If you’ve done any research into laser eye surgery or how much laser eye surgery might cost, you will have quickly found that laser eye surgery costs a lot more than your standard pair of glasses. Despite the laser eye surgery cost, hundreds to thousands of Australians undergo this life-changing procedure every year.
Is The Laser Eye Surgery Cost Worth It?
Ultimately, the only person who can answer this question is you. Laser eye surgery is a form of permanent vision correction. The aim of these procedures is to reduce or eliminate your dependency on glasses and contact lenses. Some people may have no issue at all with wearing glasses or contacts. In fact, spectacle frames are now often used as a fashion statement and an accessory. Conversely, others may find their life is significantly encumbered by the use of glasses and contacts, particularly if they have a very high prescription. Glasses can steam up in the kitchen or while wearing facemasks; contact lenses can become dry and irritated. For this group of people, laser eye surgery costs may very well be worth it.
Despite all the advantages of laser eye surgery, it is also wise to consider the risks. As with any operation, laser eye surgery comes with a risk of complications or adverse events, however, the rate of complications is very low. Theoretically, if a severe infection occurred, laser eye surgery could cost someone their vision. In Australia, to date, this has never happened.
It is also not unknown for a prescription to regress after initial successful laser eye surgery. This refers to the refractive error creeping back in. Although laser eye surgery is considered a permanent procedure, you may want to think about the possibility of regression and needing glasses or contacts again when weighing up laser eye surgery costs. Sometimes retreatment in the case of regression is included in the upfront laser eye surgery cost, but not always, and you may incur an additional fee if you want a touch-up procedure.
If you suffer from another eye condition that impacts your sight, laser vision correction and the associated costs may not be worth it. It’s important to understand that laser eye surgery cannot improve your vision beyond what you can achieve with glasses and contacts. That means if you have an eye disease such as a lazy eye or macular degeneration, your sight post-operation is not going to be any better than what you were able to get with your glasses.
Factors Influencing Laser Eye Surgery Costs
A number of considerations come into play when looking at laser eye surgery costs. Though it may be tempting to simply find the cheapest possible surgery centre (as is the appeal of medical tourism), this may not be in your best interests. Here are some of the factors that influence laser eye surgery costs.
Type of procedure
There are a number of different laser eye surgery techniques, which can vary in their fees. In Australia, per eye, the most recent data has found:
- LASIK can cost between $2200-3600
- PRK can cost between $2400-3400
- SMILE can cost between $3300-3700
Each type of laser eye surgery does come with its own eligibility criteria and advantages and disadvantages, so you can’t just choose your preference based on the cost. Your eye surgeon will advise you on which technique is the most suited to your eyes after a consultation.
Inclusions
Find out what’s included in the quoted laser eye surgery costs. As touched on previously, your quoted fee may or may not include the option for retreatment if you experience regression after your initial operation. In addition to this, the stated costs may be the fee for one eye only, so be mindful of confirming this if you need both eyes treated with laser eye surgery. You will also need at least one consultation prior to your operation for the surgeon to confirm your suitability for laser eye surgery, as well as one or two follow-up appointments after the laser eye surgery to check all has gone according to plan. Some quoted costs may include these additional appointments surrounding the actual surgery, while other clinics may charge these separately.
Private health insurance
If you’re depending on a rebate from your private health insurance to pay for your laser eye surgery, it’s crucial to check this with your insurance provider first.
The amount you get back will vary between providers and depending on which level of coverage you have. Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare system, does not contribute to laser eye surgery, as it is an elective procedure.
However, depending on how your eye surgeon’s clinic is set up and your specific situation, you may be eligible to have Medicare cover some or all of your pre-op consultation. It’s best to check this with your surgeon before committing to the operation.
Surgeon experience
If your laser vision correction is performed by a particularly experienced and accomplished surgeon, naturally, he or she may be justified in charging a higher fee. You may want to ask about their success and complication rates when considering their costs.
When debating with yourself about whether the costs of laser eye surgery are justifiable to your situation, consider how much you spend on contact lenses or glasses. Though glasses may last you a good number of years, they are still prone to scratched lenses and general wear and tear and will eventually need replacing. Contact lenses require frequent replacement, and depending on your type of lens and frequency of wear, you may well break even with the cost of a laser eye surgery procedure within a matter of years.
Contact us on (03) 9070 5788 today.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
What is laser eye surgery, and how much does it cost?
https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/health-insurance/laser-eye-surgery-cost/
How much does laser eye surgery cost?
https://visioneyeinstitute.com.au/eyematters/laser-eye-surgery-cost/
Laser eye surgery costs.
https://www.lasik.com.au/eligibility/cost-comparison/
What are the risks of laser eye surgery?
https://visioneyeinstitute.com.au/eyematters/what-are-the-risks-of-laser-eye-surgery/
