Laser Eye Surgery Less Expensive?

Laser eye surgery is an elective medical procedure gaining popularity. It's an expensive procedure costing an average of $4,000.

According to sister station thekcrachannel.com in Sacramento, one Canadian company that performs the procedure is opening in Sacramento, promising the surgery at half the cost.

But some medical experts say that they have concerns with low-cost medical methods.

Doug Kent underwent laser eye surgery in February. The Vacaville resident shopped around and decided to go north to the Lasik Vision Corp. in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"The price was one-fourth that I was getting quoted here in California, so I couldn't beat the deal or the guarantee also," Kent said.

Now that Lasik Vision has an office in Sacramento, Kent can get follow-up care locally.

The Canadian company is making waves with its eye-catching prices. Most laser centers charge $4,000 per surgery. Lasik charges less than $2,000.

"There's nothing else you can say except they must cut corners, they must take risks. The bottom line is we're the fastest growing provider in North America, and if we did any of those things, we would not be that company," James Watson of Lasik Vision Corporation said.

Lasik Vision deals directly with consumers, from surgery to follow-up, skipping the patient referral system between doctors.

Right now, Lasik is offering a half-off deal to attract its first 1,000 local customers.

Critics call Lasik Vision an assembly line company that doesn't provide high-quality care. Lasik patients are not always examined by surgeons before or after procedures.

Mark Mannis is professor of ophthalmology at the UC Davis school of medicine. He compares low-cost eye surgery centers with bargain stores.

"The principle should be that one gets what one pays for. And how much are your eyes worth to you?" Mannis said.

Lasik officials insist that they don't cut corners, just prices. They say that the industry is watching with contempt, because they've found a way to make an expensive procedure more affordable for patients.

Some medical experts predict that, this year alone, more than 1 million people in the United States will undergo laser vision correction surgery.