASIK as an alternative," said Lessner, a Weston resident. "We know that many people do not have the procedure because they are afraid, and we want to replace that fear with knowledge. We have created a way for consumers to determine with a degree of certainty whether or not they are a candidate, while in the privacy of their own home."
The ideal candidate is over 18 years of age, has healthy eyes, and a stable prescription. People with certain medical conditions and women who are pregnant or nursing are not eligible.
Lessner's Web site contains a variety of information aimed at educating consumers. Visitors to the site can tour the center or view actual procedures. They can learn about the credentials of the center's staff, read articles on a variety of subjects, or review the 45 frequently asked questions that are listed. They can find out what is entailed in preparing for surgery and even get directions to the center.
One of the most important elements of the Web site, however, is the online consultation which takes about 10 minutes to complete. Potential patients are asked a series of questions which helps determine the likelihood that they are a good candidate for the procedure. They are asked about their ocular history, medical history, expectations, activities that they enjoy and their level of interest.
At the end, they receive a comprehensive analysis and recommendation based on the information they submitted. Anyone who completes the survey prior to visiting the center receives a discount of $100 per eye for the time they save the staff.
"The online consultant is not a substitute for an actual exam," Lessner said. "It does, however, eliminate the need for someone to take time out of their busy schedule to visit the center if they are not a candidate."
If interested, the next step is for potential patients to visit the center, where they have a free one-on-one consultation with a refractive counselor who answers any questions about the LASIK procedure and performs some tests. If a live procedure is taking place during the consultation, the patient can watch while the refractive counselor explains the procedure step by step. This gives patients the comfort level of seeing the expertise of the surgeon and the staff in action.
"The surgery is precise, safe, quick, and more effective than ever before," Lessner said. "We have very high levels of satisfaction, as long as the patient is a good fit medically and has the proper mindset. They must have reasonable expectations, prepare their eyes properly and come for follow-up visits."
For more information, call (954) 835-0800 or visit www.mleye.com.
Article published with permission of the Weston Gazette.
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