Laser Eye Clinics’ Prices Vary Hugely
Dave Allamby | Apr 25, 2009 | Comments 39
You are interested in laser eye surgery. You have been doing what everyone else does first, which is search through the websites of various laser eye surgery clinics including the big three chains: Ultralase, Optical Express and Optimax, plus independent clinics such as FOCUS Laser Vision, Centre for Sight, London Vision Clinic etc.
The first thing you notice is that some clinics outline some or all their prices, while others give a headline price and give more details after you contact the clinic directly. One very handy site that can help you get all that information quickly is www.lasik-eyes.co.uk where patients can post independent reviews of their experiences at all of the UK’s laser eye clinics plus the price they paid for surgery.
There is a huge variation in the prices paid at UK clinics. Prices paid for both eyes for laser eye treatment vary from around £1,500 up to over £6,000.
But what does this mean for you? What about quality? Do you get what you pay for? Or do prices not correlate well with the quality of the surgery, vision result or service?
hi Dave, I will reply directly with my team, but yes, LASIK plus the KAMRA inlay is the most advanced ...
I WAS TOLD 3 YEARS AGO I COULD NOT HAVE LASER SURGERY FOR READING MY LONG DISTANCE WAS OK AT ...
Hi there, first of all this is an excellent site!
I am having LASIK this week (with one of the ...
Thanks so much for your reply Doctor. Just to get your opinion on a few points you missed out:
1. What's ...
Hi Dave again,
Thank you for all your responses. I've been finding this blog very informative and useful.
One further question I ...
Yes, this is what I meant, blurry at distance.
don't know why but i am scared like he** ;) may ...
Hi David,
Hope you don’t mind me getting involved in this thread, but I have been advised I have some dryness ...
hi....i have cornea thickness of 480...and have been advised for bladless lasik surgery ....please advise is it safe or is ...
Dear David,
Many thanks - I'll start taking the flaxseed oil as you suggest and plan to travel to London ...
Hi Dave,
I Type this with great concern, my night vision has not improved since i got the C TEN procdure ...
Hello Dave,
I'm 38 and looking at having LASIK. My vision is -6.50 in the right and -6.00 in the left. ...
Hi
I am 17 years old and I have minus 0.50 – 1.00 and I’ve been looking around the net for side effects of the Z Lasik.
How many years old do I have to be for this surgery and what are the side effects? I only see positive videos and comments so are there any people which ended up bad after the surgery?
After the surgery will I be able to do some closework in the computer and other stuff without getting my minus back?
If I do this surgery at age 22 – 25 will there be any late side effects? like, I see perfectly for 5 years and I got -12 after?
Some people say Lasik leads to permanent eye dryness, is that true?
When the surgery is finished I can go home and never come back or do I need to come back every 1 – 2 weeks or so?
And my final question will be: what are the chances of successful surgery with Z Lasik?
Thank you for sparing time to read my questions.
Best regards.
— George
PS I forgot to ask, will my vision be like it was before myopia or will there be slight defects?
Hi George, You would need to be 18 before you can have the surgery. Your prescription would need to be stable so we would look at your prescription from age 17 and 18 to see there was no significant change. If you vision is still getting worse, you would have to wait until it was stable. The overall incidence of a significant complication is about 1 in 1000, but these are usually also treatable. We are not aware of any late side effects, apart from some regression of effect which occurs in around 1-2% of cases over the years. Dryness occurs during the first 3-6 months after which the tear film returns to normal, in patients without pre-exisiting dry eye. We want to exclude those people with (significant) dry eye, or pre-treat mild dry eye before having surgery. You must return for all the scheduled visits after surgery – 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. For our patients having Z-LASIK (including the 1% who need a touch up after 3 months), then 100% have binocular 20/20 vision at 6 months post-op. Your vision should be at the level you see with full glasses correction and like it was before you developed myopia.
Best regards, Dave
My treatment was done by Optical Express. I feel the discussion at the consultation was very brief. It was mentioned about reading glasses but blended vision was never mentioned. I have only found out about this since looking on the internet. I think they only do mono vision which is slightly different and that option was never discussed either.
Can the treatment i’ve had be reversed, if not would I benefit from blended vision treatment now?
Hi Linda
Yes, it can be corrected. If you had LASIK, the flap can be relifted and the reading power added back in. You would need to qualify from our tests to be suitable for blended vision also.
You just need to wait for 3 months post op for your eyes to fully settle.
Thanks
Dave
Thanks for your response Dave, I will contact you once the dryness issues have resolved.
Regards
Jennie
Hi Dave
I am 50, and last year had lasek to correct myopia of -4.75S; +1.75Cyl (both eyes)and a +1.50 reading. I was advised against monovision (but didn’t know what it was) and now have RE -0.25; LE -0.25S; +0.50Cyl axis 70. I was told Lasek was the best option as my schirmer readings were RE 3 and LE 2, (but was not advised against surgery). 9 months later I still have dry eyes (but this is improving very slowly), I am only using Viscotears around 3 times a day and before sleep. My pre-op pachymetry readings were R510m L524m. What I am frustrated with is my lack of reading ability, I can use the computer without glasses but need them for reading up to arms length. Are there any options available to me to improve my reading. I would say that I do notice the difference between my vision on my right and left eyes when both eyes are viewing an object. Regards Jennie
Hi Jennie
I personally always look to see if the patient, when aged 45+, will accept blended vision (a form of monovision but with greater acceptance by patients), and find they do in 93-95% of cases. I dont know what testing they did prior to advising against monovision. We do multiple tests and sometimes more than one visit before saying you are not suitable.
I dont find Schirmers testing to be reliable or very useful before laser eye surgery. I prefer to look at tear film stability and other tests as well as the appearance on examination to make the decision. Feelings of dryness up to 12 months post LASEK are not uncommon, especially in women around 50 due to hormone changes. Also it is normal to have some differences between the vision in each eye.
It may be possible to put some reading power back into one eye for a blended vision approach. You would have to wait for dryness issues to settle first and undergo all the usual tests for suitability.
With best regards, Dave
I have had laser eye surgery just over a week ago, my distance vision has been corrected but now my close up is really bad, which was not before. What is blended vision procedure and would I be able to have this done so I dont have to wear glasses for close up. Im 46 years old. My perscription was distance right sph -2.00
cyl -0.25 axis 10 left sph -2.00 cyl -0.50 axis 10
Near right +1.00 left +1.00
Im really disapointed with the results.
Hi Linda
Which clinic did you choose for your surgery?
Sorry to hear of your result. We find most patients can have a blended vision approach to avoid any glasses in almost all situations and your prescription is of the kind that performs usually very predictably. As it is very early, you should let your vision settle for 3 months first. But the clinic should have had a long discussion with you about the loss of your near vision, which was quite expected if not planned for in the surgery, and the options available to keep both distance and near. Did they have that conversation with you?
Best regards, Dave
Hi David
Would like to know approximate cost of treatment. I am shortsighted, my prescription for contact lenses is -4.50 both eyes (although right eye is slightly weaker – I keep same prescription for contacts so they don’t get mixed up) and for specs right eye is -5.00. I am 46 (nearly 47 and eyes still fine for reading although I am noticing small changes very close up).
Would love to have z-lasik but have put it off for years and years waiting for the treatment to get better and scared of stories such as halos and flaps not healing properly. Have you ever had cases where it goes wrong and you cannot put it right? What is the success rate?
If I decide to go ahead can you also carry the £300 March offer into April/May?
Thanks May
Hello May
Thanks. To correct your distance vision with Z-LASIK would be approx £3000. To correct both distance and near (this problem starts at about your age for most people) to avoid needing reading glasses, would be just under £4,000. The £300 off has been extended to the end of May as it has proved popular. With Z-LASIK we have not had a problem that was not correctable. Sometimes there are cases where we need to enhance or adjust the result, which is to be expected in any surgery, so it is worth looking around at different doctors and clinics so you are happy with the choice. Any other questions please let me know
Regards, Dave
hello thanks for your quick reply before.
My rx is
+1.50 _0.25 90
+1.00 -0.25 90 add + 175 nov 09
been quoted 4785.00 for both eyes both lasered and one with a donught shaped lenses in so no need for readers
When i went for consultaion my r x had changed they never told me by how much tho…..altho i feel like the distance has chamged a bit
could you quote me on the same procedure please.
June
Dear June
It would be helpful to know your age to give the best answer. WIth your prescription, distance vision will fall a bit in the 50s, as well as reducing near vision. I find lenses are not needed for the majority of these cases and excellent results are possible with LASIK alone. My charge would be £3994 for both eyes treated with Z-LASIK.
With regards
Dave
Dear Dave,
thanks for your response ,if my son decides to go for a surface procedure,what is your opinion on this new procedure called trans-epi.is it better or just the same as lasek
thanks for your time
Wayne
My pleasure Wayne. Trans-epi has been around for many years. Its not necessary and I think a complicated way to remove the epithelium without advantage. Appears to be little offered around the world. Alcohol-based epithelial removal is quick and simple and complete in 45-60 seconds.
Regards
Dave
dear Dave
i am researching laser treatment for my 20yr old son.He has moderate myopia.He is in uni for the next few years,but on completion of his course,he may resume amauter boxing.Would this stop him from having you z-lasik procedure.I am struggling to get a definitive answer on flap healing.
thanks
Wayne
Hi Wayne
Sorry for the delay. Thin femtolaser flaps will heal more strongly than thicker flaps. There are case reports of late flap movement from direct trauma so hard to give 100% answer that there is no risk to the flap. Mild myopia does v well with PRK/LASEK so why not go that route and eliminate the flap risk in view of his boxing?
best regards
Dave
Hi David
This week my optician has revised my prescription to include reading vision. It is at this point only a mild correction (+1.25) but I am also short sighted to -3.75. I am 44 years old and interested in correcting my vision but wonder if it would be better to wait and see how the reading vision reduces as I understand the older the patient the less likely a top up is needed. Also, if I go ahead, is it possible to request that you carry out the procedure?
Thanks
Sandra
Hi Sandra
Yes, I can carry out the procedure if you wish me to. As someone with short-sight, the treatment outcomes are very predictable and I can create an effective blended vision for both distance and reading. (Assuming you are suitable – one in ten are not.) We generally do not need to wait and aim to give enough reading power to last, and as the change continues steadily over many years and the patients usually prefer to have the benefit sooner. It’s a personal choice. If you wait until 60, then you would not likely need a top up procedure at all.
Hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you need more!
David
Hi Dave,
I am currently looking into laser surgery, and one question I have is regarding how long it lasts, and what ‘life time’ care means. If I had surgery today and the result was 20:20 vision, what is the chance that after say 10 years (I’m 35 now with ~-5.00 with astigmatism in both eyes) I will need glasses, even if only low strength to get the sight back to 20:20 again. Does life time care mean that the clinic would re-do the surgery to get the eyes back to 20:20 again?
I just feel that if I have to wear even low strength glasses or contacts after a few years (or pay another £4000 to get it done again) it isn’t really worth doing.
Many thanks,
Ben
hi Ben
The research data on long term stability indicates 98% will remain with very good vision. If your distance vision fell because of regression, say to 20/30 or worse (the level at which most people would want glasses for some, but not all, tasks, we would correct that without charge. That care would not include fixing your reading vision after age 45, which is a different problem from your current myopia. If your eyes remain exactly on target after LASIK, so zero prescription in each eye, then you will still need reading glasses somewhere between age 45-49 typically (everyone needs reading glasses at this age).
To complicate my explanation, in your case, a small regression back to v mild myopia would be a good thing once you are in your mid 40s. At this time everyone starts to need reading glasses, so a slight myopia will help your reading but still have quite acceptable distance vision.
So it’s not quite a straight forward as it seems!
Dave
Dear Dave
I have the following prescription for daily soft Toric contact lenses (date taken July 2009)
R: 8.6, 14.5, -4.50, -0.75 x90
L: 8.6, 14.5, -5.25, -0.75 x90
I have astigmatism in both eyes.
I play sports such as Cricket, Tennis and Football and am 47 (48 in April)years of age.
I now also have to wear reading glasses off the shelf about +1.50.
I would like to she my glasses and contacts for all activities.
Is this possible with my prescription and if so what’s the best treatment in terms of perfect or near perfect eyesight (regardless of cost).
Many thanks
Nasir
hi Nasir
If you are looking for perfection, basically vision correction surgery is not for you. Perfectionist patients are rarely happy, despite having a great result!
All reading vision treatment, needed for most age 45+, involve some compromise.
Regards
Dave
Hi Dave,
I am at the early stages of researching the possibility of having laser eye surgery so forgive me if I sound really ignorant. I am 58 and have needed glasses for reading for approx. 10 years. I did have an eye test once but never bothered getting prescription glasses as I couldn’t find any frames I liked.
Consequently I have no prescription but is using off the shelf glasses at a strength of +3.00 for reading and +1.50 for driving and watching tv.
Do I need an eye test before having a consultation?
Would you be able to give me a ball park figure of costs involved in getting treatment to avoid wearing glasses for as long as possible?
What kind of outcome should I expect from surgery in terms of time before top-up or glasses needed again?
How soon would I have to book a consultation/treatment in order to have the procedure immidiately after Easter? (around 8-15th April).
Best Regards,
Susanne
Hi Suzanne
Yes, happy to help. You have mild longsight as well as presbyopia (the need for reading glasses), hence the need for 2 pairs of glasses. No need for any further testing as we will do a complete MOT of your eyes, which will be much more comprehensive.
For costs, advanced blended vision correction would be needed to correct both the distance and reading vision together. That is normally £3994 for both eyes, minus the current £300 offer, which we can extend for you into April as needed.
The older you are the longer the treatment will last for so it is actually better to be late 50s than younger. You may need a little more during your 60s on one eye to keep the highest reading power, to keep up with the ageing of the lens (which stops by 65 anyway).
You can have a consult any time in March and have the treatment in first half of April, after Easter. If you want me to do the treatment personally, just let my team know when you book (0845 5000 500). Let me know if you have any more questions!
With best regards
Dave
Dear Suzanne
Sorry for the delay to write back here. No eye test is needed prior to a consultation, as we will measure all again when you come.
Costs will approx £3,700 for both eyes to correct distance and reading vision, with our current offer. Top-ups vary. Will likely be one eye only in your mid-60s.
With best regards
Dave
David,
Thank you for your quick response. I was told that on the day of the surgery that there would be another full eye test. Is this what you practice at your clinic (to make sure that the correct measurements have been double checked)? I have looked at many sites including this one but no one really describes what happens on the day (other than the actual operation).
Thanks again
Adrian
Hi Adrian
Yes, we always repeat on the day of treatment as a final check. In fact, at the consultation we confirm the prescription by 6 different measurements and technologies to ensure all are aligned.
Not sure about all clinics on this point. I understand at least one chain has the surgeon doing 20 patients in a day, so that’s about 20 minutes each patient for all rechecking, discussion, final questions plus doing the surgery. Might be worth asking how many patients will be treated that day at your chosen centre. I think up to approx 12 patients per day is a more relaxed pace for both the patient and the surgeon.
The normal sequence on treatment day is:- arrival, confirming your details and all pre-op tests have been done, repeating scans if needed, making payment, repeat examination of your eyes by the surgeon plus repeat checking of your prescription, discussing any other clinical questions with the surgeon, signing the consent form, discussion of the drops used post-op and additional do’s and don’ts (all this is all in the post-op pack too), being prepped for surgery (cleaning around the eyes/face, hair cap, etc) , having the surgery, steroid and antibiotic eye drops, resting in the post-op recovery room (not sure if all clinics do this one), final examination, confirmation of your appt the next day, home.
Best regards
Dave
Thanks!
David,
I would like to know if I have a prescription of -4.75 in each eye (recently checked and double checked by my optician) but when I went to a clinic they said I had -4.75 in my right eye and -4.25 in my left eye, they also said my stigmatism was also slightly different. I felt the test was rushed and even when I questioned this they assured me this is okay. Should I be concerned? Will this difference be noticeable as I would like to have the best possible vision?
Many thanks
Adrian
Hi Adrian
Like you, I don’t like it when any service, be it a clinic, shop etc, is rushed. You certainly should feel you are being given the proper time and that everything is being done correctly. The 0.50 difference would certainly be noticeable, if your true prescription was -4.75 and you were only treated at -4.25. It is quite normal to get some small variation between tests, usually though only 0.25 if the tests are close together.
Why not also visit another 1 or 2 clinics and compare the process at each. This is not urgent surgery so do take your time.
Regards
David
It was caused from not looking after my contact lenses. I rarely wear contacts anymore so that may be why I havn’t had it again! One more question…would Implantable Contact Lenses be a better option?
Lisa
The keratitis wont be a problem if from CL.
For your other questions, not sure what you mean by basic LASIK actually. We only offer the most advanced LASIK, as I dont think it ethical to offer any less, or offer older technology. So all our treatments are blade-free wavefront Z-LASIK. Dont choose less than that, whichever clinic you go for, as you only want to do this once and get the best result possible.
We can correct either your distance vision only and you wear reading glasses afterwards, or we can do blended vision (9 out of 10 people are suitable) and get rid of glasses for almost all tasks. The choice is up to you and will depend also on what we find at your consultation. For our corrections of short-sight, we really dont see haloes post op anymore with advanced treatments.
I would not recommend implantable contact lenses for your prescription – LASIK is a better and safer option.
Approx prices for distance only correction would be £1500-1600 per eye; £2000 per eye for blended vision for distance plus near correction.
Thanks
David
Dr Allamby, I have some questions.
If I were to go for the basic lasik and I ended up with halo-ing etc, could that be corrected?
I have bad vision clse up and far away and I understand that only 1 of these can be corrected. Is that correct?
My Long distance vision is far worse. I wear vari focals now but because my frames are on the small side can not correct my vision as well as I would like. I would rather have an op on the long distance and wear glasses for up close. Will the up close vision be worse post-op?
RE: Sph:-5.5 Cyl:1.25 axis:23 LE: Sph:-5.5 Cyl:0.25 axis:155? (could that be 1.55? Looks like 155
I’m 48 and had keratitus once 26 years ago but not since. What estimate do you give for laser surgery, and what kind, and would I be an ok candidate with my history?
hi Lisa
Happy to answer everything. First of all though, do you know what the cause of the keratitis was? For example from contact lenses, herpes infection, injury etc?
With best regards
David
Dr Allamby, I have been doing some research and Focus Laser Vision appears to be coming out as a possible best choice. I would like to understand what the approximate cost for my perscription would be and the best treatment for me:
Sph -6.00 (right) and -6.00 (left)
Cyl -0.75 (right) and -1.50 (left)
Axis 45 (right) and 10 (left)
I am 39 years old (40 this year), am short-sighted. I have worn glasses since I was 7 years old. This would be a big step for me.
Sandra
Thanks Sandra
We do aim to offer the safest and best patient care, while keeping surgery affordable.
We also only offer the most advanced form of surgery, which is wavefront based for better quality of vision, and blade-free (dual laser, no keratome blade) Z-LASIK.
The cost from your prescription would be £1597 per eye, of course with our lifetime care guarantee.
We will build in some protection from needing reading glasses too, which most people need around 45 years old, to keep you glasses free for longer.
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
With best regards
David
Hi Dave,
I am thinking about eye laser treatment, but need to know the approximate costs.
My prescription is right Dist 6.50 near 1.25 Left 6.25 cyl 0.50 axis 175 Near 1.25.
Could you tell me what would be the best treatment method and expected cost?
Cheers
Hi Chris
I assume your prescription is -6.50 and -6.25, not +6.50 and +6.25??
Can I please ask your age?
thanks
Dave