# lazer eye surgery -Best prices



## Sarah (23 Apr 2008)

Hi all,

Hope someone can direct me. Im seriously looking into getting my eyes done this year and want to know where is the most reasonable place i can get them done in Ireland? I have looked into optilase and their advertisment states €995 per eye but this is for the older type of laser surgery and would need a longer recovery time. If anyone has any info or experiance i would be very grateful.

Thanks
 Sarah


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## Satanta (23 Apr 2008)

Sarah said:


> ...want to know where is the most reasonable place i can get them done in Ireland?


Personally, I'd look for the best possible service available and have price as the last priority on the list (if it is to be on the list at all).

It's a one off cost which will have benefits/consequences for the rest of your life. It's not somewhere I'd look to save a couple of hundred euro on and sacrafice having the best possible job done.  

There are a couple of threads discussing laser surgery on AAM where people give experiences with different hospitals etc., not sure if it provides costs (or if it does they are potentially out of date) but it should provide a little extra background information.


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## DeeFox (23 Apr 2008)

I had laser eye surgery done in early 2003 and I paid €3000.  I would have happily paid double that as I was so happy with the doctor, service received and the priceless perfect eyesight I had afterwards (and still have).  
I understand that it is a lot cheaper now to get it done but you've only got one pair of eyes so I think you should do your research on who is the best in your area and hang the cost!


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## And76 (23 Apr 2008)

Im going for a consultation there next week so will see what they say. My friend just got hers done in the wellington clinic this morning and rang me this evening saying she could now see and the whole experience was grand. my brother got his done in optilase and it was perfect he said if he had the money he might have gone eleswhere but that said he had no problems.


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## shesells (23 Apr 2008)

Satanta said:


> Personally, I'd look for the best possible service available and have price as the last priority on the list (if it is to be on the list at all).
> 
> It's a one off cost which will have benefits/consequences for the rest of your life. It's not somewhere I'd look to save a couple of hundred euro on and sacrafice having the best possible job done.
> 
> There are a couple of threads discussing laser surgery on AAM where people give experiences with different hospitals etc., not sure if it provides costs (or if it does they are potentially out of date) but it should provide a little extra background information.


 
I'm 100% with Satanta on this one. Do NOT skimp on this, you only have one set of eyes. Don't forget you will get about 20% back in tax refunds. My sister had a nightmare experience when getting her eyes done. She has perfect vision now but wouldn't have done it if she could choose it all again.


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## MugsGame (23 Apr 2008)

Some posts removed as they discussed more than pricing and availability. Please respect the posting guideline on medical discussions when posting in this thread. 

MugsGame (moderator)


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## Guest120 (23 Apr 2008)

Wavefront guided LAISK with The Wellington Eye Clinic operating out of the Beacon costs 2,000 euro per eye. There is a 100 euro consolation fee which is taken off the cost of the eye surgery if you proceed.

If you have VHI membership you may be entitled to a 15% reduction given at source. Of the remainder, it is MED1 applicable if your satisfy the given tax payment.

I couldn't recommend the place highly enough having had the surgery done on -5.25 eyes earlier this year. Waiting time in the Beacon is normally a few weeks after initial consolation. LAISK recovery time is a few hours, or was for me, after which vision was perfect.

If you need any more info feel free to PM me.


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## creme egg (24 Apr 2008)

I agree with other posters,  the cost should not be the top priority for this kind of thing.  I got this done in 2002 / 2003 (can't remember exactly) and it was IRL 3,000 .   I got the LASIK procedure done with Dr Power from the Blackrock Clinic, since I got it done three friends also went there, and a family member, they all had nothing but praise for the place.  

No affiliation with Dr Power, other than a satisfied customer.

Also think about the aftercare,  you want somewhere that is easy enough for you to get to.

Best of luck
creme egg


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## bigjoe_dub (25 Apr 2008)

got mine done by Prof O'Keefe in the mater private.  top eye man in the country.  aftercare service second to none.

tip, get the operation done towards the end of the year. say nov/dec.  that way come jan 1st you can claim the tax back via the med1.


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## funkylady (25 Apr 2008)

do not go on price go on recomendations i used optilase they were brilliant cost me €3000 best money i ever spent the procedure is over in minutes


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## Guest120 (25 Apr 2008)

funkylady said:


> do not go on price go on recomendations i used optilase they were brilliant cost me €3000 best money i ever spent the procedure is over in minutes


Seems strange you would mention the price when saying 'do not go on price go on recomendations'


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## Guest120 (25 Apr 2008)

bigjoe_dub said:


> tip, get the operation done towards the end of the year. say nov/dec.  that way come jan 1st you can claim the tax back via the med1.


You can also claim the med 1 in line with the end of your medical insurance year.


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## polar (25 Apr 2008)

Don't forget the UK. I got mine done in Belfast a few years ago for much less than any RoI clinic was charging. The service there was impeccable, too. I can't recommend the clinic itself, as it's been taken over since then, but really, about 10% or so of people will have problems of one kind or another after this surgery, no matter where you go. Extra cash does not mean that this percentage will disappear - it's surgery you're undergoing, after all, so some side-effects for a certain proportion of the patients are inevitable. 

I say this after being patronised by a colleague recently when I said I had opted for the cheaper Northern experience. He implied that throwing money at the Blackrock Clinic or wherever it was would result in the perfect outcome for his wife, unlike my own cheaper, chancier, cowboy experience. Unfortunately, the poor woman was still in that unlucky 10% (an infection - she's fine now).

It's not like the cheaper option means you get operated on in a barn by a drunken maniac with taped-together equipment. If anything, I'd prefer to be operated on by a business that does that one operation exclusively at high-volume, all day and every day. So go for the cheap option if you're happy to do so and don't be frightened into paying over the odds. See the other thread on laser eye surgery for more details.


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## Fionnán (25 Apr 2008)

I agree that money should have a marginal impact on this decision. However, I believe that all eye surgeons practicing in this state are highly regulated. The fact that some are charging €4000 for what others are charging €2000 has ensured that the ones charging the higher price have put pressure on the state to regulate the ones charging the lower price and, from their perspective, push them out. Consequently, could people just tell us the price they paid, the type of surgery, and where it was done. That would be appropriate for a website entitled askaboutmoney! We can then consult the health websites.  Thanks.  I'm seriously interested in a comparative study of the quality and services provided by each surgeon. I do not assume the higher cost indicates higher quality.




Well said, Polar.


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## And76 (27 Apr 2008)

By the way when you claim back with your med1 do you get a cheque for the amount as I have heard you get it back in tax credits?


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## Guest120 (27 Apr 2008)

Fionnán said:


> Consequently, could people just tell us the price they paid, the type of surgery, and where it was done. That would be appropriate for a website entitled askaboutmoney!


Anything else you require?

This post will be deleted if not edited immediately Wept.


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## polar (28 Apr 2008)

Links to other discussions in AAM about Laser Eye Surgery:

*Key Post: Laser Eye Surgery *
*Eye laser treatments, experiences please? *


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## xxx (3 Jun 2008)

Doing abit of a tidy up last night and found some vouchers (2 for €300 and 2 for €50 -only one gift cert can be redeemed per client) that i got from optilase. Thing is they have to be redeemed by the 1st July 2008. It also says they should be produced at first consultation. If anyone wants these pm me and i can post them on.


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## Red (3 Jun 2008)

Good review in Sunday Times - business section on the various options & costs associated with laser/lasek/wavelenght eye surgery


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## daithi (6 Jun 2008)

I got mine done in Optilase for 2995 for both eyes using the LASIK with Wavefront. Recovery time was <24 hrs, I havent regretted it at all
As above, you can claim tax back, but if you're with Vivas,(plan 2 or higher) they'll pay for the Wavefront part of the procedure. There is an initial 100 euro consultation fee which is waived if you proceed with the surgery. My costs were as follows:
3000 (LASIK and Wavefront)-1000 (Vivas Refund on Wavefront procedure)-41%tax back giving a net expediture of 1180 euro for both eyes. The refund from vivas came through within 2 weeks of the surgery.
Bear in mind, that if you use Optilase you have to be in Dublin for 
a 1 day post surgery evaluation
a 1week post op eval.,
a 1 month post op eval.,
a 3 month post op eval.,
a 12 month post op eval.
Ihave no affiliation with either Vivas or Optilase.

hth,
daithi


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## gipimann (7 Jun 2008)

daithi said:


> I got mine done in Optilase for 2995 for both eyes using the LASIK with Wavefront. Recovery time was <24 hrs, I havent regretted it at all
> As above, you can claim tax back, but if you're with Vivas,(plan 2 or higher) they'll pay for the Wavefront part of the procedure.


 
Am I right in saying that Vivas only cover the procedure if done in Optilase and don't cover any other location?

Here's the price list I got from the Wellington Eye Clinic in the past 2 weeks:
Initial assessment €100 (wiill be deducted from treatment cost)
Wavefront optimised Lasik/Lasek - €2050 per eye
Wavefront customised Lasik/Lasek - €2200 per eye.
Cost includes 
post-op medication, 
emergency post-op aftercare, 
all aftercare visits for 24 months after treatment 
a Lifetime Warranty (no extra fee for enhancement treatments).

No connection with clinic, other than a prospective customer.


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## daithi (17 Jun 2008)

the Vivas deal is only with Optilase. I have just had my yearly checkup and all is still as well as I had hoped for.

daithi


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## gipimann (9 Aug 2008)

This might be of interest to people who are thinking about laser eye surgery.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've attended the Wellington Eye Clinic, and have LASIK surgery scheduled for next week.

I got a call from the clinic yesterday to confirm the time, etc, and the staff told me that Quinn Healthcare are now covering some of the cost of the procedure there - to the tune of €600!   Apparently Quinn started covering some laser eye procedures last month.   The amount is the same as the VHI allowance in the Wellington clinic (i.e. 15% of the total cost - €4000).

Can't find any reference to the change in cover on Quinn HC website.


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