Laser eye surgery reshapes the cornea — the clear front window of the eye — to correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism. It is permanent, day-case and takes ~15 minutes per eye. Precision Vision London, the clinic we work with for laser eye surgery, lists LASIK & LASEK / TransPRK from £1,950 per eye, Blended Vision from £2,500 and SMILE from £2,550; other clinics set their own prices. Modern techniques include LASIK, SMILE, SILK, SMARTSIGHT, and Presbyond blended vision. Laser is unsuitable for people with very high prescriptions, thin corneas, severe dry eye or progressive keratoconus, and for many people over ~45 with developing presbyopia — in those cases a lens-based operation (refractive lens exchange, or the ICL for younger patients with high prescriptions) or laser blended vision is usually discussed instead.
How laser eye surgery works
The cornea is responsible for about two-thirds of the eye's focusing power. Reshaping its surface by even microns changes how light hits the retina, correcting refractive error. All modern laser procedures use an excimer laser (or, in SMILE and SILK, a femtosecond laser alone) to remove tissue with sub-micron precision in a procedure that takes seconds of actual laser time.
Surgery is performed under topical anaesthetic (eye drops only). You're awake, hold your gaze on a target, and feel pressure but no pain. Vision is hazy for hours, clears within 24–48 hours for LASIK (Precision Vision London’s figure), and stabilises over weeks. Precision Vision London asks its patients to wait until their first post-operative check, when Dr CT Pillai examines the eyes and advises on work, driving and the next steps.
Is laser right for you?
Suitability for laser depends as much on what your eyes aren't as what your prescription is. Use this honest checklist:
Not sure which category you're in? A proper suitability assessment includes corneal topography, pachymetry, pupil measurement and dry eye screening. Without those scans, no honest surgeon will commit you to a procedure.
Get your free laser eye surgery quotesThe five modern laser procedures
Marketing language muddles the field, but there are really five distinct techniques in mainstream UK practice. Each suits different eyes:
LASIK
The original modern laser procedure (Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis). A femtosecond laser creates a thin corneal flap; an excimer laser reshapes the underlying stroma; the flap is repositioned. Pros: 30+ years of evidence, fastest recovery (most patients see well within hours), broad prescription range. Cons: The flap is a permanent structural change — contact sports and trauma risk. Topography-guided LASIK (Contoura) tailors the correction to each eye's irregular surface map; Precision Vision London’s LASIK is Advanced Wavefront LASIK on the Schwind Amaris 1050RS, from £1,950 per eye, with Dr CT Pillai leading its laser service. Full LASIK guide → · Read about Contoura LASIK →
SMILE Pro
Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction. No flap — the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser only to cut a lens-shaped piece of tissue (lenticule) inside the cornea, then removes it through a 2–4mm keyhole incision. Pros: No flap means stronger cornea, less dry eye, better for active patients. Cons: Currently limited to myopia and astigmatism (not long-sight); slightly slower visual recovery than LASIK. Precision Vision London performs SMILE on the ZEISS VisuMax femtosecond laser (Dr Radwan Almousa), from £2,550 per eye. Full SMILE guide → · Read about SMILE Pro →
SILK
Smooth Incision Lenticule Keratomileusis. The newest lenticule technique, using a different laser platform (ELITA) and a more refined lenticule shape than SMILE. Pros: Smoother stromal surface for faster visual recovery; reported lower dry eye incidence. Cons: Newer — fewer years of follow-up evidence. Currently myopia and astigmatism only. Read about SILK →
SMARTSIGHT
Zeiss's next-generation single-laser refractive procedure aimed at very high precision keyhole correction. Conceptually similar to SMILE but with software-driven optimisation for individual corneal biomechanics. Read about SMARTSIGHT →
Presbyond Laser Blended Vision
A LASIK variant specifically for the 40–55 age group with developing presbyopia. The dominant eye is corrected for distance with a slight bias to intermediate; the non-dominant eye is corrected for near with a slight bias to intermediate. The brain blends them. Pros: Glasses-free reading without bifocals, no lens removal. Cons: Some adaptation period; doesn't future-proof you against cataracts the way RLE does. Precision Vision London lists Blended Vision (its laser page calls it Presbyond Blended Vision) from £2,500 per eye. Read about Presbyond →
Laser vs Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
For most people in their 40s and 50s researching laser, the more honest conversation is whether RLE is a better fit. Here's the comparison surgeons themselves use:
| Laser eye surgery | Refractive lens exchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Best age | 21–40 | 45+ |
| Fixes presbyopia? | Partially (Presbyond) | Yes (trifocal/EDOF IOL) |
| Prevents future cataract? | No — cataracts develop normally | Yes — lens already replaced |
| High prescriptions | Up to ~-8.00 / +4.00 | Any prescription |
| Price per eye | from £1,950 (LASIK, Precision Vision London) | from £3,150 (Precision Vision London); from £4,300 (Sapphire Eye Care) |
| Recovery | 24–48 hours to clearer vision (LASIK) | 2–4 weeks |
| Permanent? | Yes (vision may shift with age) | Yes (lens is forever) |
If you're over 45 or have a high prescription — many ophthalmic surgeons will recommend RLE over laser. It costs more upfront but solves more, lasts longer, and removes the need for cataract surgery later.
Learn about RLEUK 2026 laser eye surgery cost
Headline prices vary depending on procedure, surgeon experience and clinic, and a very low advertised per-eye price usually applies to the lowest prescriptions only — ask what a quote includes. Precision Vision London publishes one starting price per eye for each laser treatment and says every price is all-inclusive — the consultation and diagnostics, the procedure, medications, protective eyewear, 12 months of follow-ups and any enhancement within the first year:
- LASIK & LASEK / TransPRK: from £1,950 per eye (Advanced Wavefront LASIK as standard; LASIK, LASEK, PRK and TransPRK cost the same there)
- Blended Vision (Presbyond): from £2,500 per eye
- SMILE: from £2,550 per eye (ZEISS VisuMax)
- Both eyes: double the per-eye price, it says — from £3,900 for LASIK (its own figure)
- Consultation: free, with a £100 holding fee refunded when you attend and meet its eligibility checks; deposit £250 per eye
- SILK and SMARTSIGHT are not on Precision Vision London’s price list; clinics that offer them set their own prices
Other clinics set their own prices, so always confirm whether a quote is per eye or for both eyes and what it includes. Precision Vision London is at 22A Harley Street — see our London laser eye surgery cost page and the full laser eye surgery cost guide.
Source: Precision Vision London pricing page, read 21 October 2026; its consultants’ corrections of 15 and 16 October 2026. Sapphire Eye Care’s refractive lens exchange price read on its website on 16 October 2026.
Private medical insurance does not normally cover laser eye surgery, which is treated as elective; check with your insurer what your policy covers.
Frequently asked questions
Enquire about laser eye surgery
Precision Vision London, at 22A Harley Street, London, is the clinic we work with for laser eye surgery; Sapphire Eye Care, the clinic group we work with across the south of England for cataract, lens replacement, oculoplastic, glaucoma and retinal surgery, does not list laser eye surgery among its treatments.
Use the quote form on this page with your postcode and treatment. If a partner clinic covers your area and treatment, it will contact you.
Over 45 and researching laser because of reading vision changes? Refractive lens exchange may be the right operation for you — read the RLE page and compare before you book a consultation.