Beware of Discount LASIK Surgery

You have no doubt seen the ads for discount LASIK surgery at prices hundreds if not thousands of dollars below the competition . While shopping for the best bargain is prudent for most consumer purchases, bargain shopping for surgical vision correction may not always be the best idea. Judging from some of the ads I’ve seen, some of these centers would like us to think of LASIK surgery as just another commodity service, not unlike repairing your roof. Of course, logic tells us that’s not the case.

Low cost LASIK centers appeal to consumers who’s biggest consideration is price over logic. They tend to thrive off of high volume, less demanding patients, and pricing structures which may appear deceiving to some.

This is not to imply that all discount LASIK providers are shady or provide bad service. Obviously a large number of patients are satisfied with the service or they could not remain in business. However, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. When you are dealing with something as precious as your vision, it is imperative to make the best informed decisions possible.

There are a number of areas to both explore and beware of when considering a discount center for LASIK surgery. A few are highlighted below:

Pricing structure.

Some discounters may use ala carte pricing as opposed to all inclusive pricing. An advertised price of say $699 may only cover a certain limited range of prescriptions. Your vision may require a prescription which is not covered in the discount price and you will be required to pay additional fees. Inclusive pricing usually includes follow up visits as needed and in most cases retreatment. Low cost centers often charge for these services. And then there are upgrades to newer or more appropriate (i.e. more expensive) procedure. The costs involved with these “up-sells” can add significantly to the cost of your procedure.

LASIK surgery is a highly competitive field and low advertised “teaser” prices in some cases serve only to get people in the door and provide a sales lead.

Technology

LASIK is an extremely delicate procedure that requires highly maintained up to date equipment. The early technology for LASIK surgery required use of a microkeratome blade. Today, most premium LASIK practices use the latest technology such as bladeless laser surgery or wavefront guided LASIK. The cost to surgeons to acquire this equipment is considerable. Discount centers frequently use the older bladed (microkeratome) technology which, while effective, may not produce the same level of accuracy as newer systems. Blade less laser surgery is generally not an option at the discount price.

Surgeons

It is not unusual in a low cost LASIK center for the patient to only see a surgeon during the actual procedure. Pre-operative screening and post-operative care is often relegated to office staff.

Office Staff

While your surgeon is the one actually performing the surgery, the staff provides support to the surgeon and maintains the surgical equipment. Discount centers may not train staff to the same level of expertise as a full featured surgical practice.

These are just a few of the issues that consumers should be aware of when considering low cost LASIK.  Know what you are getting into and never let money alone be your criteria.

Choosing a surgeon is by far the single most important decision one must make when considering LASIK surgery. Whether it be a discount surgery center or private surgical practice it is up to the patient to take the time and effort to thoroughly investigate a potential surgeons credentials and track record.