The most common way a LASIK price misleads is by quoting one eye while reading like both. Technically, one procedure means one eye, even when both are treated the same day — so a headline figure can be exactly half of what you will pay. Whenever you see a LASIK price anywhere, including in our own advertising, confirm in writing whether it covers one eye or two before comparing it with anything else.
This is not theoretical. The Federal Trade Commission took action against a national LASIK provider that advertised prices most patients could not get, finding that only about 6 or 7 of every 100 people who came in for a consultation qualified for the advertised both-eyes price. The Commission described the pattern as quoting a low price and revealing the real cost only after a long dilated exam, and now requires clear disclosure whenever most consumers would not qualify.
A quote you can trust breaks into parts you can check: whether the pre-operative evaluation is included, whether the price is one eye or both, which technology is used and whether it is the one recommended for your eyes, how long follow-up visits are covered, whether medicated drops are included, and what a retreatment would cost later. Ask for it in writing — and ask before you are dilated, not after.
