LASIK quotes tend to be short: a procedure name, a price, maybe "includes follow-up". That brevity hides most of what decides whether two quotes are comparable. This guide reads a typical LASIK quote one line at a time. If you are still choosing between LASIK, PRK and SMILE, start with our guide to comparing those three procedures, then come back here once you have a LASIK quote in hand.
Line 1: The procedure name
The quote should say "LASIK" and nothing vaguer. "Laser vision correction" can mean LASIK, PRK or another procedure, and each has its own recovery and price. If the clinic offers more than one type, the quote should say which one you are being quoted for. It should also say whether that choice is final or depends on your screening results.
One detail is worth asking about. The FDA notes that the corneal flap in LASIK is cut either with a mechanical blade device (a microkeratome) or with a laser (FDA, 2018). Clinics may price these differently. Two LASIK quotes using different flap methods are not quite the same product.
Line 2: Per eye or both eyes
This is the most common source of a misleading comparison. One clinic quotes per eye, another for both, and one looks half the price. Check the wording. If it is unclear, ask: "Is this the total for both eyes?"
The FDA also notes that treating both eyes on the same day carries more risk than treating them on separate days. Ask the clinic whether both eyes will be treated in one session. If you choose separate sessions, ask whether the price changes.
Write the answer next to the price in your own notes, for example "both eyes, same day" or "per eye, two sessions". When you line up three or four LASIK quotes later, that one label prevents the most common mistake: comparing a per-eye price with a two-eye total and assuming one clinic is far cheaper.
Line 3: The screening examination
A LASIK price means little until a thorough eye exam has confirmed you are a candidate. The quote should say whether that exam is included or charged separately. It should also say what happens to the price if the exam shows LASIK is not suitable for you, for example whether the clinic offers a different procedure and at what cost.
Why the exam affects your travel dates
The FDA advises that contact lens wearers stop wearing them before the baseline evaluation. It suggests 2 weeks for soft lenses, at least 3 weeks for toric soft or rigid gas permeable lenses, and at least 4 weeks for hard lenses. It adds that measurements may need to be repeated at least a week after the first evaluation, especially for rigid or hard lens wearers. If you are travelling for LASIK, that can mean extra days in the city, or weeks in glasses before you leave. The quote should make clear whether the exam and the procedure are planned on separate days.
What the screening should settle before the price is firm
The FDA's list of LASIK risks shows why a shallow screening makes a cheap quote meaningless. It notes that results are generally worse for very large refractive errors. It also says severe dry eye can develop and may be permanent, and that some patients see glare, halos or double vision, especially at night. Ask what the screening will measure and how the clinician will decide whether LASIK suits your eyes. Ask too what happens to the quote if the answer is no. A clinic that prices first and screens later has the order backwards.
Line 4: The laser and the surgeon
The quote should name the surgeon who will perform the procedure, not just the clinic. It is also reasonable to ask which laser system will be used. The FDA keeps a list of lasers it has approved for LASIK in the US, which helps US patients check a named device. The FDA also suggests asking for the device manufacturer's patient information booklet. You can then compare the surgeon's own results, including complications, with the results in that booklet (FDA, 2018).
Line 5: Medication and supplies
The FDA notes that a shield is placed over the eye at the end of the procedure. Your surgeon may also prescribe drops for the first weeks. Ask whether those drops are included or bought separately, and whether the shield and any lubricating drops come with the price. These are small costs. But a quote that includes them is easier to compare with one that does not.
Line 6: Follow-up visits
"Includes follow-up" needs numbers. The FDA describes a first follow-up visit within 24 to 48 hours after surgery, followed by regular visits for at least the first six months. Vision can take three to six months to stabilize. For a travelling patient, that schedule raises practical questions the quote should answer:
- How many follow-up visits are included, and over what period?
- Will the first visit happen before you are cleared to fly?
- Who sees you for later visits once you are home, and does the clinic share your records with that eye doctor?
- Will the clinic review results remotely if your home eye doctor sends them?
Most follow-up visits after a trip abroad will happen at home and be billed at home. Factor those visits into your all-in cost.
Line 7: Retreatment or "enhancement" terms
Some patients are left with some remaining refractive error and are offered a second treatment, often called an enhancement. Quotes describe this in very different ways: "free enhancements for one year", "lifetime enhancements", or nothing at all. Read the conditions carefully:
- Who decides whether you qualify?
- Is there a time limit, and does the clock start at surgery?
- Does "free" cover the surgeon, the facility and the exam, or only one of them?
- Must you return to the same clinic, and at whose travel cost?
The FDA's guidance also adds clinical context. It says patients should wait until their eye measurements are consistent across two visits at least three months apart before re-operation. It also says no laser company has presented enough evidence for the FDA to draw conclusions about the safety or effectiveness of enhancement surgery. A retreatment promise is therefore not a reason to choose a clinic on its own. Even with one, you would have to wait months, and probably travel again.
Line 8: Guarantees and package wording
The FDA tells patients not to choose a provider on price alone. It warns against "20/20 or your money back" guarantees and package deals, noting there are never any guarantees in medicine. It also cautions against heavily marketed offers that sound too good to be true. A quote that leads with a guaranteed outcome is telling you more about its marketing than its medicine.
Line 9: Special plans such as monovision
If the plan is monovision, with one eye corrected for distance and the other for near, the quote should say so. The FDA notes that many people cannot adapt to monovision, and suggests trying it with contact lenses first. Ask whether that trial is offered and whether it is included.
A one-page reading checklist
Before you accept a LASIK quote, confirm:
- Procedure named as LASIK, with flap method stated
- Price clearly per eye or for both eyes
- Screening exam included or priced, and what happens if you are not a candidate
- Surgeon named; laser system named
- Drops, shield and supplies included or listed
- Number of follow-up visits and who provides them after you go home
- Retreatment conditions in writing, including travel costs
- No outcome guarantees
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Start on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
Why does one LASIK quote seem half the price of another?
Check whether one is per eye and the other for both eyes. Also check whether the screening exam and follow-up visits are included in both. Those three differences explain most apparent gaps.
Do I have to stop wearing contact lenses before a LASIK consultation?
The FDA advises stopping before the baseline evaluation: 2 weeks for soft lenses, at least 3 weeks for toric soft or rigid gas permeable lenses, and at least 4 weeks for hard lenses. Ask the clinic for its own instructions too.
How many follow-up visits should a LASIK quote include?
The FDA describes a first visit within 24 to 48 hours and regular visits for at least six months. A travelling patient will usually do the later visits at home, so ask how the clinic coordinates with your local eye doctor.
Is a lifetime enhancement promise worth paying more for?
Read the conditions before giving it weight. The FDA notes limited evidence on enhancement surgery and recommends waiting for stable measurements first. Return travel is usually your cost.
Should I trust a "20/20 guaranteed" LASIK offer?
The FDA specifically warns against outcome guarantees and package deals, saying there are never any guarantees in medicine. Treat such wording as marketing, not as a clinical promise.