Laser Eye Surgery Prices Plummet In UK Though Still With Huge Variation In Lasik Treatment Costs

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 21 Feb 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Recent pricing changes for laser eye surgery across the UK mean people can pay nearly £4,000 more to get rid of their glasses at one clinic compared to another. This means confusion for the 10 million UK adults who suffer from short-sight and who now wonder how price relates to quality of care and results.

For a mild short-sighted prescription, the prices per eye for laser eye surgery range from £295 up to £2,250 using similar technology, surgical training and treatment types.

"The difference in laser eye surgery prices is truly astonishing. I feel sorry for patients looking into having their eyes corrected as all clinics seem to make very similar claims in their marketing materials, yet a person can pay thousands of pounds more at one clinic than another" said Dr. Dave Allamby, Medical Director at FOCUS Laser Vision in London.

An estimated 75,000 Britons undergo laser vision correction each year and only a small percentage of possible candidates have so far elected to have laser eye treatment. One of the main reasons has been prohibitive costs.

FOCUS Laser Vision in London now offers Lasik laser eye surgery from £295 per eye, making them the cheapest in the UK. According to Dr. Allamby, "We believe Lasik eye surgery should be very affordable to everyone. We base treatments for short sight on the strength of a person's glasses, so the milder the problem the less they pay. What is important is that no corners are cut to achieve these prices. So we offer NHS Consultant specialist surgeons, treating lasers that have the best results in rigorous US FDA clinical trials and a prestigious Harley Street area location, while still giving huge cost savings to patients".

Dr. Allamby has been writing on this issue recently on his laser eye surgery blog (http://www.lasik-truth.com), showing the typical prices for various prescriptions at several London clinics, including UK national chain laser treatment providers.

FOCUS Laser Vision this month introduced blade free Z Lasik into the UK and this laser eye surgery story was featured in the Daily Mail. Z Lasik uses two lasers in the Lasik procedure and eliminates the need for a blade.

FOCUS Laser Vision