How much does LASIK cost?
...and 9 other questions to ask a laser center.

Chicago, Illinois

Cost is far and away the most frequent first question a potential patient asks when calling my office. And yet, I don’t believe anyone has actually made a final decision on having the surgery based solely on cost. Does anyone really want to find the lowest-priced surgeon when it comes to their eyes? After all, most people consider it to be the most important of the five senses and the fear of losing it is the primary reason that they don’t even get an evaluation.

Why then, do people first ask about price?

The reason seems to be that they don’t know what else to ask. Lack of knowledge about procedures, expectations, safety and results is very common – mainly due to the fact that the technical nature of the procedure itself is constantly changing and accurate information is hard to find online.
Today’s LASIK surgery is nothing like it was just 5 years ago. It’s safer than ever before. In fact I believe that LASIK is by far, safer than wearing contact lenses. If I didn’t, I would never have had the procedure done on myself – much less dedicated my practice to it. The highly technical equipment and software used is constantly being updated and the surgical skill necessary to get the best results requires dedication by the doctor to continually educate himself and his staff.

It is unlikely that cost would be the first thing on your mind if you needed heart surgery. You’d want to meet the surgeon. Ask about the likelihood of success. Ask about risk. Ask about benefits. Ask about alternatives. It’s likely that your medical insurance would be paying for your heart surgery, but I can imagine your dissatisfaction when they tell you they want to use the very cheapest surgeon they can find.

Let’s face it. LASIK is elective surgery and you will most likely be paying for it yourself. It makes good sense to “get what you pay for,” but better sense for you to get the results you want. After all, if you’re 30 years old, you should live at least another 45 years. A savings today of a $1000 amounts to only about 40 cents per week over your lifetime – not really that much when it comes to the quality of the service and the safety of your eyes.

The following is a list of “10 Questions to Ask a Laser Center” when making your first call. The answers should make the next step, an appointment for a comprehensive evaluation, much easier to take. I also invite you to read “10 Questions to Ask your LASIK Surgeon” and “10 Things to Know Before You Schedule Your LASIK Procedure”.

Sincerely,

Mark I. Golden,
MD, FACS, FICS

1. Is there a fee for the initial evaluation and how long it will take?

We provide comprehensive evaluations at no charge. You should expect it to take 60-90 minutes and include a wide dilation of the eyes. Anything less will not provide adequate information for a proper surgical analysis.

2. Who will perform my LASIK evaluation? Will it be a surgeon, an optometrist or a technician?

At Doctors For Visual Freedom, your evaluation will be performed by our surgeon, Dr. Mark Golden who will also teach you about LASIK. We believe that this is optimal. Some practices use optometrists to perform their testing. This may be adequate, but you need to be sure that you will get a chance to review the results with a surgeon. Meeting with the surgeon is critical to making an informed decision. Under no circumstances is a technician an acceptable person to provide a comprehensive consultation.

3. Will the same person who performs my LASIK evaluation be the one who takes care of my postoperative care?

At Doctors For Visual Freedom all of your care, from beginning to end, is provided by the same person – your surgeon! This eliminates worries about miscommunication between caregivers, misunderstandings about expectations and results, and concerns about what to do if there is a problem, or question. One person, who can compare your healing from one visit to the next, can make a huge difference in your overall satisfaction. We believe this is the best possible care. Some laser centers have multiple locations where the optometrists rotate from office to office and you’ll wind up seeing a different one each time. If an optometrist is going to take care of you after surgery, make sure that your surgeon is going to be available if there is any problem.

4. Does your LASIK surgeon live in town?

Dr. Golden has been a resident of Chicago for the last 23 years and is regularly available for consultation and medical procedures. Some laser centers clump their patients’ surgical schedules together so they can utilize out-of-town practioners. No matter how much experience a surgeon has, complications can still develop. When handled promptly they are usually insignificant. However, an unnecessary delay can cause a minor problem to become much more serious.

5. Can I meet my surgeon before I schedule my procedure?

Don’t even consider having LASIK surgery performed by a person that you have never met. It’s the best way to calm your natural fear of any surgery.

6. Who will see me if I have a complication?

A medical doctor who specializes in Laser Vision Correction is best prepared to handle complications arising from your surgery. Don’t accept anything less!

7. Will I receive a WaveScan analysis of my eye?

If the answer is no, look elsewhere. Studies, time and again, show that the best visual results come from treatments guided by WaveScan analysis. WaveScan measures the unique imperfections of your visual system – which is as distinct to you as is your own fingerprint. Best possible results occur when WaveScan is combined with Custom WaveFront laser treatment. Don’t accept anything less.

8. Do you provide Custom WaveFront Laser procedures for every eligible LASIK patient?

Dr. Golden believes that all patients deserve the best technology. Some laser centers are able to advertise low prices because they use outdated technology or use Custom treatment only as an upsell. We use Visx Custom WaveFront technology for every eligible LASIK patient. The overall visual results are better than with other technologies and make it possible to achieve better vision than with the best pair of glasses or contact lenses.

9. How much does LASIK typically cost?

Actual cost can only be quoted after the initial, free examination. Pricing for LASIK is affected by a wide range of influences. State-of-the-art technologies naturally cost more – just like with your computer – and keeping up-to-date is a commitment that we have made since our very first patient. Your personal vision needs, based upon the results of the comprehensive examination, can affect what surgical options are available. NOT ALL PATIENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR LASIK, but can still be treated. Other influences on cost include: the employment of a skilled staff, comprehensive preoperative and postoperative care by a medical physician, extended office hours and even the convenience of location.

10. When can I come in for my free comprehensive examination and learn more about the benefits of LASIK?

Call us today and “See what you’re missing!”