One component of the cost of lasik eye surgery that many people overlook or take for granted is the facilities that the procedures are performed in. A provider office that is located in the high rent district has to pay the bills just like a provider that is located in a suburban location that is just a little out of the way, and on quarter the rent. If you think that the doctor located in the expensive part of town is going to absorb the cost difference just to be nice, you're living in a dream world. You're going to pay more for the same procedure to cover the additional expense of the nice office location. All other things being equal (equipment, experience, and procedure), the cost driver for the surgery will be rent.

Another thing to take into consideration is the actual type of procedure that the doctor is performing. The latest and greatest procedure is going to cost more than a tried and true operation simply because of the training and equipment premium that comes with set up. New procedures generally require either new training and certification, new equipment, or most commonly, both. When you hear an advertisement that touts the latest and greatest laser or the newest setup, you should file away a little note in your mind that reminds you that the procedure will likely be at a premium.

Next, look to the experience of the lasik eye surgery provider. Understand that you're going to pay more for an experienced provider, which is the person that most people want operating on their eyes. However, the marginal gain for experience past a certain level may not be worth it. There is plenty of argument about exactly what that level is, but it's somewhere in the 100 to 500 procedure range. Anything over 500 procedures and you generally shouldn't put any more of a premium on the provider than you would one at the 500 range. But, of course, temper that decision with their statistics, accuracy, and success rates. Obviously a doctor with a 60% accuracy rate and 1000 surgeries is much less desirable than one with 80% accuracy and 500 procedures.

When looking for a lasik eye surgery provider, it's important to talk to them and ask questions. You should understand not only what your getting, but what you're paying for and what the doctor has to offer that others in your area do not.