Eye Surgery Cost

Eye surgery costs vary widely from one provider to another. The cost of laser eye surgery also depends on a number of different factors, so before you make plans based on the latest LASIK bargain, keep in mind that only a small fraction of patients usually qualify for the minimal surgery that such offers include.

The only standard that applies to all LASIK procedures across the board is that LASIK and other refractive eye surgery costs are quoted per eye. You may have noticed this in popular ads claiming that you too can reap the benefits of laser eye surgery for only $500 per eye.

Not only do laser eye surgery ads fail to take into consideration the fact that most people require more surgery than the bargain offers entail, but laser surgery quotes vary as far as what other services are included. It has been reported that only about three percent of laser eye surgery procedures are performed for less than $1,000 per eye.

Rising LASIK Prices

You'd think that the cost of laser eye surgery would have been steadily declining as the procedure becomes more wide spread, and while this is the case, there are other factors that are increasing the average cost of laser eye surgery.

New technology is the main factor in increased cost of laser eye surgery. For example, LASIK with IntraLase is a procedure in which the corneal flap is cut with a laser instead of a microkeratome, a fine metal blade. The increase typically ranges between $250 and $500 per eye. There have been claims that this newer technology has better results in terms of improved vision and fewer complications. Take a look at the ongoing debate: "Blade Versus Bladeless LASIK" found at http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/blade-vs-bladeless.htm.

Another example of improved technology is custom LASIK which involves 'wavefront' technology that measures and maps the irregularities of the eye's visual field and can cost anywhere from $200 to$500 more per eye than traditional LASIK eye surgery.

Before committing to a particular procedure or practitioner, find out what all is involved in the procedure and the quote you receive. Find out exactly which types of instruments and equipment will be used in order to better determine which provider has the best offer.