RESTORE VISION CENTERS |
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“½ Off LASIK” Are these ads for real? While a few patients do qualify for these low advertised prices for LASIK, meeting the requirements for eligibility is difficult. Numerous exclusion criteria and pages of fine print make it virtually impossible for most people to qualify for the discounted prices. It is important for patients to compare apples to apples when deciding if they should entrust their permanent vision to a lower-priced center. Factors to consider before committing one’s vision to the lowest bidder include:
Brand and quality of the laser used A review of the FDA’s website (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK/lasers.htm) reveals that many laser brands and platforms are approved in the United States for laser eye surgery. However, not all lasers are equal. Some lasers have been around for a long time and are not as accurate or advanced as newer generation lasers. These lasers often have limited treatment ranges; more modern lasers are capable of treating higher degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Typically, older lasers are much cheaper to purchase and do not have the same upkeep costs of newer, more advanced lasers. By using cheaper, older lasers, vision centers can charge less for the LASIK procedure. There have even been a few reports of some low-cost centers using non-FDA-approved, foreign lasers acquired off the black market. At Restore Vision Centers, we use only the most up-to-date version of the VISX Star S4 CustomVue laser, with 3-D eye tracking, iris registration, and wavefront-guided capabilities. Approximately 70 percent of all LASIK procedures in the United States are performed with a VISX laser. Patients should carefully evaluate if the advertised price at another center includes treatments performed with state-of-the-art lasers, or with yesterday’s technology. Exclusion criteria Most advertisements featuring low prices for LASIK include asterisks that reference fine print at the bottom of the page. This fine print is what prevents nearly every person from actually receiving the low price. Most people have to pay much more for the LASIK procedure. Most vision centers will not offer the low price if you have any astigmatism; however, almost everyone has a small amount of astigmatism. Usually, the low price is only available to patients who have very minor nearsightedness. For patients with mild or moderate nearsightedness or farsightedness, the price increases. Because very few people are within the narrow acceptable prescription range, few people qualify for the low price. Once all the added costs are figured in (see below), most patients end up paying as much, if not more, than they would have at a reputable center. At Restore Vision Centers, we do not charge different fees depending on your prescription. We have one price, which includes everything. There is never an attempt to sell you something you do not need. There are NO asterisks! Costs for future procedures Laser eye surgery is an extremely accurate and permanent correction of one’s distance vision. However, in some cases (less than 10 percent of cases at most reputable centers) there is the need to do a second “touch-up” procedure to achieve the best vision possible. This treatment is called an “enhancement” procedure. Some centers will charge a patient an additional fee if an enhancement is needed. Other centers will attempt to sell the patient an added “warranty” program, which covers the cost of enhancements for a year, two years, or even for the life of the patient. These warranties increase the final price of the LASIK procedure significantly. The Restore Vision Centers all-in-one price includes a lifetime-enhancement warranty for all patients. Costs for before and after care Before you commit to a LASIK procedure, you should find out if the pre-operative examination and the follow-up assessments are included in the low, advertised price, or if they are performed at an additional fee. Typical aftercare following LASIK should include a one-day exam, followed by one-week, one-month, and three-month visits. These visits, plus any additional exams that are related to your procedure and that your doctor finds necessary, are always included in Restore Vision Centers’ all-in-one price. We offer more than 75 affiliated offices throughout the Pacific Northwest for your convenience. Except in the case of post-operative care for an enhancement, should you choose to have your aftercare performed at one of these offices, there is no additional charge. Costs for medications Patients should inquire with their prospective surgery center if medications are included in the price of the LASIK procedure. Restore Vision Centers provides each patient with all standard post-operative medications. You will receive your aftercare kit at the time of your surgery. You will not have to fill a prescription for the usual medications required to ensure proper healing of the eyes. Some centers do not give these to you; instead, the surgeon writes a prescription for you to fill on your own. Even if you have medical prescription insurance, you will still be responsible for all copays. Without insurance, the medications can easily cost upwards of $100. By including the medications in our all-in-one price, we save you money and time. Additional costs associated with the surgery Occasionally, patients will experience dryness of eyes after their procedure, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. This post-LASIK dry eye condition is temporary, and is treated with simple, gentle methods (over-the-counter artificial tears, drinking more water, oral nutritional supplements, to name a few). In some cases, the dryness may be more significant or persist for a longer period of time, at which point a doctor may recommend “punctal occlusion” or “punctal plugs” as a treatment option. These plugs close off the natural drainage channel for the eyes' tears, thus retaining the body’s natural tears (and tears added artificially) in the eyes longer. Punctal plugs are an additional procedure, above and beyond the customary LASIK surgery. Because not every patient will need them, they are provided at an additional fee. There have been reports of vision centers attempting to sell the plugs to patients prior to undergoing LASIK. At Restore Vision Centers, your surgeon will carefully examine your tear film and corneal health prior to surgery and will advise you if the need for punctal plugs is indicated. However, because in most cases punctal plugs are not inserted until after the eye exhibits exceptional dryness, there is a possibility that you may need the plugs even if they are not indicated in your pre-surgery examination. Our incidence of recommending punctual plugs is less than 3%. Surgeon's examination prior to surgery It serves each patient to inquire if they will have an examination conducted by the surgeon prior to the procedure. The surgeons at Restore Vision Centers examine each patient before performing surgery, independently measuring and verifying the treatment data. At some discount LASIK centers, patients do not meet the surgeon until they are lying down under the laser. |
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