Ask, ask, ask. Go to the library and research both techniques thoroughly. Do a complete web search. If you don't understand the language, buy a medical dictionary.

It's YOUR body and you have to live with the results. I was told by an ophthamologist that Lasik surgery would fix it so that I wouldn't need glasses -- Right, thought I, but laser surgery doesn't correct the problems I have, problems YOU told me about, and I'm outa here. I never went back to him. A hard sell all too often means ca$h to the person who operates, either now or in the future.

I don't want to be a practice dummy for surgery anymore than I have to be.

Ask, ask, ask. Research...and you can research the surgeon, too. Ask your librarian for help -- there's powerful little librarians haven't heard and less that they can't research.