I want to have someone research LASIK (refractive surgery or
corrective eye surgery) on the WEB and find the "best in class" sites.
 I am looking for a pure consumer perspective regarding usability,
function, helpful content, access, etc.  I am not looking for ranking.
 I would like the researcher to give me 8 to 10 URL's and the reason
that they think these reflect good information or a good example of a
WEB offering.

Hello, mike_lapenna-ga!

 It's nice to see you back! Since no one else has taken a stab at
answering your question, I am happy to provide my input. Actually, I
can probably give you a very objective consumer perspective about
which websites seem to be the best in terms of clear and basic
information. Both my husband and  daughter have spoken about possibly
having corrective lasik surgery, but neither they, nor I, know much
about the procedure.

 I have compiled the websites that stand out (to me) as being the most
comprehensive in terms of information, easy to navigate and visually
pleasing. I ran searches on various search engines in order to get a
wide variety of results.

 

LASIK EYE SURGERY - FDA 
========================
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/

 This is a very comprehensive, objective, government website
concerning lasik eye surgery. It includes explanations about the
procedures, the best candidates, the risks, what to expect, a
checklist, glossary, Faq's and references to other resources. The site
conveys trustworthiness and is EXTREMELY easy to navigate.

* The one drawback to this site is the lack of a Cost Estimate for lasik surgery.




CONSUMER GUIDE TO LASIK EYE SURGERY - ALL ABOUT VISION 
=======================================================
http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/

 This site is provides an excellent overview of all the necessary
facts about Lasik - the various types of lasik procedures, the
alternatives, risks and outcomes, average prices, an "Ask the Surgeon"
feature, as well as a short online "screening test" which helps
individuals to determine whether they are potential candidates for
Lasik surgery. There is also a good section on "How to Choose a
Surgeon."

* The only two drawbacks are that the site appears a bit cluttered,
and the links for local surgeons are not very comprehensive.




LASIK EYE SURGERY - MEDICINENET
=================================
http://www.medicinenet.com/lasik_eye_surgery/article.htm

 MedicineNet provides an great overview of lasik surgery with
easy-to-navigate links covering all the basics.

 The site goes into even more depth under the link for the "Lasik Eye
Surgery Center" - including how to get the most from a doctor's visit,
questions to ask before surgery, how to choose a doctor, insurance
information, etc.
http://www.medicinenet.com/lasik_eye_surgery/index.htm




LASIK - EYE SURGERY EDUCATION COUNCIL
======================================
http://www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/index.html

http://www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/Lasik.html

http://www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/Lasik_Fundamentals.html


The site is very good and covers all the fundamentals of Lasik
surgery. Slides of the steps of the procedure are a big plus! Offers
alternatives for other refractive surgeries as well.


* A slight drawback is that it is a bit confusing to get to the best
part of the site, which is at the following URL:
http://www.eyesurgeryeducation.com/Lasik_Fundamentals.html




LASIK EYE SURGERY INFORMATION - DOCSHOP
========================================
http://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/lasik/

I can find no fault with this site. It is very comprehensive.
Navigation is via links within the text or on the left-hand sidebar.

The "Locate a Doctor in Your Area" feature is excellent. Not only are
references provided, but there are good descriptions of the doctor's
credentials and practice areas, the clinic's specialties, etc.




LASIK LASER EYE SURGERY - LASIK AMERICA
========================================
http://www.lasikamerica.org/

This site includes most all of the information a consumer might want
to know about lasik surgery. It has an easy-to-navigate side bar.

* One main component that is missing from this site is "alternatives"
or "other procedures" that might be considered if an individual is not
a good candidate for lasik surgery.

* The only other main drawback are visual/technical. The top half of
the opening page has some cheesy-looking, large blue links, two of
which lead to a "page not found" error. It is a bit distracting to
have to scroll down to the main part of the site.  Also, the
"Animation of LASIK Procedure" does not seem to work!




REFRACTIVE SOURCE
===================
http://www.refractivesource.com/

"Refractive Source provides information on refractive surgery to help
patients make informed decisions and eye doctors render appropriate
care.  Created by Brian Chou, O.D., F.A.A.O., a San Diego
optometrist."

This site provides a wealth of information about various types of
refractive eye surgery under the links for Patient Information on the
homepage. There is an abundance of relevant information for consumers
on this page.
http://www.refractivesource.com/patients/alternatives/alternatives.htm

* Unfortunately, while the information is excellent and extremely
comprehensive, the  presentation is VISUALLY BORING (dismal shades of
gray and blue!) That might not bother some people, though!




INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR REFRACTIVE SURGERY
=============================================
http://www.isrs.org/

Refer to page - "Understanding Refractive Eye Surgery" 
http://www.isrs.org/public/patient_information.cfm

 This site provides a very good basic overview of refractive surgery,
with excellent diagrams and explanations of various procedures. It
also provides an "Am I a Good Candidate" section.

 Unfortunately, the information devoted to ordinary consumers is
limited to ONE PAGE on a website devoted primarily to professionals.
     



REFRACTIVE SURGERY - EYEMDLink
===============================

A basic resource about refractive surgery procedures with one page of
FAQ's. Not as comprehensive as some of the sites listed above
http://www.eyemdlink.com/EyeProcedure.asp?EyeProcedureID=2




LASER EYE SURGERY  - MEDLINE PLUS
==================================
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lasereyesurgery.html

Medline is okay, but it is very jumbled and is basically a compilation
of links to other sites. I think it is quite confusing, to be honest.



====



 I hope my selection of sites proves helpful for you!


Sincerely,

umiat


Search Criteria

lasik eye surgery
about lasik eye surgery
refractive surgery
lasik or refractive eye surgery

---

Request for Answer Clarification by mike_lapenna-ga on 04 Nov 2006 13:25 PST

As usual, excellent response and on-point.  One additional question
(about the already competed research) -- did you find any compelling,
stand-out, notable "surgeon" sites.  These would be primarily
promotional in nature (although some education might occur).  I want
to see how a surgeon might be marketing or promoting this type of
service.

Again, please do not trouble yourself with additional research.  I am
interested if you came across any of these sites in your search
process.

Mike LaPenna

---

Clarification of Answer by umiat-ga on 04 Nov 2006 13:58 PST

Hi, mike! I will go back over my research queries and see if any
surgeon sites stand out. Stay tuned. I probably won't get to this
until later this evening. Thank you for the five stars and kind
comments!

---

Clarification of Answer by umiat-ga on 04 Nov 2006 22:32 PST

Here are a few company/surgeon sites that stood out as better than most.


Laser Sight
http://www.lasik.com.au/

 This company has many locations throughout Australia but the
information and the site format is excellent! Even the presentation is
visually pleasing.



Laser Eye Center
http://www.lasereyecenter.com/google/index.php

 This is a company with several locations. They are fairly descriptive
of the procedures and have a good section of FAQ's, but no information
on costs.



TLC Vision
http://www.tlcvision.com/

 Another company with several locations. This site is quite
comprehensive and easy to navigate.



Furlong Vision
http://www.furlongvision.com/

 This site has good material but it is cluttered.  Dr. Michael T.
Furlong is the primary surgeon.

Excellent response, on point, helpful and illuminating commentary. 
Very useful information and well worth the cost of the service.