LASIK 101:LASIK Costs

An Informed Patient is the Best Patient

To fully understand the cost of LASIK a patient should understand the choices they have when choosing a LASIK provider.

It is not uncommon for a patient to think the doctor will make all the choices for them related to their LASIK procedure. True, many of the candidacy questions will be addressed by the doctor. However, there are still some key decisions that are left up to the patient themselves. You should be fully informed on these key decisions; after all they are your eyes and it's your eyesight you are preserving. See 20/20 Institute's LASIK fees and financing

A patient considering LASIK has four (4) primary areas of choice that usually determine the price of their procedure.

1. Prescription Tiered Pricing Provider or Flat Fee Provider- One of the first questions you should ask your potential LASIK Provider is “Do you charge a flat fee for all Eyeglass Prescriptions or do you base your fees on the severity of my Eyeglass Prescription or Astigmatism?” A patient should try to find this fact out before committing to visiting a particular provider’s office.
2. Custom or Standard Corneal Reshaping Laser Technology- This is probably the single most important question a patient can ask when it comes their visual outcome related to their LASIK procedure. The FDA approved the use of Excimer Lasers (the type of Laser used in LASIK) in 1995 in the United States. When these corneal reshaping lasers were first introduced they used a reshaping method today know as Standard LASIK. Although this type of reshaping does do a very effective job of treating low to moderate prescriptions. It has a higher incidence of night glare and haloes. It is also less effective in treating Farsightedness and Astigmatism. Many LASIK Providers still utilize this older 1990’s based technology today. And yes this type of Laser technology is less expensive. The most advanced and effective form of LASIK is based on Custom (Wavefront Driven or Wavefront Optimized) corneal reshaping. This most advanced form of LASIK gives the patient a greater probability of the best visual result and the best quality of night vision. A patient should be sure as to what reshaping technology they will be treated with and what they are being charged for that technology. Of course when it comes to the probability of your visual result this is a “you get what you pay for” scenario.
3. Bladed or Bladeless Flap Creation- the first step in LASIK is the surgeon fashions a thin corneal flap of tissue and lays it back out of the way prior to reshaping the cornea to treat the patients underlying eyeglass prescription with an Excimer Laser. This first step of flap creation can be performed using a 1990’s surgical device called a Bladed Microkeratome or a more advanced device, a Bladeless Femtosecond Laser. Most patients today choose the Bladeless laser flap creation for obvious reasons. The more advanced Bladeless option is more expensive.
4. Vision Commitment Period- Although LASIK is a very effective means of treating Nearsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism it has a probability of outcome just like all other medical procedures. The good news is that LASIK is one of the most accurate and effective medical procedures performed in the World today. Still every Lasik patient has a chance of needing an initial Enhancement or Refinement (a second procedure) to refine their vision within six months of their original LASIK even though in most cases that chance is only 5-10%. Patients should check if the cost of an Initial Enhancement or Refinement is included in the original fee they have paid for LASIK. More importantly a patient should be clear on what is the long term vision commitment tied to the LASIK plan they are choosing. The term Lifetime Vision Commitment is used a lot in the field of LASIK. However not all Lifetime Vision Commitments are created equal. The best Lifetime Vision Commitments contain three important elements. First, all LASIK Refinements are at NO CHARGE to the patient not at a reduced charge. Secondly, that the commitment being provided is a 20/20 LASIK Vision Commitment. 20/20 is the standard of vision that is universal considered to be clear vision. Unfortunately Patients need to be careful. Many LASIK providers offer a deceptive Lifetime Vision Commitment that requires a Patient’s vision after LASIK to deteriorate to 20/40 before the LASIK Provider will Refine or Enhance the patients vision under the terms of the Commitment. Patients should be fully educated on these details and know what they are agreeing to for their future LASIK care. Lastly some Lifetime Vision Commitments require the Patient to be “perfect” in maintaining annual eye exams with their LASIK provider at an additional annual fee of up to $150 per year to keep the Lifetime Vision Commitment valid. Over a ten year period that is an additional $1500 the patient is paying to keep the Lifetime Vision Commitment active. Patients should be sure their Lifetime Vision Commitment does not require annual eye exams to be valid.

Review of key Questions to ask your potential LASIK Provider:

1. “Do you charge a flat fee for all Eyeglass Prescriptions or do you base your fees on the severity of my Eyeglass Prescription or Astigmatism?”
2. The fee you are quoting me, is that for Standard or Custom Wavefront (Guided or Optimized) reshaping of my cornea?
3. Does this fee include Bladed or Bladeless Flap Creation?
4. Do you offer a Lifetime Vision Commitment?
5. (If Yes) Will this Lifetime LASIK Vision Commitment be for 20/20 Vision (or 20/40) and will you provide that 20/20 LASIK commitment to me in writing?
6. (If yes) Is there a fee of any kind to keep this Lifetime LASIK Vision Commitment in force? (like annual eye exams, reduced surgical fees, etc)

If you have questions about any of this information our experienced Vision Counselors are happy to accommodate any questions you may have at 317-2020-NOW (669).