The Cost of Laser Eye Surgery at London Vision Clinic
Despite the vast benefits of having Laser Eye Surgery (getting rid of irritating glasses and fiddly contact lenses, to say the least), the cost of treatment understandably remains a significant barrier for many people.
Let’s face it: Laser Eye Surgery isn’t cheap. With such a wide variation in prices for seemingly the same treatment in the UK alone, deciding whether to have Laser Eye Surgery – never mind which clinic to choose – can be headache-inducing. But knowing exactly what factors could influence the cost of your treatment is an excellent place to start.
In this article, we’re taking a look at these factors in a bit more detail and breaking down the cost of Laser Eye Surgery at London Vision Clinic.
What Factors Could Influence the Cost of Your Treatment?
When hunting around for the right Laser Eye Surgery clinic for you, you will likely take the advertised price at face value. But this is very often not the case. In fact, this price is often the cheapest treatment available, and a number of factors can affect the price you will actually pay, including:
Your Prescription
Unfortunately, individuals with higher prescriptions tend to pay more for Laser Eye Surgery treatment than their counterparts with lower prescriptions. Furthermore, some clinics even have different prices for the type of prescription you have, such as long-sightedness (hyperopia), short-sightedness (myopia), astigmatism, or ageing eyes (presbyopia).
Other clinics may charge a fixed price, regardless of your refractive error; however, higher prescriptions will likely always cost more due to the extra screening and planning involved in your treatment. It is worth noting that many clinics are simply unable to treat higher prescriptions, largely due to limitations on technology (more on this later) and expertise.
The Required Treatment
One of the most significant factors affecting the cost of Laser Eye Surgery treatment is the exact procedure required. For example, all patients will be recommended either PRK/LASEK, LASIK, or ReLEx SMILE – the three different types of Laser Eye Surgery. However, some clinics will use flashy names to generate marketing hype.
For example, UltraLASIK, Zyoptix and Custom LASIK are a few examples that, while may appear to be different treatments, are actually just variations of standard LASIK. The only difference is that they include additional features such as Intralase or wavefront technology. At London Vision Clinic, these “added extras” come as standard.
Available Technology
Laser Eye Surgery is a medical field that is consistently and rapidly evolving. Keeping up with the latest technology and techniques, and so maintaining a world-class clinic, is not easy – or cheap. For this reason, you may pay more for treatments that use the latest technology and most up-to-date surgical and safety equipment.
The Clinic’s Business Model
The Laser Eye Surgery field consists of three main types of businesses: large high-street providers, private hospitals, and independent clinics.
High-street Laser Eye Surgery providers tend to work on a high-volume-low-cost model. While this means they can offer Laser Eye Surgery treatment at a lower price, it can unfortunately also mean that the priority is placed on profit over quality.
On the other hand, private hospitals and independent clinics operate at the higher end of the market. These clinics tend to charge more for treatment but also invest more in their clinic, meaning they have access to the latest technology and can care for patients at an individual level.
We appreciate that the cost of Laser Eye Surgery can be a barrier to treatment. That’s why we try to be as transparent as possible about our costs. Furthermore, we offer a number of finance options that can help you spread the cost while you start enjoying glasses-free vision sooner.
Let’s see what some of our previous clients have had to say:
Peter, who had ReLEx SMILE treatment at London Vision clinic for his -7.5 myopia prescription in 2021, said:
“While LVC is at the upper end of the price range (my procedure cost £6900) it also isn’t hugely more expensive than the most affordable clinics when it comes to SMILE or LASIK procedures. The lengthy consultations, after-care, and general prestige, certainly cover the gap in cost to cheaper competitors.”
Yoonji, one of our patients who had been wearing glasses for 20 years, wrote:
“I had my laser eye surgery 7 months ago here and must say that it was the best decision I have made! I had really bad eyes and had been wearing my glasses for over 20 years, and so happy that I can finally get rid of them. Even [though] their cost is not cheap, but worth every penny. Very good experience.”
We appreciate that the cost of Laser Eye Surgery can be a barrier to treatment. That’s why we try to be as transparent as possible about our costs. Furthermore, we offer a number of finance options that can help you spread the cost while you start enjoying glasses-free vision sooner.
Of course, the cost of treatment is far from the only factor that deserves attention. There’s also your choice of surgeon and, of course, the clinic’s results to consider.
If you’d like to learn more about these additional factors, why not get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators? They’re always on hand to help. Alternatively, Book a Consultation today to start your journey to clear vision with London Vision Clinic.
View Comments (2)
I saw an article on Prof Dan Reinstein a while ago and kept it.
I have a son of 21 and his sight seems to be getting worse and without glasses it is really bad.
Is 21 to young to consider laser eye surgery ?
Regards
Lindy
Hi Lindy, thank you for getting in touch. For some patients, age 21 is old enough to have laser eye surgey. However, there are several other factors to consider, which vary between individuals - including prescription and corneal thickness. Therefore, as with any patient, we would need to see your son in person and examine his eyes, in order to assess whether laser eye surgery is the best option for him at this stage. Either way, we can certainly provide much more detailed information, so that your son can make an informed decision about having laser eye surgery, whether now or in future. If you would be interested in speaking to us or scheduling an initial appointment, please call us on 020 7224 1005 or fill in our contact form (lvc14.wpengine.com/contact-us/) and one of our Patient Care Coordinators will be happy to help.