LASIK Lifetime Guarantee: Too Good To Be True

I'm sure you've seen the LASIK ads promising "20/20 or free" or "lifetime commitment". These offers sound amazing, the obvious way to go, but they do have limitations, and also some surprises.

Outcome Can Not Be Guaranteed
No matter how good your surgeon is, no one can guarantee what your results will be. How well you see after LASIK can be very different than expected, or it can be exactly what the doctor predicted. LASIK centers that offer a financial commitment to a certain outcome are simply gambling. Odds are in favor of most patients having a great result. Surgeons that bet on that are merely willing to pay out the few times the outcome is not ideal in order to get business in the first place. And if you don't have an ideal LASIK result, will giving you a refund really be the response you want from your surgeon?

Guarentees Cost More
Most clinics that offer these money back guarantees in their ads don't mention that you have to pay more. I've seen clinics charge as much as $1000 more per eye for "Worry Free LASIK". Does this mean your surgeon only promises good results if you pay more?

What is the definition of LASIK success?
The Snellen 20/20 chart is a valuable measurement system, but it is not the only consideration for quality of vision. A patient may see 20/20 yet have debilitating halos at night, for example. Perhaps you see 20/20 but are still not happy with your results. Does this mean that your procedure was a success?

Who's lifetime?
While it may be admirable for a clinic to want to provide this level of care to its patients, the reality is that what constitutes a lifetime may be a matter of contention. What happens if the doctor dies? What happens if the company for which the doctor worked goes bankrupt? What happens if the publicly held corporation by whom the doctor was employed is merged into another company that does not have a "lifetime commitment" program? What if the doctor didn't have a "lifetime commitment" program, but then started working for a company that does? What if the patient moves out of the area?

When Dr. Drucker began performing LASIK, he peformed his surgeries at Clear Vision Laser Centers which offered lifetime "free retreats". Eventually, TLC bought out Clear Vision and TLC did not offer the lifetime "free retreats". Though Dr. Drucker still honored his commitment to free retreats, the laser center now requires a facility fee after 2 years. Very few patients have returned for retreats after 2 years (most needed retreatments can be determined within 2 years), but a few patients have had to pay this facility fee directly to TLC. Though these patients paid for a lifetime of free retreats, they no have no legal recourse since their contract was with Clear Vision iand they are no longer in business.

New Technology & Techniques
And then there is the issue of what is included in the "commitment"? Does this mean that no matter what new technology or technique comes along the patient will receive this for free for as long as the patient (and the doctor/clinic/corporation) lives? It is reasonable to assume that advancements will make whatever the patient had seem obsolete. One can hardly expect a medical procedure to be exactly the same after 10-20-30 years. Does the patient get the new procedure for free? Most clinics will charge an "upgrade" fee. For instance, patients who had Traditional LASIK 5 years ago who now want a retreat will often be offered Intralase to receive the optimum results but they will be charged for the technology upgrade.

These are just a few of the issues related to LASIK Lifetime Warranties. The bottom line is that patients need to be aware. Each patient is unique and individual. Your surgeon should be willing to give you personalized care and treatment whatever your results. If you are unhappy with your LASIK outcome, the ideal surgeon will listen to your concerns and address them, trying his or her best to correct them. This kind of service should be expected without a financial commitment.