Medically Reviewed by: Edward C. Wade, M.D., F.A.C.S.

LASIK for $299/eye…Is This a SCAM?

January 27, 2015 . min read

If you drive a car in Houston, chances are you’ve heard this on the radio: “Happy New Year! Start your new year with great vision with LASIK…starting as low as $299 per eye”.
I hate to be the one to tell you…if it sounds too good to be true…it is!
Here’s what’s going to happen: you arrive for your appointment expecting to have surgery for $299 per eye, but by the time they add additional charges for upgraded technology, post op visits, guarantees…your fee will be closer to $2000 per eye. Or, because you have astigmatism (and most people do) you don’t qualify for the $299. If I had to guess, less than 1% of patients qualify for the $299 advertised price.
Don’t get scammed, ask questions before you book for “FREE” Lasik Evaluation:

Do you use custom blade-free LASIK technology?
Do you have the most updated software?
How many procedures has the surgeon performed (not how many procedures has the center performed – big difference!)
What’s the surgeon’s enhancement rate? Are enhancements included in the price?

LASIK surgery is not inexpensive. But, then again, you only get it once in a lifetime!