The Truth Behind the LASIK “Lifetime Guarantee”

The Truth Behind the LASIK “Lifetime Guarantee”

While a lifetime guarantee for LASIK certainly sounds attractive, the unfortunate reality is LASIK is a surgical procedure, and NO surgical procedure can be guaranteed. Think about it; have you ever heard an orthopedic surgeon guarantee the success of your shoulder surgery? No. So why is there a “guarantee” for LASIK?

The fact of the matter is a “lifetime guarantee” is just a marketing gimmick used by LASIK practices. It’s attractive to someone who’s researching LASIK to see that the practice offers a “lifetime guarantee”. It’s comforting to think that if you ever need LASIK again, you won’t have to pay for it.

However, the truth is, the LASIK “lifetime guarantee” isn’t a guarantee at all. There are numerous restrictions that come with the guarantee, most of which aren’t clearly disclosed to the patient. If you ask to see the fine print, you’ll see dozens of exclusions.  Here are a few examples:

1. The “lifetime guarantee” isn’t good for the lifetime of the patient but rather for the lifetime of the LASIK practice.
2. High degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are usually excluded from the “lifetime guarantee”. 
3. You are required to go back to the practice, or one of their affiliated doctors, for a charged exam (yes, you pay for it) every year.

The best assurance for those looking for a “lifetime guarantee” is to choose a surgeon who will do your procedure right the first time. Dr. Manger is a LASIK specialist. Out of 500 LASIK surgeons in southern California, Dr. Manger is the only one who does LASIK 5 days a week, 49 weeks a year, and he is the only one out of all those LASIK surgeons whose practice is 100% committed to LASIK ONLY.  He has performed over 94,000 LASIK procedures in the past 24 years: consistently, 99.7% of his patients see 20/20 or better, the other 0.3% see 20/30 and are happy with their vision, no one has ever lost their vision by having LASIK with Dr. Manger.