Breakdown Of LASIK Eye Surgery Prices
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Lasik Eye Surgery Prices.

LASIK eye surgery prices vary widely among different clinics. Costs are dependent on a number of factors. Not only that, advertising can skew the true cost of the LASIK eye surgery price. For example, you might see an ad that boasts $500 per eye. What they don't tell you is that not everyone qualifies for that rate. People who need more extensive vision correction or more post-surgery follow-up sessions will pay more. It's been reported that around 3% of all final LASIK eye surgery prices are under $1,000 per eye.

In recent years, LASIK eye surgery prices have been escalating. In 2002, the average LASIK eye surgery price was around $1,550 and $1,600 per eye. By Fall 2003, the average rose to over $1,700. In 2004, it went up again to over $1,800. In early 2005, the average LASIK eye surgery price was $1,965. These figures are taken from a wide range of clinics, from individual doctors with leased equipment to large multi-location clinics.

There are two reasons why LASIK eye surgery prices are rising. First, more and more procedures are using "custom LASIK," which costs more than traditional LASIK. Second, these procedures use IntraLase technology, which adds to the cost.

LASIK with IntraLase is a procedure where a cornea is reshaped by using a laser to cut a flap instead of using a microkeratome. On average, LASIK with IntraLase will increase the cost of a LASIK procedure by $250 to $500 per eye. It is preferred by many surgeons because they find fewer complications, require fewer re-treatments, and increase the chances of 20/20 or better vision.

Custom LASIK uses wavefront technology in order to map and measure the aberrations in the visual field of the eye. Custom LASIK costs more than traditional LASIK. The costs can range from $100 to $500 or more per eye in addition to the cost of traditional LASIK.

LASIK surgery costs can also vary depending on how extensive you are tested prior to surgery. You should find out if the fees you are quoted include all pre-operation screenings and evaluations. As well, the equipment used can impact cost. There are various price points for technology that evaluates eye tracking, corneal thickness measurements, pupil size, corneal topography, tear film analysis, and the laser itself.

Other costs include:

1. The purchase/lease and maintenance of the actual laser, corneal ring, and other devices the surgeon might use during the operation.
2. A royalty fee to the laser manufacturer in order to recoup the development costs of the machine. This can be around $100 to $150.
3. Another royalty fee to the laser manufacturer if the surgery is a custom procedure;
4. Sterile items including gowns, gloves, and masks.
5. Overhead for the clinic, including salaries for the administrative and surgical personnel, benefits, leases, equipment costs, and advertising.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.