Why does the price of laser eye treatment vary so much?
You know the feeling.
You browse the shops on a Saturday afternoon and come across what you believe is an absolute bargain — a steal in fact.
Hoping the assistant doesn’t realise the blatant mistake on the price tag, you approach the counter all inconspicuously and get out your money to pay.
To your great surprise and delight, they don’t say a word. You rush home to try out your new purchase and soon begin to understand there was a reason it was marked down.
Whether it’s a dress with seams that suddenly start fraying, a blender that won’t even blend a banana, or a mobile phone that performs like something from the 20th century — whatever it is and whatever problem it has, it’s usually down to one thing: low quality.
The old saying you get what you pay for has stuck around for good reason. Poor quality; bad craftsmanship; cheap materials — there’s always a reason a business markets a product or service at a low price. And in the case of Laser Eye Surgery providers, this couldn’t be truer.
Just like in clothes retail where you have a mixture of low-end and high-end brands, in the Laser Eye Surgery market you have everything from cost-cutting high street providers right up to celebrity-frequenting private clinics.
There are two business models at play here: one which puts price first and offers low-cost treatments with the aim of cycling through a high volume of clients; and another which puts quality first and charges a fee based on the actual costs of an individual patient’s treatment.
While the former model makes a profit by enticing masses of customers with deals and bargains, much like a fast food outlet, the latter is built on providing high-quality laser eye treatments and experiences at the individual level.
There’s room for both business models in the world of catering, but in the arena of medical care and surgical procedures, there is clearly only one that can work.
Unlike nipping to the local fast food joint to grab a quick bite to eat, heading to the high street for cut-price Laser Eye Surgery is a decision that will stick with you for the rest of your life. It may appear like you’re saving in the short-term, pocketing a few hundred or even thousands of pounds, but ultimately the patient is the one who loses out.
You see, when a clinic focuses on the bigger picture, rather than individual patients, they can’t help but overlook many factors which are crucial to ensuring safe and successful surgical outcomes:
Comprehensive Initial Consultations
Considered the most important part of the Laser Eye Surgery process, the initial consultation is when your vision is assessed, measured, and evaluated to determine exactly what kind of treatment you need.
The quality of consultations varies greatly among clinics, with some turning away up to 20 percent of patients due to being unequipped to handle more complex cases. To gain an adequate reading of your eyes and ensure the best possible treatment plan is drawn up, this stage should take several hours and include a full optometrist assessment and ophthalmic exam.
Thorough Safety Protocols
Quality control and safety tests are an important part of every procedure and should never be compromised due to meet time or budget requirements. High-quality Laser Eye Surgery clinics check and re-check a patient’s measurements, the surgical equipment, and the instruments before performing the procedure and therefore keep risk to an absolute minimum.
Up-to-date Technology
It goes without saying that the higher-end of the market is where you’ll find the latest technology. Less known is that the lower in cost you go, the greater the chance the clinic is using yesterday’s technology.
In an attempt to further keep their costs down, many high street providers use older laser equipment. This can mean greater risk of complications, some discomfort during the procedure, and longer recovery times.
Personalised Care & Treatment Plans
In the low-cost high-volume model the top priority of the business is their bottom line. Therefore patients are in and out as quick and trouble-freely as possible.
Unfortunately, this can mean generic treatment plans that are ready to administer and sub-standard care that is as personal as a big mac. Opting for a Laser Eye Surgery provider at the higher end of the market not only means a better quality experience with more staff to cater to your needs but a uniquely tailored treatment plan — the only way to adequately address the unique imperfections of your eyes.
If you’d like to book a consultation with us, or find out more about the costs of Laser Eye Surgery, leave us a comment or give us a call us on 020 7224 1005.
