Laser eye surgery: what you need to know

Whether you're wondering if laser eye surgery is right for you, or you're keen to go ahead and are now choosing which company to go for, read our expert advice before you decide.

Laser eye surgery could transform your eyesight, removing the need to wear glasses or contact lenses. But it's not without risk, and some companies overstate the benefits without being upfront about the potential pitfalls. 

Costs can also vary considerably from one provider to another, so it’s crucial to get the big picture before you take the plunge. 

We have pulled together laser eye surgery costs from all the big providers, to help you choose the best laser eye surgery for you.

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Laser eye surgery costs compared

We've gathered prices from 13 providers in the UK, listing the price per eye for easy comparison.

*Prices correct as of May 2023

Prices range from £595 to as much as £3,450 per eye across the clinics we looked at, with higher prices usually reserved for complex prescriptions or Wavefront, which is personalised eye-mapping technology (sometimes also called iDesign or Intralase).

Be aware that what you pay may end up being different to the lowest advertised price. 

For example, Optical Express advertises costs from £595 per eye, but the small print says that less than a quarter (23.4%) of individual eyes had a prescription that qualified for surgery at this price. In other words, those with a simpler prescription.

Extra laser eye surgery costs and what to ask

Look out for additional consultation fees and deposits too, and ask in what circumstances they're refundable. 

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists recommend you ask about aftercare and what's included in the cost before committing. You should also ask who will perform the surgery and where it will be carried out, as well as how long after surgery the clinic will continue to support you.

Importantly, make sure you know what will happen if anything doesn't go according to plan, and who will pay if additional corrective surgery is needed.

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Laser eye surgery providers compared

Optical Express

Optical Express is the UK’s biggest laser eye surgery chain, with 101 branches nationwide. It claims to do six out of 10 laser eye surgery procedures in the UK. 

It advertises a very low price of £595 per eye, but this will only be for people with the simplest prescriptions. More complex cases can cost more than double.

Ultralase and Optimax

These sister companies run 18 clinics across the UK. Unlike some competitors, its prices are fixed at £1,995 per eye, no matter your prescription. People with stronger prescriptions might benefit from this, while those with simpler needs may want to pick somewhere that will charge them less.

Smaller chains and independents

There are plenty of alternatives, as listed in our cost table above, but most have less than 10 clinics around the country, or concentrated in a particular region, so you'll need to check what's available in your area (or think about how far you're willing to travel). 

Can you get laser eye surgery on the NHS?

Not if you’re getting it purely to stop wearing glasses. However, if you have a medical condition that’s causing loss of vision, you might qualify for free NHS treatment. 

These conditions include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and some cornea diseases. Check the NHS laser eye surgery guide for more details,.

Discover the best places to buy varifocals

Types of laser eye surgery explained

Lasik surgery

• The cornea is cut using a mechanical blade or infrared laser, creating and then lifting a precise flap of tissue.
• The surface underneath is sculpted using a different (excimer) laser.
• The flap then adheres without stitches.

Some 95% of those having eye surgery have Lasik, which can be less painful than Lasek (see below) and heals more quickly. People often return to work the day after surgery. 

Lasik is less suitable if you have a thin cornea, as it leaves less tissue if retreatment is needed.

Wavefront

This customised laser technology treats the individual shape of your eye. It's usually an add-on to Lasik or other treatments and costs more.

It's not always suitable for people over 65, unless there are no signs of cataracts and they have good eye surface health.

Lasek surgery

Lasek uses dilute alcohol to soften and roll back a thin flap of the cornea to do the excimer laser treatment. 

It’s generally more uncomfortable and slow-healing after surgery (you can expect to be off work for a week), but it's better if you have thin corneas as it doesn't waste precious tissue.

The lack of a flap in the eye can also mean less chance of an injury such as a fingernail snagging the edge, which may be especially useful for sportspeople where this is potentially more of a risk.

ReLex Smile surgery

This process reshapes the cornea using an infrared laser. It creates a small disc (or lenticule) inside the cornea of your numbed eye.

The surgeon then removes the lenticule through a small incision. There's no need to cut a flap (as with Lasik), which again means sporty people can return to activities more quickly. 

Smile procedures should cause minimum discomfort, and your vision should be restored rapidly. But it isn't suitable for people with a thinner cornea or with higher prescriptions.

It's worth noting that recovery can be a little slower, and retreatment (if needed) can be more tricky.

Lens replacement surgery

Lens replacement, also known as refractive lens exchange, is effectively the same as a cataract operation. It's an alternative in instances when laser eye surgery isn’t possible and is often suggested for older people or those with early cataracts. It wouldn't be worth having laser eye surgery if you're likely to need to have a lens replaced any time soon. 

As with cataract surgery, you normally have one eye treated at a time, with the procedures a week apart.

Do note, though, that it's more expensive than laser eye surgery such as Lasik, because it’s a more complex and invasive procedure.

Implantable (intraocular) contact lenses

You can have an additional soft, very thin lens inserted in front of your natural lens to change the power (prescription). 

Implantable contact lenses can be an option for younger people whose prescription is too strong for laser eye surgery, or who can't tolerate contact lenses but want to retain the natural flexibility in their own lenses.

It's also potentially a good option for anyone with medical dry eye or keratoconus; it's typically pricier than other options, though.

How to choose a laser eye surgery company

One of the main decisions to make is whether you want to go to one of the bigger chains or a small chain or independent clinic.

The larger chains, unsurprisingly, tend to offer lower prices, whereas hospitals, smaller chains and individual clinics tend to be at the pricier end.

It's important to choose the clinic with the right expertise for your eyes, and indeed this may dictate your options anyway. For example, if you have a very high or complex prescription, or risk factors such as diabetes, a high-street chain may be less likely to treat you. 

These are not blanket rules, though, and it's worth discussing your particular needs and the clinic's results in treating people with similar eyes to you (if you have a very high long-sighted prescription, for example).

Who is a candidate for laser eye surgery?

To be suitable for eye surgery, you have to be over 18, with a stable eye prescription (no change greater than 0.5 units or dioptres) in the past two years.

Eye clinics have different criteria, which may depend on the surgeon’s expertise and the laser being used. You might well find that clinics are more cautious if one of these applies to you:

• a significant (high) prescription (over +10.00D of myopia or short sight, over +4.00D of hyperopia or long sight, and over + or -6.00D of astigmatism)
• Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes
• existing medical dry eyes
• you're over 50 or have early cataracts 

Only the detailed eye scans carried out at a laser eye surgery clinic (more detailed than those you normally get at the optician) would reveal problematic issues that you might not know about, such as having corneas that are too thin for surgery.

Is laser eye surgery permanent?

Laser eye surgery will permanently change the shape of your eye, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see clearly forever. 

Most people’s vision gets worse as they age, and laser eye surgery won’t stop this from happening. 

You could also still develop cornea issues after laser eye surgery, perhaps requiring further treatment. 

What are the risks of laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery and lens replacement surgery are generally very safe and the majority of people will do well, with any problems likely to be short-term.

However, some people do experience longer-term and more serious problems and it's important that the risks are explained to you. We've found in the past that companies can oversell the benefits without adequately explaining potential issues.

Read on to find out what side effects can occur, and the likelihood of experiencing them.

Dry eye after laser eye surgery

This is common after surgery and usually clears up, but it can persist in the longer term and be very debilitating. It's more common in certain people – including those with a history of dry eye, who should be specifically warned of the increased risks for them. 

Infection after laser eye surgery

Infection is rare and usually due to bacteria under the flap caused by the laser (the risk of developing an infection after surgery is around 1 in 4,000). It's usually picked up quickly and treated successfully with antibiotics.

However, some cases can't be easily controlled by medication that could cause reduction in vision or, in extreme cases, loss of some sight. 

Cornea problems

Scarring after an infection, abnormal healing or an unstable corneal shape (corneal ectasia) can – in the worst-case scenario – lead to a damaged block of tissue in the cornea, meaning that a corneal transplant is needed.

More commonly, these problems can be corrected without transplant surgery, with fewer than 1 in 5,000 people needing a corneal transplant.

Very rarely, some people experience permanent corneal nerve damage (corneal neuralgia).

Loss or reduced quality of vision 

A small proportion of people don't see as well without glasses or contact lenses following surgery as they did with their spectacles or contact lenses before surgery. 

In up to 5% of cases, the patient can be left with some long- or short-sightedness, and will need glasses or further surgery. For an even smaller group, this can't be corrected.

Night glare 

Some patients can experience a glare or halo effect around lights when driving at night, or increased flare from oncoming headlights. 

This is more likely for anyone whose vision needed greater correction, and possibly those who also have larger pupils. 

These problems are usually mild and last for a few months, but very occasionally, problems are permanent and can affect an activity such as driving. 

Under- or over-correction 

It's difficult to know exactly how an individual's eyes will heal, so around 5% of people (depending on the clinic and the patient) require additional treatment.

People with very complex prescriptions are more likely to need this (for people with prescriptions over -10D, around 10-15% are likely to need retreatment). Ask your clinics about their specific results for your prescription.

Eye appearance

Red blotches on the white of the eye may be seen, especially after Lasik surgery, but these are usually temporary (up to six weeks). 

Future cataract surgery

Successful cataract surgery is possible after laser eye surgery. However, if you've had Lasik surgery, you should request and keep a copy of all eye measurements taken before and after the surgery. 

You can also contact your original clinic and ask for your notes.

This is not essential, but it will make it easier for your cataract surgeon to identify the correct power (prescription) of the lens to be implanted during your cataract surgery.

Your rights when booking laser eye surgery

Watch out for pressure-selling tactics to book the same day, without adequate time for research. 

If you sign up but want to cancel, many clinics offer the cooling-off period recommended by the General Medical Council. Check the terms and conditions to find out if this is the case before you sign up for laser eye surgery, as you’re unlikely to be offered your money back after any cooling-off period has ended.

Laser eye surgery myths busted

We've mystery-shopped laser eye surgery clinics twice in the past, and have put our findings together with expert know-how to let you know the sales tricks and weasel words to look out for. 

These quotes are taken directly from laser eye clinics during our last mystery shop in 2014:

Better vision guaranteed

• They say: 'You are definitely going to get a better vision than you get with your glasses or contact lenses...'
• Our experts say: A false promise: a very small proportion of people don't see as well as they did with glasses before surgery. In about 1 in 200 eyes, this can't be corrected with specs because the optical quality of the eye has been reduced.

Misleading stats

• They say: '...because with this laser 99.3% of patients achieve 20/20 [vision].'
• Our experts say: What you need to know is, is this true for your particular eyes? Ask for statistics for your individual prescription.

No need for glasses

• They say: 'The next day you'll have 20/20 vision and no need for glasses.'
• Our experts say: A vital fact is missing: even if your eyes are fully corrected for distance vision, most people need reading glasses when they reach 45-50 years old. 

Downplayed risks

• They say: 'It's more like a procedure, it's not ..that much surgical involved... [it's] something like a Botox injection.'
• Our experts say: Unrealistic. Sales staff may avoid using words such as 'surgery', 'cut' or 'blade', but, unlike Botox, Lasik and Lasek are operations, and you should consider complications and risks as well as benefits.

Personal recommendation

• They say: 'My husband had treatment about two years ago now and he had, like, a highest prescription [sic] that the surgeon had ever treated.'
• Our experts say: On our past mystery-shop visits, we heard staff refer to a surprising number of relatives, and in our survey one in five (20%) had been told about the staff member's friends or relatives getting great results. While it may be comforting, and even true, to hear this, don't let it influence your decision.

What questions should I ask my laser eye surgeon?

Former president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth), Dame Caroline MacEwen, says: ‘Laser eye surgery has become normalised, but you’ve got to remember that anything surgical is irreversible. 

'So we highly recommend that anyone considering the operation should ask their surgeon for details of their training, qualifications, length of practice and results.' 

The RCOphth also advises:

In general, the more operations a surgeon has carried out, the higher the success rate. In some cases, sight without glasses might not be as good as sight with glasses before the operation. The difference is usually minor, but find out what results your surgeon has had. 

Also check how many patients have had to come in for further treatment to improve on the initial results. Bear in mind that one in three people will still need glasses for some purposes, such as night driving. 

Ask about age-related presbyopia (the loss of elasticity in the eye's crystalline lens, leading to difficulty with near vision) and the need for reading glasses in your mid-40s. Most people get this, and laser surgery won't be able to avoid or cure it.

Find out the best places to have an eye test and where to buy glasses