Is LASIK worth it

The usual case for LASIK is that it costs less than a lifetime of contacts and glasses. That case is sometimes true and sometimes not, and it depends on your prescription, your age, your annual spend and whether you need an enhancement. The honest comparison uses your own numbers rather than a national average.

What the comparison actually measures

The recurring option has a cost every year: contacts, solution, cases, eye exams and replacement glasses. The one-time option has a large cost now and a small cost later. To compare them, multiply the annual recurring cost by the number of years you expect to need correction, and compare that with the all-in LASIK price plus any expected enhancement.

The horizon is the decisive assumption. A patient who is thirty and expects to need correction for thirty more years is comparing a much larger recurring total than a patient who is fifty-five. State the horizon explicitly, because changing it changes the answer.

Do not use a national average for the recurring cost. Add up your own receipts for a year, including the exam and the glasses you replaced. That number is the input the comparison needs, and it is more accurate than any survey.

The all-in price of LASIK

The advertised per-eye price is usually a promotional figure for the basic procedure. The all-in price includes the pre-operative assessment, the procedure with the technology the surgeon recommends, post-operative visits and any enhancement within a stated period. Ask for that number per eye.

An enhancement is a second procedure, and its likelihood depends on your prescription and your healing. No official series converts that likelihood into a dollar figure, so state your own assumption and include it. A small probability of a second procedure is still a cost.

If the price is financed, the interest is part of the cost. The example below uses the Federal Reserve H.15 bank prime loan rate and a standard amortising schedule, which is arithmetic from a published rate rather than a quote.

Worked example, with the assumption stated: $4,000 borrowed at the Federal Reserve H.15 bank prime loan rate of 6.75% (published 2026-09-16) repaid over 24 months on a standard amortising schedule. That gives a monthly payment of $178.64, total interest of $287.30 and a total repayment of $4,287.30. This is arithmetic from a published rate, not a quote: a real APR includes fees and is set by the lender from your credit, so your figures will differ. If the comparison horizon is long, the financing cost is small relative to the recurring cost it replaces. If the horizon is short, the arithmetic can reverse.

The risks that do not appear in the price

LASIK can leave residual prescription, dry eye, glare or halos, and some patients need glasses for night driving or reading even after a successful procedure. Those outcomes are not failures in the clinical sense, but they affect whether the procedure was worth it to the patient.

The FDA publishes information about LASIK risks and about the importance of screening, and a provider that screens thoroughly may turn some patients away. That is a good sign rather than a bad one, because a poor candidate is more likely to be unhappy with the result.

Ask what happens if you are not a candidate for LASIK. Some patients are better served by PRK or by an implantable lens, and the alternative should be explained rather than dismissed.

Tax-advantaged accounts change the math

In the United States, LASIK is often a qualified medical expense for an HSA or FSA, which means part of the cost can be paid with pre-tax dollars. That is a real discount and it should be applied before comparing the procedure with contacts.

Check the rules of your specific plan and keep the itemised receipt, because the administrator may ask for it. Some plans require a letter of medical necessity, and some reimburse only the amount not covered by other sources.

If you have an FSA, remember that the funds are usually use-it-or-lose-it within the plan year. That can make the procedure cheaper, but it can also create pressure to book before the deadline, which is not a good reason to choose surgery.

Who tends to be glad they did it

Patients who are good candidates, who understand the realistic outcome, and who are bothered by glasses or contacts on a daily basis tend to be satisfied. The procedure removes a recurring inconvenience, and that is a benefit that is easy to undervalue.

Patients who expect perfect vision at every distance, who are poor candidates, or who are doing it for a reason unrelated to their own convenience tend to be less satisfied. The screening consultation is where those expectations should be tested.

Ask the surgeon what proportion of their patients still need glasses for some tasks after surgery, and ask whether you would be in that group. A specific answer is more useful than a general reassurance.

The decision

Run the comparison with your own annual spend and your own horizon, include the financing cost and any enhancement, and apply any tax-advantaged reimbursement. Then ask whether the result matches how you feel about wearing correction every day.

If the numbers are close, the decision is a preference rather than a calculation, and that is a legitimate basis for choosing. If the numbers are far apart, the arithmetic should decide, because the preference is being bought at a price.

Either way, get the all-in price and the screening result before you decide. A provider that will not give you a written all-in price before the procedure is a reason to look elsewhere.

Where these figures come from

Related pages

• LASIK costs by state and province
• How to pay for LASIK
• Total cost of ownership calculator
• Loan payment calculator

Frequently asked questions