The cost of LASIK can make even the most comfortable middle-class adult blink two times. On average, LASIK costs a person about $4,000 to get both eyes done– not an affordable procedure but not prohibitively pricey, either.
Why Are LASIK Eye Surgeries So Expensive?
The bright side is that with funding, cost savings, tax-free health accounts and discount rates, many people can afford quality LASIK without resorting to low-end LASIK service providers.
Avoid Low-Cost LASIK Providers
While window shopping, bear in mind that LASIK is surgery. Excellent surgeons invest years improving the art and science of their craft, and they will charge a price that reflects their know-how.
With that in mind, here are three major reasons to prevent inexpensive LASIK companies:
1. Innovation
LASIK has actually existed since 1989.
Custom Bladeless LASIK, the most advanced and easily available LASIK technology, is more costly, for example. It needs using a Wavefront Analyzer (NASA-level innovation) and a second laser to develop a thin layer of corneal tissue. These additional expenses get passed to the patient. A more affordable provider is less likely to have and use these more recent innovations. If you find a cheaper-than-average LASIK price, ask explicitly if this price consists of “Wavefront-Customized Bladeless LASIK.”
2. Qualifications
You get what you spend for, and what you wish to spend for is a qualified LASIK surgeon with at least thousands and perhapstens of countless procedures under his lab-coat belt
Surgeons with less experience and fewer credentials are likely to command more affordable prices.
Ask how active your surgeon is in keeping with the latest innovation, and look for proof of unique training, fellowships, professorships and memberships to expert associations, such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Read more about LASIK safety.
3. Fault Rates
No one likes the old bait ‘n switch: getting pulled in at a low-cost marketed rate just to learn that’s for other patients or for an old type of LASIK.
A typical way LASIK companies bait ‘n switch people is by preying on weak understanding of LASIK. Not all LASIK comes equal. Bladed Conventional LASIK, which might not offer as good results as Bladeless Custom LASIK, is typically cheaper, for example.
Another method service providers change the price is by stating their cheap advertised price was for some patients. But your eyes are special because of X, Y, Z, so you cannot have the marketed price.
Cities across the continent have their shares of bait-‘ n-switchers. Beware inexpensive LASIK advertised at $299/eye, $499/eye or perhaps $999/eye. These costs don’t represent the cost most people pay for safe, quality LASIK.
As you think about LASIK, schedule a consultation at a trusted provider. These vision centers can tell you with precision if there’s any factor you’re not a LASIK prospect — typically totally free and with no commitment.
Conclusion
A common question about laser eye surgery is just, “How much is LASIK?”
The best response is this: There is no single answer. The cost of LASIK differs commonly from the “too good to be true” $299 per eye on tv commercials to the similarly amazing $5,000 per eye. The nationwide average cost of Custom Bladeless LASIK (the type medical professionals and patients prefer for its advanced safety) is about $2,000 per eye, and a bit more than that in larger cities with a higher cost of living. So, think again, is it too expensive to pay for LASIK surgery?