Private LASIK eye surgery cost in the UK: 2026 price guide

Private LASIK creates a thin corneal flap, reshapes the tissue underneath with a laser and replaces the flap, to correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism, with quick visual recovery compared with surface treatments.

The range in the published self-pay lists for LASIK eye surgery was £100 to £1,495. That spread reflects different hospitals, different variants and different ideas of what belongs in a package, so the table names each one.

Lists are revised from time to time and sit alongside conditions in the small print. The figures help you see where a quote falls, but they cannot replace your own estimate.

A thin flap is created in the cornea with a blade or a femtosecond laser, lifted, and an excimer laser reshapes the underlying tissue before the flap is laid back. Each eye takes only a few minutes of laser time.

Because the headline price is a starting price, ask for the exact amount for your prescription, plus what aftercare and any enhancement are included.

Two patients having the same operation or test can receive quite different bills. For LASIK eye surgery, these are the factors that most often explain the gap.

• Standard versus advanced LASIK: Optical Express lists standard LASIK from £1,295 per eye and LASIK Advanced from £1,495 per eye.

• Per eye pricing: both eyes double the headline figure unless a package applies.

• Prescription and corneal thickness: strong prescriptions or thin corneas can limit LASIK and change the recommended option.

• Flap technology: femtosecond lasers used to make the flap are part of the cost of advanced setups.

• Aftercare and guarantees: included aftercare periods differ between providers.

Ask for the inclusions in writing. For this procedure the usual split between what is covered and what is charged on top looks like this.

Insurers do not cover LASIK because it is a refractive procedure, so it is self-funded, often with finance offered by the provider.

Check whether your insurer recognises the exact procedure and the consultant you plan to see, and ask for any excess in writing. Self-funders can usually ask about finance, but terms depend on credit checks and should be read closely.

The NHS does not offer LASIK for refractive error.

Many people consider private care because of NHS waiting times, but the NHS route costs nothing at the point of use and the 18-week standard applies to non-urgent consultant-led pathways. Local performance varies.

Vision is often clear within a day, with drops for a few weeks, avoidance of swimming and eye make-up for a period and a check at set intervals.

The risks below are the ones that can turn a quoted price into a larger bill, so ask how each would be dealt with.

• Flap-related problems, dry eye and night-time glare can occur, and a small number of people need enhancement; ask for the policy in writing.

• LASIK may not suit very thin corneas or certain eye conditions, in which case a surface treatment or lens-based option may be advised.

Write the answers down as you go. These are the questions that tend to separate similar-looking quotes for this procedure.

• Is the price standard or advanced LASIK, and per eye?

• What aftercare is included and for how long?

• What is the enhancement policy?

• What is my corneal thickness and does it limit options?

• Is every fee in the quote guaranteed, or could consultant and anaesthetist charges differ from the estimate on the day?