LASIK Cost: Is The Price Right?

What’s the Difference in $299 versus $2,500 for the Price of LASIK?

We all like to feel like we’re getting the best deal when we shop for things like trendy outfits, home accessories, our favorite munchies at the grocery store and some big-ticket items, like mattresses and cars. But when it comes to the medical care, especially something as valuable as vision correction and LASIK eye surgery, that’s when we should all carefully do our research before falling victim to a bait and switch campaign.

If you’re evaluating having LASIK eye surgery, you may have seen a variety of pricing options for LASIK ranging from $299 to $2,500 – so why the big price difference?

Does $299 LASIK Really Exist?

The short answer is yes. You may have seen or heard about the price of LASIK being $299 in certain advertising campaigns – so in theory, and in the world of advertising, $299 LASIK can exist.

But the real question should be how many people actually pay $299 for their LASIK surgery? The answer to that is not many!

The $299 LASIK price you see advertised is the bait to get you to call and schedule a consultation. Then upon completing a consultation, patients are hit with the actual price of LASIK eye surgery, which typically has hidden and additional fees for:

• Higher prescriptions
• Astigmatism
• Technology upgrades
• Post-operative care plans
• Enhancement plans

What to Look Out For With $299 LASIK

In addition to understanding the true cost of LASIK, it is important to attempt to peek behind the curtain to see what else is going on at each practice you evaluate. Here are a few questions to ask that will help you while evaluating LASIK eye surgery:

• Will you be the surgeon doing my LASIK eye surgery? In all likelihood, the answer is no, and the person you are speaking with is a technician, or at best, an optometrist, who legally cannot perform LASIK in North Carolina.
• Do you perform all-laser LASIK, or do you use a blade? Most likely the answer will be that they use a blade. Please note that LASIK is a two-step process. Step 1 makes the flap using a laser. Step 2 corrects your vision using a laser.
• Do you charge more for higher prescriptions?
• Do you charge more for astigmatism?
• How many post-operative visits are included?
• Is there an enhancement plan to protect you in the future?
• What if I have an urgent issue, do you have a doctor on call 24 x 7?

There are probably other corners that are cut that you can’t see, and staff members may not even be aware of these types of issues:

• Are the diagnostic devices (such as corneal mapping) the most recent and precise?
• Have the lasers been regularly maintained?
• Has the laser software been upgraded as recommended by the manufacturer?
• Is there a power backup in case the power goes out in the middle of your surgery?
• Is the laser suite environmentally controlled per the manufacturer's recommendations?

Many times, after all is said and done and the deal is written up, your price of LASIK will be close to, and may even exceed, that of a premier LASIK practice.

Is The Price of LASIK With a Premier LASIK Practice Worth It?

If you value your eyes – the only pair you’ll ever get – your answer will likely be yes, but ultimately you are the only one who can answer this question for yourself.

It is mission critical that you do all your research and educate yourself on the differences between $299 LASIK and $2,500 LASIK. You will quickly learn that premier LASIK eye surgery practices are vastly different than the “big box” centers.

Providence Eye & Laser Specialists is the premier LASIK facility in Charlotte, NC. So, how does our patient experience differ from other local $299 LASIK practices?

Meet Your Surgeon

Your free LASIK consultation will be performed by Dr. Mozayeni, the actual LASIK surgeon who would do your surgery. Guaranteed!

Cornea Expertise

Dr. Mozayeni is a board-certified ophthalmologist who is a fellowship-trained cornea specialist. This is important since LASIK surgery is performed on your cornea – having expertise in this area of the eye is critical to performing LASIK.

Top-of-the-Line Technology

At Providence Eye, we never cut corners. Since the day Dr. Mozayeni opened this practice in 2003, he has been committed to having the most up-to-date state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, such as the Pentacam, the Wavelight® Topolyzer VARIO Diagnostic Device (VARIO) and the WaveLight lasers. After several laser upgrades over the past 15 years, Dr. Mozayeni currently uses the WaveLight FS200 to make the flap and the WaveLight EX500 to reshape the cornea. These lasers are maintained on a regular basis and their software is up to date according to the manufacture’s specifications. Additionally, our laser suite is environmentally controlled with special air filtration and temperature control.

What You See is What You Get

Transparency and honesty are two major tenants that guide Dr. Mozayeni as a person and a surgeon. Dr. Mozayeni will:

• Always treat you like an individual, never like a number
• Make medical recommendations to you as if you are a member of his own family
• Tell you if you are not an ideal LASIK candidate and explain why. About 20% of people who come in for LASIK consultations are not ideal candidates – if this is the case, Dr. Mozayeni will explain why and offer alternative treatment options, if any are appropriate.
• Provides simple straightforward pricing over the phone with no bait and switch tactics