Why does laser eye surgery cost what it does?
Despite the fact that laser eye surgery can cost the equivalent of 2 pints of beer (8.00 € /day) for a year, some people wonder why it costs what it does.
The diagnostic equipment alone costs around 150-300K to set up.
Then, the laser for the first step of the procedure (the femtosecond laser) costs about 500K, with per-use fees ranging between 350-450 per eye.
Then, there is the typical cost range for the excimer laser (that shapes the eye) between 150.000 at the low end to nearly 450.000 at the high end (we’re on the high end of that for sure).
Then, there is the cost of training an eye surgeon for the job, which usually takes about 18 years – most of it post-graduate.
Then there is the cost of the premises, support staff, insurance, and other incidentals involved in running a world-class clinic in a major urban centre.