To approach an operation, especially one where they slice up your eyes, like it's a haircut seems.... naive, at best.

Not if you know nothing about the operation.

Especially if you know nothing about the operation, and even more so when it's an elective procedure!

People have to trust their doctors, just like they have to trust anyone who is an expert in things they don't understand. Whether it's prescribing a medication, or performing surgery, I accept that my doctor is the expert and I'm not.

Absolutely. I don't have a problem with trusting doctors, but my first priority is to myself. My health is my responsibilty. Let me ask you this: how much research did you do before you bought the Empeg? Don't you think your health is worth the time and effort to find out what is going to happen to you? There's a difference between researching an operation, finding out out the risks and benefits, making sure your doctor is qualified, and going out and becoming an expert in the field. If I have a doctor tell me I need open heart surgery, I'm going to ask why, and if there are any other options. I'm not going to say "okay... you're the expert, go ahead. Whatever you say." As a patient, it is *my* job to be informed about what's going on.

In the case of this LASIK gone bad, the optometrist said no to the procedure back in what... 1985? She finally had the procedure done in 1999, after her optometrist completely flipflopped his stance on the operation. In 14 years she did no research. It's not like this was something that she had to make a snap judgement on -- "if I don't do this in the next 2 days, I'm going to die!" I don't, for a second, buy that I should put *less* thought into an operation than I do into buying a truck. If you do, then you're a fool.

Doctors are not infallible. The wife of one of my workmates was having knee trouble. The doctor recommended having surgery, which would leave her pain free, but unable to walk up and down stairs. She researched her options, and decided not to have the surgery, which is contrary to what the doctor told her. Today she has no knee trouble, is pain free, and can walk up and down stairs -- all she needed was a change in lifestyle.

It's your job to make sure you visit a doctor, and not a doctorb (the b is for bargain).