The Cost of Laser Eye Surgery in Paris

The following table shows the fees per eye or for both eyes. They include the surgeon’s fees, the clinic fees at the Institut Voltaire, unlimited post-operative follow-up and a possible enhancement in the first year.

The technique is chosen during the pre-operative assessment, based on the anatomy of your cornea and your prescription. It is not an à la carte choice. But when several techniques are possible, the decision can be made together.

Details by technique:

TransPRK: €2,800

TransPRK is a 100% laser surgery, with no cutting and no contact with the eye. The Schwind Amaris 750S excimer laser treats the surface of the cornea directly. It is the technique I use when the cornea is too thin for LASIK, or when the corneal profile calls for it. It is also the most suitable for patients with pre-existing dry eye. It is also suitable for very anxious patients who are afraid of the cut involved in LASIK and its possible risks.

Visual recovery takes 7 to 10 days. The first 48 hours can be very uncomfortable (watery eyes, sensitivity to light, foreign body sensation). After 48 hours, the discomfort decreases sharply, but vision remains blurry for just under a week. People generally return to work after a week of recovery.

LASIK: €3,200

LASIK combines two lasers. The Zeiss Visumax 800 femtosecond laser cuts an ultra-thin corneal flap, about 100 microns (0.1 mm), then the Schwind excimer laser corrects vision by reshaping the cornea beneath the cut area. The flap is then put back in place at the end of the procedure. It is the most commonly performed technique. Its main advantage is a very fast recovery, generally less than 24 hours before returning to work.

LASIK is suitable for myopia (up to -10D, sometimes -12D depending on the cornea), hyperopia (up to +7/+8D), astigmatism (up to -6D) and presbyopia, provided that the corneal thickness is sufficient (safety threshold: about 500 µm) and that the cornea shows no signs of weakness or deformation.

SMILE: €3,800

SMILE is performed entirely with the latest-generation Zeiss Visumax 800 femtosecond laser. The laser cuts a small disc of corneal tissue (lenticule) inside the cornea, which is extracted through a micro-incision. No flap, no excimer laser.

The fee is higher because the cost of using the Visumax 800 per treatment is higher. Recovery is comparable to LASIK, sometimes with a slightly longer visual haze. Enhancement is less easy than with LASIK. This technique corrects mild to moderate astigmatism, but it is less suited to it than LASIK, and it does not correct hyperopia.

PresbyLASIK: €1,800 per eye (€3,600 for both eyes)

PresbyLASIK corrects presbyopia in emmetropic and farsighted patients, with or without astigmatism. In presbyopic nearsighted patients, I tend to use blended vision (monovision), at the LASIK fee (€3,200). It is based on the same principle as LASIK, with a treatment profile adapted to correcting near vision.

This multifocal correction profile on the Schwind laser is the one with the highest cost, hence its extra cost compared with standard LASIK.

The strategy varies depending on the profile: monovision, multifocal or hybrid treatment. It is a discussion we have in detail during the consultation.

See the Presbyopia / PresbyLASIK page

Important: the choice of technique is not yours alone. It is a medical choice, which depends on the anatomy of your cornea, your prescription and your needs. We make it together, during the pre-operative assessment. There is no technique that is better in absolute terms. There is the one that best suits your eye and your profile.

The pre-operative consultation is billed at the standard rate set by French national health insurance. At the 10th and 19th arrondissement practices, there is no fee supplement and there is nothing to pay upfront (direct billing). At the Institut Voltaire (11th), a €30 fee supplement applies.

What changes depending on where you are seen is the amount you pay upfront:

If you do not have complementary health insurance, there will be a contribution of about twenty euros at the 10th and 19th arrondissement centers.

The consultation is available to patients covered by CMU, now called Complémentaire santé solidaire (C2S) (French state health coverage), with nothing to pay upfront wherever you are seen.

No need for a letter from a doctor or another ophthalmologist to book an appointment. Simply book a slot on Doctolib.

French national health insurance does not reimburse refractive surgery. However, most complementary health insurers cover part of the cost. The amount varies depending on your plan: from a few hundred euros to sometimes more than €1,000 or even €2,000, particularly with employer-provided plans.

Finding out your reimbursement before surgery

You are the one who contacts your complementary health insurance. I send you a quote that you forward to them. They reply with the amount they cover. It is the only reliable way to know your reimbursement.

You can also check your benefits table, which includes a “chirurgie réfractive” (refractive surgery) line, often the last line of the optical section, after the reimbursements for lenses and frames.

On the day of the procedure

You receive a receipted invoice (that is, an invoice proving that you have paid the full amount). You send it to your complementary health insurance, which reimburses you directly into your account. This reimbursement usually takes a few days to a few weeks depending on the insurer.

Watch out for waiting periods

Some complementary health insurers impose a waiting period before covering refractive surgery. If you have just changed insurer or plan, check this before scheduling your procedure.

Two insurance plans?

If you have a personal plan and an employer plan (or your spouse’s), you can send the quote or the invoice to both. Reimbursements can be combined.

Insurers sometimes play with words

Some insurers reply in very administrative language and ask for unusual documents (statement of fees, AMC form, etc.). This is often a standard reply that does not apply to refractive surgery, since it is a procedure not reimbursed by French national health insurance. Do not be discouraged. We are used to handling these situations and will do the necessary paperwork so that you get the reimbursement you are entitled to.

Platforms such as Santéclair and care networks

Some insurers offer to refer you to “approved” partner centers through platforms such as Santéclair, which impose very low fees on affiliated practitioners.

This model may suit structures looking to attract volume, but it is very far from the way I work. I have always chosen to remain independent, to invest in the latest machines and to keep medical time for each patient. The Institut Voltaire is not part of these networks.

If your insurer refers you to a partner center at a reduced rate, I invite you to read the section “Cheap refractive surgery: what can it hide?” at the end of this page.

Our fees are not the cheapest in Paris.

The price of refractive surgery reflects three things: how modern the machines are, the surgeon’s expertise, and the quality of the support and follow-up. At the Institut Voltaire, we have chosen not to compromise on any of the three.

The machines. The Institut Voltaire is equipped with the Schwind Amaris 750S excimer platform and the Zeiss Visumax 800 femtosecond laser, one of the most recent on the market. Acquiring these machines led to an increase in the cost per treatment, and therefore in fees. It is an investment we stand by, because it makes a concrete difference to the precision of the treatment and to comfort during the procedure. For your information, this equipment represents an annual cost of about €800,000 for the Institut Voltaire.

Expertise. I specialize exclusively in refractive surgery, with more than 3,500 procedures performed. It is my full-time job, and nothing else. My fees are aligned with those of my two colleagues at the Institut Voltaire, Dr Rambaud and Dr Nicolau, both also specialized in refractive surgery. Three surgeons in the same facility, with the same standards and the same fees, is also a guarantee for you.

Follow-up. When you write to me, I am the one who answers. Follow-up is unlimited, at no extra cost, and provided by your surgeon. It is a real commitment, one you will not find in low-cost centers.

You will find cheaper options in Paris or abroad. In this field, it is always one of these three pillars that is lacking when the price drops significantly.

My advice: make your choice based on how you feel with the surgeon you have met, and not on price alone. A relationship of trust matters a great deal in this process.