LASIK is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. In LASIK, a thin flap in the cornea is created using either a microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser. The surgeon folds back the flap, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.
With nearsighted people, the goal of LASIK is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.
If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, your first step is to choose a good LASIK surgeon who can evaluate whether LASIK is right for you. Your LASIK surgeon will examine your eyes to determine their health, what kind of vision correction you need, and how much laser ablation (corneal tissue removal) is required. The doctor will also ask about any health conditions that may disqualify you altogether for LASIK surgery.
If you’re not a candidate for LASIK, you may qualify for another laser eye surgery such as PRK (similar to LASIK but without the flap), LASEK, or epi-LASIK. There are also non-laser vision correction procedures. Your prescription and eye structure will be considered to help determine which procedure is best for you.
LASIK is an outpatient procedure, so you don’t have to stay at the surgery center overnight. The LASIK surgeon uses a computer to adjust the laser for your particular prescription. You will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while the laser sends pulses of light to painlessly reshape your cornea. The actual LASIK surgery usually takes less than five minutes.
LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. You may hear people calling it “LASIX,” but the name is actually short for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.”
Why is it so popular? LASIK has advantages over other procedures, including a relative lack of pain afterward and the fact that good vision is usually achieved by the very next day.
An instrument called a microkeratome is used in LASIK eye surgery to create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. Another, newer way of making the flap is with a laser.
The surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove (”ablate”) very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it.
When the cornea is reshaped in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.
Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from the LASIK procedure. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. While this is not widely recognized by consumers, excimer lasers also can correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.
LASIK prices, after rising for several years, seemed to stabilize from 2006 to 2009. Industry sources report that the average LASIK price in late 2006 was about $1,950. In 2007, LASIK and laser-based procedures charged at a single price (no extra charges added on for new technologies) cost an average of $2,099. And at prices reported in 2008, the average rose only slightly, to $2,105. The average LASIK price reported in 2009 was $2,140 (see charts below).
In comparison, LASIK in 2002 was $1,550-$1,600; by October 2003 it had risen to $1,710; at the end of 2004, it was a little over $1,800; and in 2005 it was $1,965. These averages take into account procedures performed at surgeon-owned laser centers, institutions, and corporate laser centers. Also, keep in mind that earlier prices do not reflect new technologies of wavefront analysis and laser-created flaps, which have been adopted for widespread use only in recent years.
TLC Laser Eye Centers reported an average per-procedure fee of $2,000 in early 2008, 2007 and 2006. In 2002, the average procedure fee was $1,800.
At TLC, an extra charge of $350 to $650 per eye is added for wavefront analysis combined with IntraLase. The company’s 2007 annual report released in early 2008 indicated that customized LASIK with IntraLase can cost as much as $2,700 per eye at a TLC center.
LasikPlus (LCA-Vision) reported in early 2008 that its per-procedure prices at various centers had increased about 7 percent, from $1,387 in 2006 to $1,481 in 2007 — partly due to the addition of IntraLase laser-created flaps in LASIK procedures.
Following is a chart of average LASIK prices, per eye, as reported in 2009 by a leading industry analyst.
lasik surgery costs chart
