Eye Surgery Cost in Chicago
At Chicago Cornea Consultants™, Ltd., we perform traditional and custom LASIK surgery to improve the vision of nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatic patients. But before our Chicago laser eye surgery patients make the commitment to undergo treatment, they want to know more about the general costs of LASIK. In this post, we discuss factors that affect the price of LASIK surgery, and review the payment options that are accepted at our practice.
Price Variations
Typically, LASIK costs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 per eye. Patients undergoing traditional LASIK surgery with the microkeratome can expect to pay prices at the lower end of the price scale. The use of advanced technology, such as the Intralase® laser and custom wavefront LASIK systems, will increase the cost of treatment.
The Microkeratome vs. the Intralase® Laser
The microkeratome has been used to create the incisions in the first step of LASIK surgery for more than two decades. The handheld blade creates a three-side flap that provides our surgeons access to the underlying layers of the corneal tissue so it can be reshaped.
Then, in 2001, the FDA approved the Intralase®, a femtosecond laser that is capable of creating a more precisely measured flap and reducing the risk of complications. Patients can choose to undergo treatment with either the microkeratome or the Intralase® laser, with the cost of the microkeratome being the less expensive option.
Traditional vs. Custom LASIK
During conventional LASIK surgery, the cornea is reshaped to correct the lower order aberrations that cause nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. This approach offers results that are comparable to those that are achieved with eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Custom LASIK surgery involves the use of wavefront technology, which maps out lower order aberrations, as well as the higher order aberrations that affect the quality of vision. Both lower and higher order aberrations are then corrected using an excimer laser. This produces results that are superior to those achieved with traditional LASIK surgery. Custom LASIK is especially beneficial to patients that have more severe degrees of higher order aberrations, such as poor vision in low light conditions. Our Chicago LASIK patients have the choice of undergoing traditional or conventional LASIK surgery; custom LASIK is the more costly option.
Payment Options
When patients are in the planning stages of LASIK surgery, they should decide how they want to pay for treatment. The majority of our patients pay with cash, checks, credit card, and healthcare financing.
Credit cards and healthcare financing are good options for patients who wish to pay off the cost of treatment in smaller, more manageable increments. The downside is that these payment options may come with interest, which will increase the overall cost of treatment. We recommend that patients do some research to find no- or low-interest credit or financing options. CareCredit is a healthcare financing company that offers credit for vision procedures such as LASIK; the company is known for offering plans with reasonable interest rates.
If you are interested in finding out if you are a good candidate for LASIK, contact our Chicago practice today.
