According to a leading refractive surgery industry analyst, the average price for LASIK and other laser vision correction procedures performed by U.S. surgeons in 2007 is $2,099 per eye ($4,198).

The price you'll actually pay for your LASIK depends on a number of factors, including:

• The type of laser technology you choose.
• The type of surgical instrument used to create the corneal flap.
• Whether or not your pre-op exam and follow-up visits are covered in the fee.
• Whether or not your post-op medications are covered in the fee.
• Whether or not retreatments (if necessary) are covered in the fee.
• The skill, reputation, and experience of your surgeon.
• The community and area of the country you live in.

Your LASIK options

The least expensive option is standard (not wavefront-guided) LASIK with the corneal flap created with a mechanical microkeratome. This is the oldest LASIK technology. Although results are usually very good with this type of LASIK, it has a higher risk of certain complications, including flap problems. Nighttime glare and other vision problems may also be more prevalent after standard LASIK compared to newer and more advanced wavefront-guided LASIK technology.

The highest-priced option will usually be wavefront-guided LASIK performed with the latest-generation excimer laser and the corneal flap created with the latest-generation femtosecond (IntraLase) laser. The wavefront-guided technology uses precise computer-generated mapping of the eye to guide the excimer laser as it reshapes the cornea, often providing better visual outcomes than standard LASIK. And using a laser to create the corneal flap eliminates the risk of most flap complications for a safer, more psychologically-comfortable LASIK procedure.

Expect to pay approximately $350 to $500 more per eye for wavefront-guided LASIK with a laser-created corneal flap, compared to standard LASIK with a flap created with a bladed microkeratome.

According to the same 2007 report cited above, wavefront-guided LASIK with IntraLase flap technology costs an average of $2,357 per eye ($4,714), while the average cost for standard LASIK with a microkeratome flap is $1,694 per eye ($3,388).

Buyer beware

Be wary of advertisements for surgery centers that offer LASIK at very low prices — "LASIK as low as $299 per eye," for example. If you read the small print, only a small percentage of patients (sometimes less than 10%) qualify for this pricing, based on their refractive error.

Typically, "bargain"-priced LASIK will be standard LASIK with a bladed microkeratome, and pre-operative exams, follow-up visits, medications after surgery, and retreatments will not be included in the price.

And sometimes these surgery centers use a "mobile" laser, meaning the laser is trucked to the surgery center that day, and then gets loaded back on the truck and is taken to another surgery center the next day. This constant moving of the laser may affect its calibration and the consistency of the results it provides.

According to a leading industry analyst, less than 7% of LASIK procedures performed in the U.S. in 2007 cost less than $1,000 per eye. As with most things, "if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

You have one set of eyes. Choose wisely.