You may be wondering about which cities have the best lasik eye surgery cost, since you may have heard that the UAE is an excellent place to get laser eye surgery. After first becoming available in 1999, LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses) has become a leading vision correction procedure and has done been in clinics around the world. Considering that the cost of Lasik varies by country, it is important to do your research on lasik surgery costs in your area and other countries.
However, LASIK eye surgery cost is not usually not covered by insurance, and although the costs of LASIK have decreased over the past few decades, they are still quite high. Prices for LASIK eye surgery vary dramatically, ranging from 4000 AED to 20,000 for both eyes. For example Femto Lasik can cost between 8000 AED to 14,000 AED
According to studies, less than 23% of people meet the minimum requirements for laser eye surgery at the reduced price displayed on clinics websites. Most of them end up paying more due to the condition of their eye and their prescription level. This is why you are often invited for free lasik assessment so you can get a custom quote for your specific prescription. Sometimes you may not qualify for a certain lasik surgery cost that appeared on an advertisement or google ad. So it is good not to base your decision on the website pricing but instead make an appointment and get a lasik cost for your eyes specifically.
LASIK Eye Surgery Costs by Country & City
Lasik Eye Surgery Costs Dubai, UAE
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| Ultra LASIK | Dubai | 1,750 AED per eye | £374 per eye |
| Femto Lasik | Dubai | 4000 AED per eye | £855 per eye |
| Smile ReLEx | Dubai | 5000 AED per eye | £1,069 per eye |
Many people choose Dubai for their Lasik procedures based on price, quality and service. Doing your Lasik in Dubai at the North American Lasik Eye Centre is a great choice for those that are looking for a clinic that has done over 16,000 successful eye surgeries. Knowing the cost of lasik in Dubai helps you compare prices in your local area. For those living in Abu Dhabi, the lasik eye surgery cost is very affordable since it is only a 1 hour drive to Dubai.
Lasik Eye Surgery Cost in London, UK
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| PRK/LASEK | London | 5,342 AED both eyes | £1200 for both eyes |
| Ultra Lasik | London | 4,432 AED per eye | from £995 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | London | 20,000 AED both eyes | from £4,500 both eyes |
| LASER Blended Vision | London | 20,000 AED both eyes | from £4,950 both eyes |
| FEMTO LASIK | London | 10,691 – 13,363 both eyes | from £2,400 – £3,000 both eyes |
Lasik Eye Surgery Cost in Manchester, UK
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| Wavefront LASEK | Manchester | 8,886 per eye | £1,995 per eye |
| Ultra LASIK | Manchester | 4,432 per eye | £995 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Manchester | 11,000 per eye | £2,495 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Manchester | 7,550 per eye | £1695 per eye |
Lasik Eye Surgery Cost in Birmingham, UK
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| LASIK | Birmingham | 7,500 per eye | £1,700 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Birmingham | 11,000 per eye | £2,495 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Birmingham | 8,886 per eye | £1,995 per eye |
| YAG laser eye treatment | Birmingham | 2,561 per eye | £575 per eye |
Lasik Costs in Miami, USA
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| LASIK | Miami | 4,900 per eye | £1,100 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Miami | 9,777 per eye | £2,195 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Miami | 6,659 per eye | £1,495 per eye |
Lasik Costs in New York, USA
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| LASIK | New York | 5,390 per eye | £1,210 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | New York | 11,500 per eye | £2,595 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | New York | 8,000 per eye | £1,795 per eye |
Lasik Costs in Utah, USA
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| PRK | Utah | 4,454 per eye | £1,000 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Utah | 10,668 per eye | £2,395 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Utah | 7,550 per eye | £1,695 per eye |
| LASIK | Utah | 5,790 per eye | £1,300 per eye |
Lasik Costs in Munich, Germany
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| PRK | Munich | 5,180 per eye | £1,163 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Munich | 9,354 per eye | £2,100 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Munich | 5,719 per eye | £1,284 per eye |
| LASIK | Munich | 4,454 per eye | £1,000 per eye |
Lasik Costs in Paris, France
| Procedure | City | AED Price | Price |
| PRK | Paris | 4,338 per eye | £974 per eye |
| ReLEx SMILE | Paris | 9,577 per eye | £2,150 per eye |
| FEMTO LASIK | Paris | 6,708 per eye | £1,506 per eye |
| LASIK | Paris | 4,900 per eye | £1,100 per eye |
Patient’s Prescription
In order to qualify for LASIK eye surgery, you first need to know your eye prescription. Vision is measured in diopters, which is the unit used to measure the strength of the eye or lens. Depending on the procedure chosen, it can treat farsightedness up to +6.00 diopters, astigmatism (blurred distance and near vision) up to 6 diopters, and nearsightedness up to -12.00 diopters. When you come for a free lasik assessment the ophthalmologist will examine your eye and give you a custom quote for lasik eye surgery.
What Influences Lasik Eye Surgery Cost?
There are several factors can influence LASIK costs. Geographic location is the first factor. As a result of macro trends, certain areas have a higher cost of living than others, and refractive surgery follows those trends. So places like London, Miami, New York will be more expensive than small towns. Generally speaking, the trendier the area, the higher the rent, affecting the cost of Lasik.
Costs can also be affected by the doctor’s overhead. By owning laser equipment outright, a doctor will have lower marginal costs to perform a procedure, which can be passed on to patients. It is, however, necessary for doctors who lease or have high case costs to raise their prices.
A doctor’s or center’s brand power or experience also affects the price. The doctor’s time is at a premium if he or she is in high demand, usually because of a well-earned reputation.
It should be noted, however, that the surgery cost should be independent of the quality of your vision. The cost of LASIK is typically set, as it covers all corrections within the safe range of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Patients with severe nearsightedness or farsightedness (or other factors) may be candidates for more expensive surgeries like implantable contact lenses (ICL) or refractive lens exchange (RLE). The cost of both ICL and RLE surgery is usually greater than that of LASIK surgery.
What Are the Lasik eye surgery cost in other countries?
In terms of LASIK eye surgery overseas, several aspects exist, including the fact that not all doctors and facilities are the same. The quality of facilities may be difficult to determine in some countries. The quality of care can be misrepresented more easily in countries with looser medical regulations than yours.
The availability of good doctors and facilities can still be found in countries with poor health care regulations. Still, major surgeries should not be undertaken at the risk of poor health care regulations. Eye damage, such as blindness, may result from LASIK surgery if it goes wrong.
Surgery overseas may carry the following risks:
- The risk of unforeseen problems increases when you cannot communicate well with doctors and staff who don’t speak your native language.
- A counterfeit or low-quality medication issue. The problem affects even legitimate facilities with well-trained staff in some countries.
- A higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in other countries than in the United States.
What is included in Lasik eye surgery cost?
The surgery cost can also be influenced by what’s included in it and what’s charged for follow-up appointments and enhancements. Enhancements are second surgeries performed on previously operated eyes. Patients whose first surgery corrected a large prescription are more likely to need enhancements.
Patients with residual nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism after an initial refractive surgery (like LASIK) may benefit from having a fine-tuning laser procedure.
LASIK surgery costs vary based on the surgeon, but the North American Lasik clinic explains that they typically include the following:
- One-year preoperative and postoperative examinations
- Fees for the facility and surgeon
- Drops for postoperative eye irritation
- Procedures for fine-tuning the correction, if necessary
LASIK Additional Costs
LASIK does not need to cost extra unless the surgery is performed by a surgeon who offers it for a low, upfront cost and charges separately for the advanced and safer technology, follow-up visits, and medications afterwards.
A custom surgery involves using a map of the patient’s cornea to treat higher-order aberrations resulting from the shape of his or her eye. Since it considers the eye’s particular shape, this procedure is more time-consuming than standard LASIK.
Medical insurance typically covers medication needed to recover from surgery, but co-pay arrangements may apply for these medications.
How long does LASIK eye surgery last?
In most cases, people who undergo LASIK surgery will have excellent or good vision for many years or decades. Your glasses or contact lenses will no longer be an issue if you play sports or swim or even if you just want to see the clock in the morning. You may still need glasses as you age or when it gets dark.
LASIK surgery is generally regarded as a highly successful procedure. The long-term effects of these treatments are often not known or have yet to be well studied. People don’t need repeat examinations, and follow-up data isn’t collected because they are satisfied with their surgery. LASIK has also evolved – the techniques and technology constantly evolve. A recent study in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery of patient-reported data concluded that quality-of-life and satisfaction rates remained high 5 years after LASIK. The study also reported more than 94% of patients stated they were not wearing distance prescription lenses 5 years after having LASIK.
Despite postoperative follow-up, vision should be measured under optimal testing conditions. As published reports suggest, you may not have as good vision in dim light (such as at dusk or in fog).
You may notice a slow deterioration of your vision as you age, and your refraction may be less than when you first had surgery. The degree of change to be expected is sometimes unpredictable, but it doesn’t seem to be a great concern.
LASIK Surgeon Selection Tips
You should follow a few steps to find the right surgeon for LASIK. Ask your eye doctor for a referral since he/she may know some good Lasik clinics. Also, ask your friends, as many have already had LASIK and researched extensively before choosing their doctor. You can also find reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other social media sites.
Choosing a board-certified ophthalmologist is also important. Pay attention to where the doctor trained, how long he or she has been in practice, and how many cases the doctor has handled. Invest in an in-person or virtual consultation for 20 to 30 minutes.
Upon arrival, the doctor should review the testing results and the surgical plan with you. Doctors should explain how your objectives and testing results led them to make the right decision for you based on your objectives and testing results.
Maintaining good eye health
The ophthalmologist will check if your prescription has changed two years before Lasik’s eye surgery. The results of Lasik eye surgery will be affected if your eyes are unhealthy and your vision does not deteriorate. Boost your eye health by eating these foods more often.
- Carrots
Beta-carotene, found in carrots, is a precursor to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes healthy. Low vitamin A levels can cause dry eyes, corneal scarring, night blindness, and vision loss.
- Kale
The antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin are abundant in dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and broccoli. By filtering blue light, these antioxidants protect the retina.
- Red peppers
Vitamin C, another antioxidant, can prevent cataracts. It’s found in red and orange fruits and vegetables like red peppers, oranges, strawberries, broccoli, and kiwis.
- Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in fish, especially salmon. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil help prevent dry eyes and promote the retina’s health. Several fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, sardines, herring, flounder, halibut, and tuna.
- Oysters
Zinc found in oysters may slow down age-related macular degeneration. Whole grains, turkey, eggs, peanuts, and peanut butter also contain zinc.
Other things you can do to protect your eyes
Quit smoking
You are more likely to develop diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and dry eyes if you smoke. Additionally, it complicates treating and controlling eye problems such as inflammation.
Wear sunglasses
Use sunglasses that provide protection against UVA and UVB radiation to keep your eyes safe from the sun.
Wear protective eyewear
Work where high-velocity projectiles are possible, such as mowing and trimming, construction, metal work, and sawing, should be performed with safety glasses.
Practice safe contact lens-wearing habits
Do not wear your contacts or sleep with them for longer than the recommended period. Contact lenses should be handled with clean hands, disinfected regularly, and replaced as needed. Using the product incorrectly may result in corneal infections, resulting in severe eye pain, vision loss, and in severe cases, the loss of your eye.
