One published estimate suggests that in reality, fewer than 3% of treatments cost less than $1000 per eye.



Certainly, prices have been rising steadily since the start of this millenium.

One study suggested that the average price in 2002 was around $1600. A year later it had passed $1700; by 2004 it was another $100 higher and by 2005 it was nudging $2000.

Prices seem to have stabilized a little since then; one of the major players, TLC Laser Eye Centers, says that in 2006 its prices were still around $2000.

Supply and demand certainly influences prices. Market Scope, which is a leading supplier of information in this market, estimates that at the turn of the century there were about 1.44m lasik surgeries in the United States.

Three years later the figure had dropped to 1.15m, but has recovered substantially since then. Part of the reason for the fluctuation was a rash of lawsuits that drove a number of the discount surgeries out of business; those that survived had to move prices up to ensure they can deliver quality procedures and stay in business.

It's difficult even to talk about the "average cost" of lasik eye surgery because prices are anything but standardized, and phrases such as "lasik cost" or "lasik price" are almost impossible to pin down.

However, if you read the fine print carefully, add back all the exclusions, you'll find that the true average cost of lasik eye surgery is closer to that figure of $2000 per eye than the $500 suggested by some discount lasik clinics.

If you live on the West Coast average prices will be higher than elsewhere.

If you pick an experienced surgeon (and other research shows that experienced surgeons have a much lower percentage of "problem" procedures) your cost will go up still further.

The base cost per eye will increase by between $350 to $500 if you need "custom lasik" treatment such as wavefront technology, which is used to map and measure the eye's visual field with great accuracy - which in turn results in a higher success rate.

If the surgeon uses IntraLase (a type of laser) to create the LASIK flap rather than a microkeratome (a type of blade) expect the lasik eye surgery price to go up by a further $250 to $500 per eye.

The benefit of the different (and more expensive) Intralase technology is that most surgeons using it report a substantially lower incidence of problems with the "flap" that is created as part of the Lasik procedure.

The equipment used both in testing and in the actual procedure can vary widely. Eye clinics will analyze the tear film, measure the thickness of the cornea, map the corneal topography, measure the pupil size, use different types of laser - and have good arguments in favour of the processes and equipment they offer you.

So it's easy to see how the average cost of laser eye surgery edges upwards from what is in effect a base price quoted in the advertisements. Experience, equipment, procedures - all play a part in moving the price along.

Remember to read the fine print; there is no substitute for an informed decision about what the full costs of the treatment will be; averages can be very deceptive when dealing with something as variable as the average cost of lasik eye surgery.