LASIK eye surgery is a safe and effective treatment for a comprehensive range of refractive errors, including those that cause nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Glasses and contact lenses can be a burden to use and are costly to maintain year after year. For individuals with vision impairment, LASIK surgery offers freedom from prescription lenses and long-term vision improvement.
One hesitation that patients often have when it comes to LASIK surgery is how much treatment will cost. At his laser vision center, Peña Eye Institute, Dr. Raul Peña strives to provide superior techniques and technology while still offering competitive pricing. That being said, each LASIK procedure is unique, and the final cost of treatment depends on a number of variables.
Here, we discuss how the presence of astigmatism affects LASIK costs for our McAllen, TX and Harlingen, TX patients.
LASIK Technique
Dr. Peña does not alter the cost of LASIK treatment based simply on the fact that a patient suffers from astigmatism. However, the presence of astigmatism can affect the final cost of LASIK in a couple of ways.
One of the main factors to determine LASIK costs is which surgical technique is used. Traditional LASIK surgery is the most affordable option.
Although traditional LASIK can provide excellent results, we often recommend blade-free and custom LASIK to our patients, especially when astigmatism is present. These techniques cost slightly more than traditional LASIK, but they offer important benefits that can be invaluable to our patients.
IntraLASIK is a blade-less technique that uses a special laser to create the corneal flap. This allows for superior surgical precision, which significantly decreases the risk of flap complications following LASIK surgery.
Zyoptix™ Custom LASIK uses wavefront mapping technology to precisely measure the eye and determine the exact alterations that need to be made during LASIK surgery. Custom LASIK is particularly beneficial to patients with astigmatism because it corrects both lower- and higher-order aberrations. Custom LASIK also drastically reduces the risk of glares, halos, blurry vision, or poor night vision after LASIK.
Degree of Alteration
The cost of LASIK surgery is also determined by how much alteration each patient requires. LASIK costs are typically calculated per eye, which means that a patient who only has astigmatism in one eye may be paying less for treatment than one who requires treatment on both eyes.
Another important factor is whether astigmatism is the only refractive error that needs to be treated or if there are other issues present. Many patients with astigmatism also suffer from some degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness, or have other higher-order aberrations that are compromising their vision.
Although it is slightly costlier when significant alterations are required, it is important to address all refractive errors so that the patient can achieve optimal vision results.
Learn More
If you suffer from astigmatism, LASIK surgery may be the best way for you to improve your vision. To learn more about LASIK treatment and how much your procedure will cost, contact us at your earliest convenience. Call (956) 264-1200 (Harlingen) or (956) 661-8733 (McAllen) to discuss your unique needs with Dr. Peña.
