If you’re unsure whether laser eye surgery is right for you and want to check your eligibility, you can schedule a free laser suitability assessment with one of our friendly orthoptists or optometrists. They’ll assess the health of your eyes, inform you if you’re a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery, and answer any questions you may have, including those about our buy now, pay later payment options. Simply call 1800 1 LASER (1800 152 737) or use the booking form and select ‘Laser Suitability Assessment.’ The free assessment is optional and is not required before surgery.

Before proceeding with laser eye surgery, you will need a consultation with one of our surgeons. During this appointment, they will discuss the procedure in detail and conduct additional tests in preparation for your surgery. Our ophthalmologists will also answer any remaining questions and recommend the surgical procedure that best suits your eyes and lifestyle.

A consultation with an ophthalmologist attracts a fee. However, a Medicare rebate is available if you have a referral from an optometrist or GP.

Our Sydney laser eye surgeons use LASIK eye surgery as a treatment for refractive errors such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism.

LASIK eye surgery is a two-step procedure that uses two different lasers to correct refractive errors by reshaping the cornea. This type of operation leads to less discomfort during healing compared to other forms of laser eye surgery (e.g. ASLA/PRK surgery).

For more information about LASIK eye surgery, visit our laser eye surgery Services page.

SMILE (small incision lenticular extraction) laser eye surgery and SMILE Pro (the latest form of SMILE surgery) are available at our Chatswood laser eye clinic in Sydney. In fact, the first SMILE Pro laser eye surgery in Australia and New Zealand was performed at our Chatswood clinic by A/Prof Michael Lawless. Read more about SMILE Pro surgery.

The SMILE procedure is a single-step, minimally invasive, keyhole form of laser eye surgery. For this reason, recovery is quick and it’s an ideal option for people who want to return to contact sport as soon as possible. It is also an appropriate option for patients with dry eye disease. SMILE Pro is even faster than the original SMILE laser eye procedure – the laser part of the surgery only takes 10 seconds versus 27 for the original SMILE surgery.

However, SMILE cannot be used for long-sightedness, and not everyone will be suitable for SMILE laser eye surgery. Your laser eye doctor will be able to advise whether SMILE is an appropriate treatment for you.

For more information about SMILE laser eye surgery, visit our laser eye surgery Services page.

Although the majority of vision correction surgeries are now either LASIK or SMILE, advanced surface laser ablation (ASLA), also known as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), still plays a role, especially for patients with thin or unusual corneas. It can be used to treat short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism.

For more information about ASLA/PRK eye surgery, visit our laser eye surgery service page.

In this procedure, the laser eye surgeon corrects one eye (usually the dominant one) for distance vision and the other eye for reading/near vision. Overall, the images from both eyes are processed by the brain as one blended image. Monovision can be achieved using laser eye surgery (e.g. LASIK or ASLA) or artificial lenses (e.g. replacement lenses or implantable phakic lenses).

Most people who have monovision find they adjust within a matter of days and can minimise their use of glasses. Before the procedure, our Sydney laser eye surgeons will usually get you to trial a set of contact lenses to make sure you can adapt to this change.

At Vision Eye Institute, a detailed quote with the full cost will be provided during your laser consultation after we check the health of your eyes and determine which procedure is recommended for your individual situation.

The cost of laser eye surgery in Sydney ~ $3,950 per eye. However, it’s important to understand the true value of your surgery. This means knowing what type of laser eye surgery you are having (e.g. LASIK, ASLA or SMILE), the experience of your surgeon and clinic staff, and whether there are any additional costs (e.g. medications, enhancement procedures, theatre fees).

We also offer payment plans through our partnership with humm and Latitude (Ts&Cs apply).

Read our cost of laser eye surgery article to understand why different providers charge different fees. And use our cost calculator to find out how much you can save compared to a lifetime of glasses and contact lens use.

*Approved customers only. Conditions, fees and charges apply. Credit provided by Latitude Finance Australia ABN 42 008 583 588 Australian Credit Licence number 392145.

Medicare does not rebate any of the cost of laser eye surgery. However, many health insurers will cover some or all of the cost. You will need to check with your health insurer as to whether your level of cover includes rebates for laser eye surgery.

For example, BUPA’s Ultimate Health Cover offers 100% cover for laser eye surgery (3-year waiting period applies). For your convenience, we also invoice the cost of your procedure (LASIK, PRK or SMILE) directly to BUPA, meaning you have nothing to pay upfront.* Contact BUPA to find out if you qualify (phone 134 135 or visit their website).

Medibank members with selected extras and packaged covers can receive 15% off surgical fees if they have their procedure performed at Vision Eye Institute. This excludes consultation fees and diagnostic tests.

When comparing providers, make sure you get an accurate indication of all charges that you will incur before, during and after your laser eye surgery procedure (including enhancement or follow-up procedures).

Read our article about the cost of laser eye surgery

We offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options for laser eye surgery only, in partnership with humm and Gem Visa.

humm* provides interest-free payment plans you can repay over time. Learn more about humm

Latitude Gem Visa† may be available for laser eye surgery procedures (credit limit subject to approval). Latitude Gem Visa offers interest-free payment plans, low monthly account fees and fast approval. Learn more about Latitude

_{*Payment plan approved applicants only. $8 monthly fee plus other fees, terms, conditions, minimum amounts and exclusions apply. For full terms & conditions please go to https://www.shophumm.com/au/important-information/. Payment plan provided by humm BNPL Pty Limited (ABN 28 129 228 986) a subsidiary of humm group limited.}

_{†Approved customers only. Conditions, fees and charges apply. Credit provided by Latitude Finance Australia ABN 42 008 583 588 Australian Credit Licence number 392145.}

Laser eye surgery is an elective procedure and does not have a waiting period. However, there may be a waiting period if you are claiming a benefit from your private health insurer.

In our Sydney clinics we use femtosecond lasers and excimer lasers for all our laser eye surgeries. Both types of lasers are used by our laser eye surgeons to make precise incisions, allowing our surgeons to reshape the cornea to correct vision. All our lasers are computer-guided cold lasers.

We offer three types of laser eye surgery:

• small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery is a bladeless, one-step, one-laser vision correction procedure using a femtosecond laser
• laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery is a two-step, two-laser vision correction procedure. The first laser, a femtosecond laser, creates a thin flap of corneal tissue. The second laser, an excimer laser, reshapes the corneal bed
• advanced surface laser ablation (ASLA) surgery also known as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery is a one-laser vision correction procedure using an excimer laser.

There are no aftercare practices specific to climate or weather. Best practices for laser eye surgery aftercare include:

• wearing goggles or an eye shield after your surgery
• avoiding rubbing your eyes for a week after your surgery
• wearing sunglasses when you go outdoors and avoiding extreme levels of sunlight due to eye sensitivity post-surgery
• administering eye drops as directed, and
• avoiding environments that are smoky, dusty or contain chemical vapours.

You do not need a referral for laser eye surgery. However, if you receive a referral from your GP or optometrist you may be able to claim some of the cost of your pre-surgical consultation through Medicare.

To be eligible for laser eye surgery you must:

• be between 18 and 55 years of age
• have stable vision
• have good eye health and general health
• not be pregnant or breastfeeding, and
• have short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia) and/or astigmatism (imperfection in the eye’s curvature that results in distorted vision).

However, individuals over 55 may still be eligible for laser eye surgery or another vision correction procedure. To find out if you are eligible, book a comprehensive assessment with one of our Sydney laser eye surgeons.