Low-Cost Laser Surgery Centers Offer More Affordable Pricing

Since 1991, when the first Lasik procedure was performed in the United States, approximately 770,000 people have had this elective procedure done on one or both of their eyes. The number of surgeries has more than doubled every year since 1997, according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. With more clinics sprouting up and prices coming down, an estimated 750,000 people are expected to have the laser procedure in near future.

The discount clinic, ICON Laser Center, is also a Canadian company and it opened a Mission Valley facility. Both clinics are offering these bargain prices to the first 1,000 patients. After that, the surgery will cost approximately $999 per eye.

A second low-price clinic, Los Angeles-based Aris Laser Vision Institute (formerly known as Vision Correction Centers), advertises Lasik surgery for $899 per eye at its Tijuana clinic, and $999 per eye at the Carlsbad and La Jolla clinics.

But the difference is more than just price, says Dr. Michael Gordon, a La Jolla ophthalmologist who's been performing Lasik eye surgery since 1989. He says the discount clinics are trying to market Lasik the way auto dealers sell cars. He says patients who go to the discount laser surgery clinics expecting to pay just $499 per eye may be in for a rude awakening when they discover hidden charges.

Patients sign up for the discounted laser eye surgery over the phone, paying the entire fee in advance via credit card. ICON offers a complete refund to patients who change their mind or discover in the initial eye exam that they're not a good candidate for the laser procedure. Lasik Vision refunds all but $129, which pays for the eye exam. Aris charges an additional $99 for its pre-surgery eye exam. To achieve optimum results, additional laser procedures -- delicately referred to as "enhancements" or "touch-ups" -- are often required. At some of the low priced clinics, enhancements cost the patient an additional $110 (Lasik Vision) to $200 (Aris) per treatment.

These business practices are nothing new. However, nobody should expect a $499 Lasik procedure to be the same as a $2,500 one.

It's up to the patients to decide if they want a bargain or "an established surgeon who's been doing (laser surgery) for 20 years and is probably more expensive.