Making Regular Visits To The Eye Doctor

Three Main Factors That Affect The Cost Of Lasik Eye Surgery

Lasik eye surgery gets used to treat various eye conditions such as: 

• Blurred vision (astigmatism)
• Nearsightedness (myopia) 
• Farsightedness (hyperopia).  

By undergoing Lasik eye surgery, not only does the procedure correct the above conditions, but in most cases, patients usually end up with 20/20 or 20/40 vision.

Unfortunately, Lasik eye surgery is not usually covered under a health insurance plan because it is considered an elective form of surgery. As a result, most patients planning to undergo Lasik eye surgery should expect to cover the total cost of the procedure out of pocket. Nonetheless, there are various financing options to help patients pay for the cost of Lasik Eye surgery with ease.

According to a report depicting the current state of Lasik procedures in the U.S, it is estimated that the average cost of Lasik eye surgery falls between $1000 and $4000 per eye. 

However, several factors affect the cost of Lasik eye surgery. However, the following three factors primarily determine how much you get charged for the procedure.

Surgery Technique 

Optometrists use several techniques to perform Lasik eye surgery. The methods include:

• Conventional or Standard Lasik
• Custom or Wavefront Lasik
• Bladeless or all-laser Lasik
• PRK Lasik
• Bladed Lasik

Typically, bladed and conventional Lasik procedures have the lowest costs whereas, laser Lasik procedures cost several hundred or thousand dollars more than the two latter procedures. Nonetheless, the method of surgery utilized will usually depend on the type of eye correction you need and the kind of procedures your selected optometrist offers.    

Thus, if the amount of eye correction you need requires a more advanced approach, an optometrist will most likely opt for Laser Lasik surgery because it is the most highly refined form of Lasik surgery. However, you will have to incur a high cost for the surgery because laser Lasik surgery is the most expensive option.

Alternatively, if only minor eye correction is required, the optometrist may prefer a more straightforward surgery like bladed Lasik or traditional Lasik surgery. In such a case, you will get to enjoy paying lower Lasik eye surgery costs because such procedures are not as expensive as Laser Lasik.

Where You Get the Surgery

The surgical center where you get the Lasik treatment will also play a significant role in determining the total costs of the Lasik surgery. Typically, you can get Lasik eye surgery at corporate-owned facilities, private optometrist facilities, major hospitals, and military optometrist facilities.  

Generally, military optometrist facilities provide the cheapest Lasik eye surgery. However, there are usually only open to military personnel. Thus, if you are in the military, there is no point in seeking Lasik eye treatment in civilian hospitals or facilities because the military significantly subsidizes the cost of the procedure if you get it at a military optometrist facility.

However, if you are a civilian, it is advisable to look for a hospital that provides Lasik eye surgery because corporate-owned and private optometrist facilities charge more than hospitals. Alternatively, suppose your only options for Lasik eye surgery fall between a corporate facility and a private optometrist. In that case, it is advisable to opt for the private optometrist because corporate-owned optometrist facilities charge the highest Lasik eye treatment costs.

Nonetheless, it is advisable to note that patients have been offered unusually subsidized Lasik eye treatments by unregistered facilities. If you come across such offers providing the Lasik treatment for half the average cost, it is best to be wary and avoid such offers. At the very list make sure that they have registered with the FDA and received approval to conduct Lasik surgeries before accepting the offer. 

The Reputation of the Surgeon

Like in every other profession, the more experienced and reputed a person is at their job, the more salaries they demand. Similarly, if a surgeon is highly experienced and reputed as being among the best in the medical profession, their services are more expensive.

Thus, if you are set to get Lasik eye surgery from a reputed optometrist, chances are you will pay a premium price for the procedure. In most cases, corporate-owned facilities make a point of poaching the best optometrists because corporations have sufficient funds to hire such professionals exclusively. It is for this reason that Lasik eye surgeries provided by corporate-owned facilities are the most expensive.

Nonetheless, if you opt for a qualified buy yet lesser-known optometrist for your Lasik eye surgery, you will not encounter high costs, as is the case with reputable optometrists.

For more information on the cost of Lasik eye surgery, contact a professional near you.