A
WORD ABOUT PRICING OF Laser Eye Surgery in the
"From £395.00 per eye", "4 eyes for Two", "Limited
Time offers", auctions on eBay and so forth, Laser Vision correction has
become commoditised - or has it ???
We at Lasik eyes, in keeping with our mission to provide the
public with information about Clinics, surgeons and technology to enable you
the potential patient to make an INFORMED decision, have decided to lay out the
bare facts about price. We have been asked often about prices and why
there is so much variation. We also learn of those who have been subject to
serious upselling and others who have indicated a
level of misrepresentation by "Lasik eyes" in advertising prices that
are not correct.
At risk of antagonising our advertisers we at "Lasik eyes" in the
future shall be asking providers to indicate the RANGE of pricing and for the
previous 12 months the MEAN pricing and MEDIAN (most common price). This we
believe will be a more honest representation of the facts.
Now to get on with some hard facts about pricing and what is going on out
there!
Best to start off with the topic of ethics and code of
practice. The General Medical Council's latest "Good Medical
Practice" issued 13th November 2006 to which all doctors are meant to
adhere:
Item 60 states:
"If you publish medical information about your medical services, you
must make sure the information is factual and verifiable."
Unfortunately institutions are not bound by the same code of practice. This is
because institutions and organizations are unable to and not compelled to
register with the General Medical Council although they provide medical care.
The same is not true of the General Optical Council where both individuals and
organizations have to register. As a result organizations are in a sense
"unregulated" by the General Medical Council but are regulated by the
Healthcare Commission. The organizations cannot therefore be held to the same
standards that an individual doctor might. So please bear this in mind in case
you think that laser clinics are regulated and expected to follow a standard of
conduct.
Why is there so much variation in
terms of pricing?
In a nutshell "You get what you pay for… "
Yes there is a level of variation out there but beware , and here are
some issues to consider…
"Up selling" or "Bait and Switch".
Prices for Laser vision correction are often advertised to look really
affordable - almost for the same price as contact lenses e.g. from £395.00 per
eye. The reality is that very few if any receive laser vision correction for
that price. To be eligible you probably have to have a prescription that is not
worth treating! Once you have made the call and have been enticed, in no time
you will be informed that the low offer is not available for your prescription
and that a higher priced procedure is necessary. Also to get the best treatment
such as a customised treatment, you will need to pay an even higher price and
furthermore with Intralasik - a far safer procedure
you will have to pay even more…. Before you know it you could be spending up to
£1800 to £2000 per eye! You might have a few questions such as how do I know Customised
treatments are better for me? Or if Intralasik is
safer then why is a blade being used at all? These are questions that you need
to research and our advice is to check the market out and see what different
organisations have to say. In other words get "second opinions".
Several organizations are upfront and do not discriminate in terms of level of
correction and do not "up sell" or "Bait and Switch". They
are typically smaller and less commercial. Take your choice…
Technology The reality is that for an organization to keep up to date
with technology, they will have to change over or upgrade technology every 2 to
3 years. This is expensive and the cost is passed on to the patient. Wavefront
treatment and Intralasik make use of expensive
technology and there is no practical way that this can be provided at rock
bottom prices. Check out the technology that is going to be used on you and
independently evaluate whether it is current. There are centres in the
Expertise Yes like car mechanics, there is a variety of ability out
there. Surgeons vary in terms of skill and those that are good are likely to be
more expensive. You are paying for both technology (good surgeons typically seek
out what they believe is best for their patients) and their expertise. Although
laser vision correction in most cases works out well, on the rare occasion
things do go wrong - even in the best hands. What definitely separates out the
men from the boys is the ability to deal with a problem appropriately if it
does occur so that you the patient do not suffer an adverse outcome. Typically
those surgeons who are higher priced are ones who are Fellowship trained in
Cornea and Refractive Surgery and practice these specialities daily and often
in the National Health Service. Fellowship training for those of you who are not aware, is a period of highly specialised
apprenticeship, usually quite rigorous which leads to a high level of expert
knowledge and confidence in the area of specialty. Laser vision correction
involves the Cornea, so those with expertise in this area are theoretically
more knowledgeable.
Patient Care Pathway. To save costs and
increase efficiency, many centres, in particular the very large commercial
groups make use of optometrists and opticians to perform screening for
suitability. The surgeon does not see the patient except on the day of surgery
and acts basically as a technician. The costs to provide care are thus lower
and reflected in terms of pricing. Is this model wrong ?
Well far be it for us to be judgemental, but this is EYE SURGERY. For such an
important decision, many would want to meet and get to know the surgeon and
develop a rapport and relationship. Furthermore, having the surgeon meet and
examine you without the pressure of rushing to operate on the next patient does
provide an opportunity to pick up any problems. Sometimes contraindications are
subtle and can only be reliably picked up by medical practitioners who have the
appropriate experience and clinical training. The majority of problems from
laser eye surgery are a result of inappropriate selection and often from lack
of understanding or lack of complete evaluation. The Royal College of
Ophthalmologists feels it is important for the treating surgeon to see the
patient in advance of surgery and have indicated this in their
"Standards".(see reference and link below).
Finance / Easy Payment Plans. Good laser vision
correction surgery in the right hands with the best technology is not
inexpensive and can be hard to afford. Finance plans are an excellent way of
spreading payments and several centres do offer interest free options. Unlike
laser vision correction, you can be reassured, this
area of finance is regulated by the Financial Services Authority
OUR ADVICE
Take price inducements as
just that along with a pinch of salt.
Visit several centres and
choose one that you are most comfortable with ensuring that you are getting the
level of technology and expertise you are seeking and comfortable with.
Make sure you know who
your surgeon is and try to ensure you meet him in advance of your operation
Use Easy payment plans if
they make it easier for you to afford good surgery.
Don't compromise - your
eyes are valuable and "priceless"…
USEFUL REFERENCES / LINKS
What are the
risks and how do I find the right doctor for me?
Good Medical Practice, General Medical Council, UK
Standards for Laser Refractive Surgery, December 2004
A Patient's Guide to Laser Refractive Surgery,
March 2006
For more
information go to our parent site at http://www.lasik-eyes.co.uk