Laser eye surgery has become extremely popular in the last decade or so. Lasik actually stands for Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis. This type of surgery basically uses a laser to change the curvature of the cornea. Your cornea is the outer window of your eye, and this is where nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism occur.

The advent of new technologies has made vision correction surgery very safe and effective. Most people recover very quickly and have little or no side effects. The surgery is done on an outpatient basis, and most people can resume their normal activities the day after surgery.

People who are thinking about having Lasik should have a consultation with a licensed ophthalmologist before undergoing the surgery, because not everyone will benefit from vision correction surgery. A person must be 18 years of age, have had a stable prescription for one year, have no health issues with either eye, have no evidence of glaucoma or cataracts and most of all, wish to decrease or eliminate all together their use of glasses or contacts.

The cost for Lasik varies from around $499 an eye to over $2,500 an eye. The lower end of the price range is usually for simpler surgeries of patients who do not have any or much astigmatism. However, it is a good idea not to let price be the deciding factor when choosing a doctor to perform your laser eye surgery. While it is still considered an elective surgery by most insurance plans, and therefore they will not cover it, most reputable vision centers have a variety of payment options to suit any budget.

Any good ophthalmologist will completely discuss the risks and benefits of Lasik with you before doing the surgery. This is the time to ask questions and make sure that you are a good candidate for the surgery. A reputable doctor will not do vision correction surgery on someone who will not benefit from it.

The best advice is to thoroughly research a doctor's credentials before making a decision. It is also important to find out if they have FDA approved equipment, and how many surgeries the doctors there have performed. Vision centers that offer substantial discounts may have less experience physicians who may not have received the best training and their equipment may not be up to date. Since these are your eyes we are talking about, it is imperative to have quality work.

So, if you are considering laser eye surgery, take your time to find the best doctor you can. You should realize that as with anything, you get what you pay for, so you will probably want to make the price of the surgery simply one of many considerations, not the primary consideration when choosing a doctor that does laser eye surgery.