Re:An alternative to LASIK eye surgery – electromechanical r...
by Topfi on Monday August 18, 2025 @12:37PM
(#44942564)
I can only speak for Austria, but the difference, if SMILE had been an option, would have been at the lower end € 3400,- compared to the PRK I got and roughly € 3200,- compared with LASIK, for what that’s worth, more than double the cost. Yes, that falls under multiple months rent, but to me that is more reason why one would consider the cost as well.
Maybe “severely more expensive” wasn’t the best wait to phrase it, but the difference is still quite steep and this can be a decision maker for many people. Especially as currently it appears that medium term/6-month outcome between PRK and SMILE are very comparable, or even slightly better in PRK [0].
This is the first I've heard of this. In my area it seems comparable in price, within 1.5x the cost of LASIK. Considering how relatively cheap it is (a couple months' rent, or a fraction of the price of a car, to correct your vision for decades) I've never seen cost mentioned as reason to choose one over the other.