Are you a LASIK candidate? How much will it cost? What are your options?
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When people call our office for LASIK, the very first question that they often ask is, “How much does it cost?” Why is that? It is because most people don’t know what else to ask! It is difficult to quantify safety and visual sharpness. How do you assess that objectively? This is perhaps why they get so easily lured into bait-and-switch tactics employed by many of the commercial LASIK centers.
Here, we make the process more transparent. By listing our prices clearly in the chart below and by making comparisons more transparent.
Most people know about LASIK. But few know about other alternatives like EVO ICL,PRK, SMILE, and
Clear (Refractive) Lens Exchange. That’s why many start their search backward by going for a LASIK screening in a commercial LASIK center.
Here is a better question to ask: “What is the procedure that will give me the best vision in the long term in the safest fashion?” The answer to this question will be unveiled by a comprehensive vision correction screening but not by a free LASIK screening offered to get you through the door in many commercial LASIK centers.
Depending on your age, prescription range, and individual eyes, you may be much better served with one of the LASIK alternatives. In fact, if you are over 45, and want to be able to read without glasses LASIK or SMILE are probably not your best bet. They can both correct your vision for distance, but they’re not very good for fixing near vision in both eyes. Some surgeons resort to monovision as an option. But it’s not ideal. Instead, look into Clear (Refractive) Lens Exchange.
LASIK and SMILE are not reversible procedures. You want to do it right the first time. Getting the wrong type of LASIK, or getting LASIK with a surgeon that is inexperienced, or one who uses equipment that is suboptimal can cost you more money in the end as well as lead to disappointing results. So, make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money.
To make matters even more complex, there are many types of LASIK. There are two separate processes that you must consider.
The creation of the flap: The flap can be created using a blade or be bladeless as with All-Laser LASIK where the flap is created with a laser. The latter is generally considered a safer option.
The corrective laser treatment: Once the flap has been created, a second type of laser is applied to the cornea. This treatment laser is what actually determines the quality of your vision after the surgery. There are many ways to cut corners here by using cheaper and substandard lasers. The best laser platform as of 2023 is the Allegretto 500 Wavelight machine with VISX as the second best and NIDEK as a distant third. One type of treatment called “Contoura®” offers a vision that can be potentially better than 20/20. It is only available on the Wavelight device.
The skill, experience, and conscientiousness of your surgeon is the single most important factor to the success of the surgery. Besides performing the surgery, the surgeon decides which procedure is best suited for you. If the surgeon only performs a certain type of surgery like LASIK or SMILE and doesn’t do intra-ocular surgeries like Clear (Refractive) Lens Exchange, you will get a biased opinion. You want to make sure that your surgeon is a cornea specialist and can perform all of the wide range of vision correction procedures available. Meet Dr. Cohen
Many centers quote you a very low price but then charge you for every exam. Some may or may not include possible enhancements in the price, so if you need a touch-up, there might be an extra charge. Some may provide a lifetime guarantee, but you must read the fine print.
Prices could be lowered using the following tactics:
Using a substandard laser system that costs a lot less
Using mass production procedures that ignore individual variations and are more prone to errors
Bragging about their main doctor’s vast experience but switching you to another doctor for the surgery at the quoted price
Using free screening exams as bait to bring you in
Often the price advertised is significantly lower than what they will charge you for the procedure that they offer.
Offering you what is most convenient/profitable for them rather than what's best for you
Some vision plans offer up to 15% off the cost of LASIK. You may get some discounts with medical insurance as well. Each plan is different. Contact us to find out.
Almost all centers provide a 12-18 months interest-free financing option.
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