Some national chains advertise
Lasik prices as low at $299 an eye, but a look at the financial
reports of those same chains will find that the average Lasik cost
is about $1,350 per eye. The price of Lasik varies from about $1,400
to $3,600 per eye, depending on the surgeon and technology, according
to David Harmon, president of the St. Louis research firm
Market Scope.
The USAEyes nonprofit organization does not provide Lasik
- we only provide Lasik information and certify Lasik doctor patient
outcomes - but we do pay attention to Lasik price issues. What is
paid will depend greatly on the patient's unique circumstances,
which procedure is recommended, and market competition.
Don't Pay Too Much Or Too Little
Nobody wants to pay too much for anything, but this is microsurgery
on eyes. If the best available surgeon is unaffordable, then the
wise choice may be to not have Lasik at all. An inexperienced
doctor is no bargain at any price. If you go on the cheap and something
goes wrong, you may never forgive yourself. That said, just because
someone charges a lot does not make them a better doctor, nor does
charging less make them an inferior doctor. What is important is
to focus (pun intended) on the quality of the surgeon and keep price
secondary.
Lasik Price Transparency
There are many different
refractive surgery techniques with variable costs. Conventional
Lasik ablation will likely be less expensive than
wavefront custom Lasik.
All-Laser Lasik will likely be more expensive than Lasik with
a mechanical microkeratome.
PRK,
LASEK,
Epi-Lasik, and
NearVision CK may have slightly different cost than Lasik.
RLE is likely to be more expensive than Lasik. Some clinics
charge extra for "lifetime acuity" plans that provide additional
surgery if required later.
You may respond to the $299 ad, but be "upsold" into something
much more expensive. The difficult part is knowing if you really
need the more expensive procedures. This concern led to US Congressional
hearings regarding
Lasik
cost transparency.
Lasik is an elective surgery that is market driven and being
sold to you. To some degree your surgeon is your salesperson, but
the better doctors will not try to sell you something that would
not be to your benefit.
Perspective
Would you purchase a pair of glasses out of a basket at a thrift
store and expect to be able to see well? Perhaps you would see okay,
but you would probably only want to wear glasses custom made for
you and that provide the most accurate correction for your eyes.
Lasik is much the same. We don't mean to equate $299 Lasik to a
thrift store, but you get the idea
You will live with the results of your refractive surgery, good
or bad, for the rest of your life. Make a surgery decision,
not a financial one.
If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional
or wavefront custom Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik,
NearVision CK, RLE, or any refractive surgery procedure, we highly
recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified
by the USAEyes nonprofit organization. Locate a USAEyes
Evaluated & Certified
Lasik Laser Eye Surgery Doctor.
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