How Much Does Lasik Vision Surgery Cost
If you′re even slightly interested in the pursuing lasik as a way to correct your vision, one of the biggest factors in your decision making process will most likely be the cost. As we all know, medical costs have shot through the roof over the past decade, but lasik surgery seems to have eluded this trend. One reason for this is the fact that insurance typically won′t cover the cost of your lasik surgery. This forces people to shop around for price, which drives the cost down to meet consumer demands.
Remember, lasik surgery prices are quoted per eye. Even if you′re having both eyes worked on, it’s still a per eye charge. Most of the studies you find will show an average cost in 2008 and 2009 of $2100 per eye. Still, you′ll find some lasik surgeons charging a little more based on office expenses as well as equipment costs. If you shop around you should be able to find a very qualified doctor at or new $2000 per eye.
If you live in a more rural area, you may find prices slightly lower than these averages. At the same time, you may not have the latest equipment available to you. This may not matter in your decision after all, 5 year old equipment worked just fine 5 years ago when it was cutting edge. If you do want to get the latest advances at the most affordable cost, it may be advantageous for you to look at the closest metropolitan area for your surgery. Because the recovery time is so mild and relatively quick, some people will make a semi-vacation out of the surgery. A Friday surgery, weekend recovery and then a few days to explore the city with your new set of eyes.
There have been some advances in lasik technology that could affect the cost of your laser eye correction. One of the biggest changes is something called “bladeless” lasik or IntraLase. Typically, a sharp blade or scalpel will be used to open the cornea. This is then folded over and a laser is used to remove or “shave” off the correct amount in order to properly correct your vision. With bladeless lasik, a laser is also used to precisely remove the cornea rather than a scalpel. This will add to the cost of your laser vision correction.
Any time you see lasik surgery below what you would expect or well below the cost advertised by other surgeons in the area, make sure you get a complete estimate of what is being provide and any ADDITIONAL cost that may be incurred beyond these advertised amount. Bargain prices will often leave out necessary items like anesthesia, post lasik examinations, facility fees, and other items you will definitely need. Because your final cost may change dramatically with one of the bargain offices, never agree to a non-refundable deposit on your surgery.
Lasik vision is usually done in a matter of minutes and seems to be all done by a computer operated machine. So, why the high cost? There’s a lot that is included including, obviously a nice profit for the doctors. Office space, medical supplies, staffing, advertising and even a royalty fee is needed. The company that invented this technology is typically paid over $150 in licensing fees. Don′t forget liability insurance for the doctors. That’s always a requirement with any medical procedure.
Most doctors will offer some sort of financing to help make the cost of your surgery more affordable. Make sure you ask about this since many of them will have no down and no interest if paid off in a given time. This is basically free money for you, if you can afford it, but read the fine print. If you slip up and miss a payment you may suddenly incur a retroactive interest fee that you didn′t expect.
As tempting as it may be, do not let the cost of your surgery dictate where you end up going. Of course, if a doctor falls way outside of the average for your area, you′ll want to keep shopping around. Find the best doctor you possibly can within a price range that’s affordable for you. These are your eyes you′re dealing with and it’s not a place to pinch pennies.
Tags: Contact Lenses, cosmetic surgery, eye sight, eye surgery, glasses, health, lasik, lasik cost, lasik post surgery, lasik surgery, lasik vision, lasik vision surgery, vision, vision correction
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