Lasik eye surgery prices can be very different from one surgeon to another and the ultimate cost of lasik eye surgery depends on many factors. The only common practice among all lasik surgery providers is quoting procedure prices on a per-eye basis. This usually means that whatever price you're being told it will cost is for getting the surgery on one eye - so the cost doubles to get both eyes done.
In 2008 various studies concluded that the average cost of lasik eye surgery in the United States is about $2,100 - and this is for getting the procedure on both eyes. For non-customized lasik surgery using a bladed instrument the average cost is about $1,600 - this type of procedure is not guided by wavefront analysis. For wavefront-guided lasik using IntraLase the average cost is about $2,300.
There can be pretty big differences in what an advertised price will include, so beware of ads that promise lasik surgery from $500 per eye. Be sure to read the fine print thoroughly. You get what you pay for with this procedure so you don't want to skimp yourself out - this is your eyes you're talking about! Usually only very few people are actually eligible for lasik surgery at prices that sound unusually low, because most people need more extensive correction or more follow-up after the surgery. Some providers even do sneaky things like taking non-refundable deposits from potential patients, even when an individual opts not to have surgery.
The average cost of lasik eye surgery has risen in the last decade, mostly because of increased demand and an increasing number of LASIK procedures. Recent reports show that the number of lasik surgeries performed annually in the United States has remained the same the past few years at around 1.3 million. The number of procedures performed in 2008 is problably going to decrease because of a sliding U.S. economy, which might decrease pricing soon as the demand for this procedure decreases.