“Ah, I can’t see without my specs.”, “Aiya, need to change my specs again.”
If you have said any of the above to yourself, have you ever considered getting your vision fixed?
I had never thought of getting my vision corrected until the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker happened.
The constant need to swap between my spectacles and contact lenses is annoying. Having worn contact lenses for more than a decade now, my eyes seemed to have become drier too.
In fact, there has also been an uptick in the number of people seeking corrective eye treatments to achieve “spectacle freedom”.
This seems to be true – just last year, I had three friends who have had their vision corrected, and their unanimous description of having achieved “spectacle freedom” was life-changing.
You can potentially save more with LASIK, and yes, it is permanent, and once your eyes are treated, vision rarely deteriorates to the original state.
With that, we have compiled the costs of each type of vision-correcting surgery (professionally called ‘Refractive Eye Surgery’) and eye clinics for you.
TL;DR: How Much Does LASIK in Singapore and Other Eye Surgeries Cost?
| Activity | Public | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Eye Assessment (compulsory) | $102 - $164 | $35 - $300 |
| Pre-op Consultation | $117.70 - $164 | $85 - $225 |
| Post-op Consultation | $60 - $66 per visit | $60 - $160 |
| LASIK / iLASIK / LASIK xTra™ | $2,000 - $4,580 | $2,986 - $5,359 |
| Epi-LASIK/LASEK | $4,460 - $4,896 | $4,600 - $5,000 |
| PRK/TransPRK/Soft-touch PRK | $3,852 - $4,280 | $3,600 - $4,600 |
| ReLEx® SMILE | $4,460 - $4,896 | $3,388 - $3,900 |
| Implantable Collamer Lenses | $14,060 - $15,302 | $6,200 - $15,000 |
- Types of eye surgery in Singapore
- List of clinics, costs and services available
- Medisave claimable or not
- Payment methods
1. Types of Eye Surgery in Singapore
There are four main types of eye correction surgeries:
| Laser-Assisted In situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) | Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA): LASEK/Epi-LASIK/PRK |
|---|---|
| A small flap is created in the cornea and folded back to expose underlying corneal tissue. This tissue is then reshaped using an excimer laser. Once the correct amount of corneal tissue is removed, the corneal flap is replaced. The procedure typically takes about 10 minutes per eye. At times, you may be recommended the LASIK XTra™ - think of it as a 'top-up'. This refers to an additional Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking (CXL) treatment that will be used during refractive surgery procedures. Similarly, there is another upgraded version called iLASIK: which is more advanced. Other types of LASIK technologies: CustomVue Wavefront-Guided LASIK Surgery, IntraLASIK/Bladeless LASIK | There are three main techniques covered under ASA - Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK), Epi-LASIK and Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). These are all flapless procedures, and these techniques have evolved into what are typically called "Bladeless" or "No-touch". One common technological term that accompanies these techniques is "TransPRK", which stands for "Transepithelial PRK", which is an advanced version of Epi-LASIK. Refer to Clear Vision's website for more information. |
| Refractive Lenticule Extraction, Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (ReLEx® SMILE) | Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL) |
| SMILE is a flapless laser procedure that uses the femtosecond laser to correct refractive errors without the need to create a corneal flap. This has potential advantages over LASIK in that it reduces the risk of corneal flap related complications and may induce less dry eyes in the early postoperative period. | This is surgical implantation of a phakic intraocular lens inserting an artificial lens into the patient's eye. The lens is inserted through a small incision at the edge of the cornea and is placed behind the iris and in front of the natural crystalline lens. |
Are there side effects and what are the risks?
Yes, there are and you must know them before you commit to making this life-changing decision.
- Dry Eyes, Glare, halos, starburst or double vision (Usually only temporarily)
- Infection or inflammation
- Under/Over corrections
- Corneal haze: A cloudy layer that can significantly obstruct vision for a short period of time after surgery
- Loss of vision: Extremely rare which can result from surgical complications
- Regression: As the cornea heals, cells may fill in the area that was shaped by the laser, causing some of the nearsightedness to come back.
- Flap problems, including infection and excess tears (LASIK particularly)
- Glaucoma due to increased eye pressure (LASIK & ICL)
- Retina detachment, early cataracts or presbyopia (ICL)
Now that you understand the procedures better, are you ready?
2. Eye Clinics, Surgery Costs and Services in Singapore
Here is a summarised list of clinics and services available:
| Private Clinics | Prices for Surgeries Only (Both eyes) | |
|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific Eye Centre | - Standard LASIK - iLASIK Wavefront Customized - ReLEx® SMILE - Implantable Collamar Lenses Prices inclusive of GST | From $2,986.37 From $3,709.69 From $4,805.37 From $15,600 |
| Atlas Eye Specialist Centre | - LASIK (Wavefront bladeless) - PRK (Wavefront PRK) - ReLEx® SMILE - Collagen cross-linking (CXL) / LASIK XTRA - Implantable Collamar Lenses Prices inclusive of GST. | From $3,900 From $3,900 From $5,359 From $1,199 From $8,500 |
| Dr Natasha Lim | - LASIK (iLASIK/wavefront) - Epi-LASIK / PRK / LASEK - Implantable Collamer Lenses Prices before GST. The clinic is running a long-time promotion for eye assessments | From $3,800 From $3,800 From $6,200 - $8,200 |
| Eagle Eye Centre | - LASIK - Epi-LASIK - Femto LASIK - Implantable Collamar Lenses | From $3,250 From $3,250 From $3,450 From $9,000 to $15,000 |
| Lang Eye Centre | - LASIK - Epi-LASIK / LASEK (wavefront) - Implantable Collamer Lenses | From $2,776 to $4,576 From $2,776 - $4,576 From $9,400 - $10,600 |
| LSC Eye Clinic | - LASIK - Collagen cross-linking (CXL) / LASIK XTra™ - Epi-LASIK / LASEK / PRK - ReLEx® SMILE Prices inclusive of GST | From $3,198 to $1,284 From $3,626 From $5,659 |
| Shinagawa Eye Centre | - LASIK - Epi-LASIK / LASEK / PRK/ No-touch Epi-LASIK / TransPRK - Collagen cross-linking (CXL) / LASIK XTra™ | From $3,888 From $3,688 From $1,200 |
| The Eye Clinic by Dr Cheryl Lee | Implantable Collamar Lenses | $11,000 - $13,000 |
| W Eye Clinic | - Intralase Amaris LASIK - Collagen cross-linking (CXL) / LASIK XTra™ - ReLEx® SMILE - Soft-touch PRK / TransPRK - Implantable Collamar Lenses | From $3,588 From $1,150 From $4,988 From $3,388 From $11,000 to $13,000 |
| Public Hospitals | ||
| Singapore National Eye Centre Laser Vision Centre | - LASIK - Collagen cross-linking (CXL) / LASIK XTra™ - LASEK - SMILE® - StreamLight™ TransPRK - Implantable Collamer Lens Prices inclusive of GST; 3 levels of surgeons - SNEC Assigned Doctor, Consultant, Senior Consultant | At least $2,996 to $3,532 At least $4,666 to $5,200 At least $3,852 to $4,280 At least $4,682, $4,896 At least $4,682 to $4,896 At least $14,060 to $15,302 |
| National University Hospital | - ​LASIK-Bladeless - ​PRK - ReLEx® SMILE Prices inclusive of GST; 2 levels of surgeons - Consultant, Senior Consultant | At least $4,460, $4,580 At least $4,460, $4,580 At least $4,460, $4,580 |
| Tan Tock Seng Hospital Lasik Centre | LASIK with Microkeratome (bladed) - Standard LASIK - Wavefront / T.S. / Aspheric LASIK with Intralase (bladeless) - Standard LASIK - Wavefront / T.S. / Aspheric Prices inclusive of GST; 2 levels of surgeons - Consultant, Senior Consultant | LASIK with Microkeratome (bladed) - At least $2,000 to $2,400 - At least $2,390 to $2,790 LASIK with Intralase (bladeless) - At least $2,800 to $3,200 - At least $3,190 to $3,590 |
The ones with a comprehensive suite of services are Eagle Eye Center, Dr Natasha Lim, Singapore National Eye Centre Laser Vision Centre & W Eye Clinic.
Eagle Eye Centre also has a $200 referral discount for every newcomer.
Note: This list is non-exhaustive, and all services are reflected as of 7 April 2022. Please approach the providers for the respective fees and services required.Â
3. Can I Use Medisave For LASIK?
LASIK and other surgeries are considered cosmetic medical procedures and not Medisave claimable, except under one condition:
- You have a difference of more than 3 diopters (or 300 degrees) of refractive errors between your eyes that are in the presence of spectacle and contact lens intolerance.
- Your doctor certifies that you cannot tolerate contact lenses or spectacles.
You need to fulfil the condition above to claim up to $1,200 per eye from your Medisave for your LASIK surgery.
There were also some folks who mentioned that they were covered by insurance (note: this is very rare), so you should always check with your health insurance agent regarding your policy coverage.
4. Payment Methods
You must know that corrective eye surgery doesn’t have to be a huge one-time expense.
Some LASIK clinics do offer LASIK payment plans, so make sure to check what types of financing they offer.
Next, if you do not own a credit card, you might want to consider one.
Some clinics, like Eagle Eye Centre, offer 6 months and 12 months of interest-free plans for DBS, POSB, and UOB cardholders.
But if you pay it off in one shot, using a credit card can earn you benefits in air miles, cash rebates, cashback, and rewards.
Some are also designed for big purchases.
Just remember to check the merchant credit code (MCC) for your credit card and the clinic!
