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Glasses were once a lifelong sentence for those with vision problems, and almost unavoidable as people got older. Even contact lenses can quickly become a burden, although some prefer their look to traditional glasses - and not everyone is a candidate for contact lenses. Doctors have been developing vision corrective surgery technology for some decades now, and one of the most advanced procedures, Lasik eye surgery, is becoming extremely popular for its excellent success rates, low postoperative pain values and low recovery time. Cost can be prohibitive though, that is why we explore hospital medical tourism in Thailand and international hospitals in Bangkok and elsewhere as lower cost, equal quality options for vision corrective surgery.
The Lasik technique was pioneered by a Spanish ophthalmologist, Jose Barraquer. The first microkeratome he developed, a tool used to cut thin flaps from the cornea to change the shape and correct vision problems, was actually made in 1950 in Columbia. Dr Barraquer pioneered the theory end f the procedure, while a Dr Gholam Peyman patented the Lasik technique used in international hospitals in Bangkok and at other medical tourism facilities in Asia. The technique involves cutting a flap in the cornea and pulling this back to expose the corneal bed, then ablating the surface to a shape which allows correct vision with an Excimer laser. The corneal flap is them replaced.
If you are researching having Lasik surgery done at a hospital in Bangkok, look for one that offers the CustomVue Procedure. A clinical stu
dy reported excellent results from this particular procedure, with 100% of patients undergoing the procedure able to pass a driving test, 98% that had 20/20 or better vision, and 70% that actually had better than 20/20 vision! Patient satisfaction with their night vision also improved by four times with this procedure performed at international hospitals in Bangkok, compared to previous night vision while wearing glasses or contacts.
Of course, the precise cost of Lasik surgery varies greatly between international hospitals in Bangkok and elsewhere, however, as a rule of thumb, this surgery costs far less under Thailand hospital medical tourism schemes than it does in Western countries. This is due entirely to lower costs of living in these countries, and is not a reflection of the quality of the surgeons, technology or staffing. As a general guide, you can expect to pay half to a third of the cost in the US, for an equivalent procedure in an international hospital in Thailand, and even in some other Asia medical tourism countries.
Lasik surgery in Australia costs around US$2275 per eye for a basic Lasik procedure, rather than the advanced wavefront procedure which is offered as standard in hospitals in Bangkok and other Thailand medical tourism facilities. In the US, this procedure costs an average of US$2341 per eye. At international hospitals in Bangkok, the Lasik procedure costs only US$1800 per eye, with some facilities giving this price on the condition that both eyes are done on the same day - the method used by most people, anyway.
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