What You Need To Know About The LASIK “Lifetime Guarantee»

So, you’re interested in LASIK and just had a consultation where the practice offered you a Lifetime Guarantee.  You think, “This is great!  They are going to take care of my eyes for the rest of my life and are guaranteeing me 20/20 vision!”

Not so fast!  Read these exclusions from actual practices that offer the Lifetime Guarantee and decide for yourself if your eyes and vision are covered for the rest of your life:

1. Medical and surgical outcomes cannot be guaranteed, and the “Lifetime Guarantee” does not guarantee that you will achieve or maintain any specific visual outcome.
2. Surgeons will only perform re-treatments that are medically appropriate.  If there is a difference of medical opinion between the patient and the surgeon, the ultimate decision is made by the surgeon.
3. Patients must have annual eye exams with approved eye doctors.  Fees for annual exams are the responsibility of the patient.
4. Your uncorrected vision must be worse than 20/40 to be considered for an enhancement.  (Keep in mind – you likely saw 20/20 with your glasses and/or contact lenses, so you would not consider 20/40 to be a good outcome.)
5. The surgeon who performed the original procedure may not be available for the enhancement.
6. Costs of any visits unrelated to the standard LASIK post-op surgical care are the patient’s responsibility, even during the first year.
7. Pre-op and post-op care for enhancements are not included in the lifetime guarantee.
8. The lifetime guarantee is voided due to:
   1. Alcohol abuse and/or drug use.
   2. Pregnancy occurring within six months of your refractive procedure.
   3. Improper nutrition, including low-calorie dieting.
   4. Failure to maintain payment of your procedure.
   5. The surgeon retires, is on disability, dies, or becomes incapacitated.

The best way to choose a LASIK surgeon is to focus on the surgeon’s qualifications, not the lifetime guarantee.  Find a LASIK surgeon specializing in LASIK only, who has personally performed a minimum of 75,000 LASIK procedures and has an enhancement rate of less than 3%.  You won’t have to worry about a lifetime guarantee if you choose a true LASIK specialist.