Average Cost of LASIK Surgery

Average Cost of LASIK Surgery

The average cost of LASIK surgery is estimated to be $1950 total per eye, although this price varies depending on the technology that is used to complete the procedure. The cost of LASIK surgery can run anywhere from $1500 to $3600 per eye.

The following is a list of technologies that will increase the cost of the surgery:

1. The use of Wavefront technology will significantly increase the average cost of LASIK surgery. This technology allows the degree to which the surgeon can perform your cornea measurements, as well as the degree to which he can reshape the corneal surface during surgery to be greatly enhanced. It is more precise to a much higher degree than that of traditional LASIK surgery. Overall this results in greater vision correction (i.e., seeing 20/20 instead of 20/60 or 20/80) and less complications such as halos, glares, and starbursts.

The use of Wavefront technology during a LASIK surgery is also known as custom LASIK, and consists of using three dimensional measurements that determine how your eye focuses on light rays. A three dimensional map is then made of these measurements, and it is used by the surgeon to guide the laser during the surgery. The use of this technology increases the average cost of LASIK not only because of the greater results achieved but also because of the higher skill level required by the surgeon and higher cost of this technology.

2. The use of advanced lasers which can create a more precise flap during the LASIK surgery, such as the Intralase, rather than the traditional microkeratome blade This creates a finer incision due to the fact that the laser is guided by computer rather than solely by the surgeon's hand, creating a much more accurate incision in terms of depth, angle, and position. This type of surgery may be used for those with thin corneas who otherwise might not have qualified for LASIK surgery with a microkeratome blade, for those with unusual curves of the cornea, and for those who need much more precise incisions and surgical procedures.

LASIK surgeries performed with this technology have the lowest rates of risks associated with flap complications. LASIK surgeries which use this technology are also known as intraLASIK surgery; the average cost of LASIK surgery using this technology is greater than that of basic blade and excimer laser LASIK surgery (also known as traditional LASIK surgery) due to its more precise outcomes and techniques, and lower rate of complications.

3. The use of the most advanced laser available today, known as the Advanced CustomVue laser. This laser is considered to be the most precise laser available for LASIK surgeries, and can correct levels of near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism which were previously out of range of most LASIK surgery techniques Most patients who undergo this type of LASIK surgery report vision that is crisper, clearer, and more vivid than anything they experienced, with greater visual acuity as well (most patients achieve greater than 20/20 vision). These patients report the greatest degree of satisfaction and have the highest rates of success and long term enjoyment among all who undergo LASIK surgery.

Overall, the average cost of LASIK rises significantly according to the technology used, with the level of success rising respectively as well, the severity of the vision problem to be corrected, and the skill of the LASIK surgeon himself.

By Becki Andrus

Average Cost of LASIK Surgery