Laser Eye Surgery Cost Cutting Tips

easilyamused

photome wrote: »

How much did it cost? my wife is lloking at having surgery, this is a cost cutting thread but no one seems to mention how much they have paid or saved

Well if people have gone with a clinic whose charges are based on what the individual's prescription is (Optical Express and Optimax) one persons bill is different to anothers. Ultralase charge a flat rate irrespective of prescription.

I was quoted £3190 for both eyes at Optical Express for Lasik wavefront with intralase (but I'm pretty horribly shortsighted). Discount of 10% knocked £319 off and if I could get hold of a £50 off voucher that'd take it down a further bit, but I can't sooooo £2871 it is.

They only offered 10 months interest free credit, so I'm paying for it on my boyfriend's new Capital One card (he does know about it!!!!) that offers 15 months interest free credit, so the actual cash gets to stay in our savings account earning interest longer!

mutley74

easilyamused wrote: »

I was quoted £3190 for both eyes at Optical Express for Lasik wavefront with intralase (but I'm pretty horribly shortsighted). Discount of 10% knocked £319 off and if I could get hold of a £50 off voucher that'd take it down a further bit, but I can't sooooo £2871 it is.

you can get £50 referral vouchers from ebay (even without bidding) all you need is name, date and place of surgery of someone else whos been with OE.

mutley74

i am finding pretty hard to decide between Ultralase and Optical express. They clinics seem very good, but not sure if its worth paying so much more (£1,000+) money for the lifetime aftercare with Ultralase?? They say it covers one for drops and even glasses if need be....
any experience or advice with either company welcome.

cosmokramer2004

mutley74 wrote: »

i tried this twice and really pushed my OE adviser - he says nope not possible. even said i have already sent an email to HR about your scheme (which is true) and i can copy OE on it. no comment. I made him go away and speak to his area manager - let see what they say next week.

Phone and tell them you have decided to use Optimax instead because they won't give you a 10% discount - I *guarentee* you will be called back within the hour with an offer of 10% discount. It's Optical Express policy and will work for anyone who tries. :T

That said, for professionalism and surgical staff my preferred clinic would be UltraLase.

Capricorn_One

Was amazed to find this thread, quite honestly.

I had my eyes done nearly 4 years ago at Accuvision, Fulham. Cost me a lot; £2900 but I wanted Wavefront LASIK. Went to Ultralase who quoted me a similar amount but couldn't give me wavefront because my pupils were too small for their laser!

I didn't even bother with Optimax because I'd read so many bad things about them. I'm sure they're a lot better now but saving money was the last thing on my mind.

This is why I find this thread a bit strange. If you've decided on a really good clinic and the best treatment you can afford and you can get a voucher or a referral or whatever that's great but for goodness' sake don't go to a clinic that's not as good or go for treatment that's not the very best.

For anyone considering eye surgery here's a good place to look for reviews of clinics: http://www.lasik-eyes.co.uk/

I see wonderfully well and I think it's some of the best money I've ever spent.

Regards,

Ed.

STAGEMAN

Hi ALL, I've been reading all the threads about how good laser eye treatment is but, can anyone give me a "blow by blow" account of EXACTLY what happens, once I finaly make the decision to contact A clinic/surgeon.
I know and respect ALL of you people are protective of your eyes but, believe me I am SOOOOO PROTECTIVE, some may say paranod, that if a clinic or surgeon frigged my sight, I COULD easily KILL.

mutley74

cosmokramer2004 wrote: »

Phone and tell them you have decided to use Optimax instead because they won't give you a 10% discount - I *guarentee* you will be called back within the hour with an offer of 10% discount. It's Optical Express policy and will work for anyone who tries. :T

That said, for professionalism and surgical staff my preferred clinic would be UltraLase.

This is interesting, as i have rang my local OE a few times telling them i had been offered a great deal from ultralase including discount and 3year interest free deal - they said no. I have OE to ask their area manager twice - same reply sorry NO - unless you are approved on there corporate discount scheme.
I will give it a go this week - maybe try sale approach...give me the discount and you get my credit card number! suppose nothing to lose, even 5% will make me happy!

How do you know its Optical express policy??? or presume it may vary clinic to clinic.



update 23/6
Called Optical express - spoke to a manager there - they said NO cant offer any discount. even an extra £50 would have made me happy .....

BernardM

Hello ,

I came across this page during research on web on laser Surgery by a phd.



A Statement by Dr. Sydney J Bush PhD.,D.Opt, IOSc (London)


LASER eye surgery. People ask our opinion.

http://www.mattmcmahon.com/eyeknowwhy/index.htm
Click on this site for what is probably the most informative and impartial (though self admittedly rather negative) account of all the procedures and you will realise why, with approximately 50 complications ( and no emphasis on resultant structural weakness varying from 10% to 0ver 30% weakening with danger of rupture of the eyeball in accidents- e.g.airbags) it is entitled...
I Know Why Refractive Surgeons Wear Glasses... Briefly -

Whilst it can be justified for some extreme cases,
after initial enthusiasm, many eye surgeons have abandoned the laser as tragic, failed operations result in permanent damage to sight. Many Police forces, Emergency services, the US Military, and Airlines ban it.

For 24 hr lens wearers like myself, any advantage is hard to find if lifelong fine tuning of focus is desirable, especially when reading help becomes increasingly necessary.

Many (after initially persuading themselves and others they were happy) now greatly regret it and worry about the irreversible structural weakness of their eyes in the event of blows to the eye, car accidents etc.
Rupture of the eye is uncompromisingly final.

BernardM

Hello

Ok.

But you could put that same argument to those selling the laser eye surgery.


I have no agenda.Someone posted earlier that they wanted a blow by blow account of the surgery and was the first page that had some alternative info.

I came across this website by chance and thats the honest truth, I thought it interesting enough to post a link about it.

I could not get the links to work either. I myself thought it was a dodgy website as the links would not work, but when you read it ,it made me think twice.

I tried typing in eyeknowwhy into google and its pages do appear in the search engine.(the second listed link written as mattmcmahon.com worked best on my computer most of the links work from this page.)

You tube has lots of videos of the operation also.

mutley74

BernardM wrote: »

Hello ,

I came across this page during research on web on laser Surgery by a phd.



A Statement by Dr. Sydney J Bush PhD.,D.Opt, IOSc (London)


LASER eye surgery. People ask our opinion.

http://www-psy.ucsd.edu/~mm/eyeknowwhy/
Click on this site for what is probably the most informative and impartial (though self admittedly rather negative) account of all the procedures and you will realise why, with approximately 50 complications ( and no emphasis on resultant structural weakness varying from 10% to 0ver 30% weakening with danger of rupture of the eyeball in accidents- e.g.airbags) it is entitled...
I Know Why Refractive Surgeons Wear Glasses... Briefly -

Whilst it can be justified for some extreme cases,
after initial enthusiasm, many eye surgeons have abandoned the laser as tragic, failed operations result in permanent damage to sight. Many Police forces, Emergency services, the US Military, and Airlines ban it.

For 24 hr lens wearers like myself, any advantage is hard to find if lifelong fine tuning of focus is desirable, especially when reading help becomes increasingly necessary.

Many (after initially persuading themselves and others they were happy) now greatly regret it and worry about the irreversible structural weakness of their eyes in the event of blows to the eye, car accidents etc.
Rupture of the eye is uncompromisingly final.

this is a LES cost cutting thread not a thread about the technical aspects of it.


Anyway i have my surgey booked less than 12 days to go.....