The Costs of Laser Eye Surgery

The cost of having laser eye surgery is actually cheaper than you may have thought. It is a medical procedure, and as such there are, of course, some fees involved, but by no means is the cost as high as with other medical operations. It is impossible to give actual prices of treatments and procedures because they differ so wildly between eye hospitals, however it is possible to provide a guide. This article will provide some guidelines for expected costs of having laser eye surgery,

First of all an initial consultation will be required. If you are looking at possible eye hospitals you should make sure that a thorough examination is given during this first consult. It is important that a clinical technician examines your eye, and an optometrist as well as the consultant surgeon who would be in charge of your case. You need to have both eyes checked by top of the range diagnostic equipment too. With this in place you will able to talk through possible treatment plans and discuss all the options. There will be a lot of time for you to ask any questions you have. There will be a fee for this initial consultation and it should be in the region of £160 to £190. During the consultation you will given an indication of how much your actual treatment is going to cost.

There are many different procedures and each one comes with its own set of fees. Furthermore each patient is different and most eye hospitals have to vary the price and tailor it to the individual patient. Only guidelines can be given therefore so if you or another member of your family are going in for treatment, don't be surprised if the prices quoted do not exactly follow those given below.

For a retinal procedure, you can expect to pay in the region of £750 per eye. For a cataract procedure where the cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one, the cost is around £2000 per eye. Any cosmetic procedure costs from around £500 per eye. Corneal cross linking will likely be at around £1500 per eye and topography guided cross linking from around £3500 per eye. Prices vary from case to case and hospital to hospital. Prices may also be different in other countries around the world, these are just UK guideline prices.

Every patient will need follow up consultations and check ups, but these should be included in the treatment costs. If continued check ups are needed then a fee may be applicable, but normally only a few check ups over the following months are needed.

Prices can be different when it comes to correcting refractive problems such as long or shortsightedness. As with the treatments above, only guidelines can be given as it varies between hospitals and what treatment is needed. Generally Lasik and Lasek laser vision correction surgery costs from around £2000 per eye. There will also be an initial consultation required before any surgery is decided upon, but often this is included in the overall cost.

If you are privately insured then you may have much less to pay, although you should talk to your insurer beforehand to find out what is included in the policy. There is laser eye surgery cost involved in having treatment, however if the problem has been corrected or if you've been able to throw away your glasses for good, imagine the feeling. Patients who have it done agree it is well worth the money to have their sight corrected or saved. The prices of eye treatments vary, but the above prices can be used as guidelines whether it is a refractive lens exchange you are having done or something else entirely.

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Kathryn Dawson - About the Author:

Kathryn Dawson writes articles about Optegra, where you can find treatments for eye treatments in the UK. Optegra is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services, bringing together cutting edge research and medical expertise, state-of-the-art surgical equipment and top ophthalmic surgeons to offer treatments including refractive lens exchange. Consult any of their eye specialists to find out more on vision correction and laser eye surgery costs.