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Can laser eye surgery correct astigmatism, and what does it cost?

Written By
Updated on October 11, 2026

We’ll connect you with partner clinics, free of charge: we’re paid for referrals by providers, not by you. Laser eye surgery is a medical procedure and, as with any surgical procedure, carries potential risks and side effects. Results vary and not everyone will be suitable for treatment. You should seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before deciding whether treatment is suitable for you.

Yes. Laser eye surgery treats astigmatism, and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists says you are most likely to be suitable if yours is 6 dioptres or less. It usually corrects astigmatism and short or long sight in the same treatment. Published prices at the seven clinics below work out at £549 to £3,750 per eye, checked on 11 October 2026. The lowest prices are for milder prescriptions. Optical Express says 22.8% of the eyes it assessed in late 2024 qualified for its £549 price. If your prescription is outside the laser range, a lens implant (usually under 60) or a lens replacement with astigmatism correction built in (usually over 50) may suit instead.

  • Astigmatism range: usually up to 6 dioptres
  • Price per eye: £549 to £3,750
  • Consultation: free to £500
  • NHS: not usually offered

Watch: How laser surgery reshapes an astigmatic cornea, and the LASIK, LASEK and SMILE differences. 1 min 19 s.

Read the transcript

Laser eye surgery for astigmatism, explained.

A normal cornea is curved evenly, like a football. An astigmatic cornea is curved more one way than the other, like a rugby ball.

Light focuses at two points instead of one, so things look blurred or stretched at every distance.

Glasses and contact lenses bend the light to compensate. Take them off and the blur comes back.

Laser surgery reshapes the cornea itself. The laser removes a few microns of tissue to even out the curve, so light focuses in one place.

LASIK. A thin flap is lifted, the laser reshapes the cornea beneath, the flap is laid back.

LASEK. No flap. The surface layer is moved aside, then put back.

ReLEx SMILE. No flap. A small keyhole opening instead.

Mild and strong astigmatism can both be treated, often alongside short or long sight. A consultation with eye scans decides which option fits your eyes.

At the 7 clinics we checked, laser treatment costs £549 to £3,750 per eye. The lowest prices are for milder prescriptions.

It isn’t usually offered on the NHS, and health insurers don’t usually cover it.

Compare quotes from clinics near you.

Is laser eye surgery right for my astigmatism?

With astigmatism the eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football, so light focuses in more than one place. Laser surgery reshapes the cornea, the clear front of the eye, to even out the curve. Whether it can do that for you depends on how much astigmatism you have and what else is in your prescription.

Usually suitable

  • Up to 6 dioptres of astigmatism, with up to 10 dioptres of short sight or 4 of long sight
  • A prescription that has changed by no more than 0.5 dioptres in the last two years
  • Over 18, with healthy eyes
  • Not pregnant or breastfeeding (Moorfields Private asks you to wait three months after breastfeeding before a consultation)

Usually not, or needs a different treatment

  • Astigmatism above 6 dioptres, or short or long sight beyond the laser range. Under 60, a lens implant is often offered instead. Over 50, a lens replacement is likely to suit.
  • Cataracts or problems with the eye surface. The College lists both as reasons laser may not suit, and says lens replacement is often preferred at retirement age, when early cataract is common.
  • Existing problems with the cornea, such as keratoconus. The College says a lens implant may carry less risk, and keratoconus has its own treatments.
  • Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma or herpes infection of the eye. Moorfields Private says laser may not be recommended.

These ranges come from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. The clinic maps your cornea and measures your prescription at the consultation, then says which treatment, if any, it recommends. The College's standards say surgery should not happen on the day it is recommended, and recommend at least a week to decide.

Prices at seven UK clinics

Published prices, read from each clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Prices are per eye unless the clinic only gives a price for both eyes. Your price depends on your prescription and is confirmed at the consultation, and it can differ a lot from the advertised one.

Clinic Laser treatment, per eye Consultation Aftercare included Paying monthly
Optical Express LASEK from £549
LASIK from £1,295
Advanced LASEK or LASIK from £1,495		 Free 3 months, with medication; then £100 an optometrist visit and £200 a surgeon visit Finance available (through a panel of lenders)
Optimax LASIK or LASEK £1,295, whatever the prescription Free Until discharge Finance available over 10 to 48 months, £250 deposit an eye (V12 Retail Finance); 0% APR over 10 to 24 months, 9.9% APR representative over 36 or 48 months; representative examples below
Optegra LASEK £1,495
LASIK £2,095
SMILE £2,695		 Free 12 months, with medication and out-of-hours support Finance available, minimum 10% deposit (Novuna Consumer Finance)
Focus Clinics LASIK or LASEK from £4,400 for both eyes, depending on prescription; £6,000 for both eyes for specialist cases such as high prescriptions
Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK £6,500 for both eyes		 Free by phone LASIK: eye drops for the first year, and repeat treatment for short sight that returns within 10 years (terms apply) Finance available over 12 to 60 months, 10% to 50% deposit
Centre for Sight LASEK or PRK from £2,593
LASIK from £2,595
Same price whatever the prescription		 £500 deposit including the consultation, taken off the surgery price Full aftercare and 24-hour emergency support; length not stated Finance available for up to 24 months, with a deposit (V12 Retail Finance); 0% APR representative, example below
Moorfields Private £5,682 for both eyes, whichever laser treatment £195 Follow-ups for 3 months, take-home drops and what Moorfields calls its 5 year commitment Finance available (Omni Capital Retail Finance)
London Vision Clinic £2,950 to £3,750 (SMILE, LASIK, PRK or LASEK) Free 12 months, with eye drops Finance available over 12 to 36 months (V12 Retail Finance)

Read from each clinic's website on 11 October 2026. Per eye unless stated.

  • Optical Express LASEK from £549
    LASIK from £1,295
    Advanced LASEK or LASIK from £1,495     Consultation: Free Aftercare included: 3 months, with medication; then £100 an optometrist visit and £200 a surgeon visit Paying monthly: Finance available (through a panel of lenders)
  • Optimax LASIK or LASEK £1,295, whatever the prescription Consultation: Free Aftercare included: Until discharge Paying monthly: Finance available over 10 to 48 months, £250 deposit an eye (V12 Retail Finance); 0% APR over 10 to 24 months, 9.9% APR representative over 36 or 48 months; representative examples below
  • Optegra LASEK £1,495
    LASIK £2,095
    SMILE £2,695     Consultation: Free Aftercare included: 12 months, with medication and out-of-hours support Paying monthly: Finance available, minimum 10% deposit (Novuna Consumer Finance)
  • Focus Clinics LASIK or LASEK from £4,400 for both eyes, depending on prescription; £6,000 for both eyes for specialist cases such as high prescriptions
    Ray-Tracing Guided LASIK £6,500 for both eyes     Consultation: Free by phone Aftercare included: LASIK: eye drops for the first year, and repeat treatment for short sight that returns within 10 years (terms apply) Paying monthly: Finance available over 12 to 60 months, 10% to 50% deposit
  • Centre for Sight LASEK or PRK from £2,593
    LASIK from £2,595
    Same price whatever the prescription     Consultation: £500 deposit including the consultation, taken off the surgery price Aftercare included: Full aftercare and 24-hour emergency support; length not stated Paying monthly: Finance available for up to 24 months, with a deposit (V12 Retail Finance); 0% APR representative, example below
  • Moorfields Private £5,682 for both eyes, whichever laser treatment Consultation: £195 Aftercare included: Follow-ups for 3 months, take-home drops and what Moorfields calls its 5 year commitment Paying monthly: Finance available (Omni Capital Retail Finance)
  • London Vision Clinic £2,950 to £3,750 (SMILE, LASIK, PRK or LASEK) Consultation: Free Aftercare included: 12 months, with eye drops Paying monthly: Finance available over 12 to 36 months (V12 Retail Finance)

None of these clinics lists a separate charge for astigmatism. Prices change, so check with the clinic before you book.

Optical Express says 22.8% of the eyes it assessed between 1 September and 28 December 2024 qualified for its £549 price, and it does not publish its highest price. None of these price pages lists a separate charge for astigmatism. Optimax and Centre for Sight charge the same whatever the prescription; Optical Express and Focus price by prescription, so a higher one can cost more. Optimax representative example: cash price £1,295 an eye, £250 deposit, £1,045 of credit, 24 monthly payments of £44, 0% APR representative, total payable £1,295; credit from Secure Trust Bank trading as V12 Retail Finance. Optimax 48-month example: cash price £1,295 an eye, £250 deposit, £1,045 of credit, 48 monthly payments of £27, fixed interest rate 5.13%, 9.9% APR representative, total payable £1,510. Centre for Sight representative example: treatment cost £8,000, £1,840 deposit, £6,160 loan, 24 monthly payments of £256.67, 0% APR representative, total payable £8,000; credit from V12 Retail Finance. Prices change, so check with the clinic before you book.

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What happens, from consultation to settled vision

  1. Consultation Free at most partner clinics

    The clinic maps your cornea, measures your prescription and checks your eye health. The surgeon then says which treatment, if any, they recommend.

  2. A week to decide At least a week after the recommendation

    The Royal College of Ophthalmologists says surgery should not happen on the day it is recommended, and recommends at least a week's cooling-off. Any deposit should be fully refundable if you decide not to go ahead.

  3. Treatment day Both eyes are usually treated in one visit

    Numbing drops, a clip to hold the lids open, and a laser that either tracks your eye or holds it still with gentle suction. The College says surgery typically takes about half an hour. Moorfields Private says you may feel about 30 to 40 seconds of pressure during LASIK or SMILE. Someone else drives you home.

  4. The first week LASIK: often back at work the next day. LASEK and PRK: bandage lenses out on day 4 to 7

    You use lubricant drops often, plus antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops as prescribed. After LASEK or PRK the eye surface is normally very sore while its skin layer regrows, which takes about a week. Most surgeons advise no swimming for a week and, after LASIK, no contact sport for a month.

  5. Settling Driving once you meet the standard; stable within two years

    Glare, halos and dry eye are common at first and usually improve within a few months. After LASEK or PRK it can take a week or longer to reach the driving standard. The College says the result can take up to two years to stabilise fully, and up to 1 in 10 people need further surgery to improve the result.

Results and risks, with the study behind each figure

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists says visual results at three months are equally good for LASIK, surface treatments such as LASEK, and SMILE.

  • Satisfied with the outcome Over 95% Royal College of Ophthalmologists patient information, December 2024
  • Astigmatism within 0.5 dioptres of target 90.8% 473 eyes six months after SMILE on the VisuMax 800 (Sekundo et al., 2025; the authors consult for the laser's maker)
  • Need further surgery Up to 1 in 10 Royal College of Ophthalmologists; 2.55% were re-treated in an 18-year Singapore audit of 53,731 eyes treated with LASIK for short sight (Chua et al., 2019)
  • New dry eye symptoms at 3 months About 28% US FDA PROWL studies, LASIK patients with normal scores before surgery (Eydelman et al., 2017)
  • Infection after LASIK About 1 in 2,800 72 eyes in 204,586 procedures, 0.035%, at one Spanish clinic group (Llovet et al., 2010)
  • Need a corneal transplant Under 1 in 5,000 Royal College of Ophthalmologists patient information, December 2024

Worth knowing

  • In the same review, SMILE tended to under-correct astigmatism of 2 dioptres or less compared with LASIK
  • Glare and halos are common early on, particularly after treatment for higher prescriptions, and usually improve within a few months
  • Prescriptions can still change later in life, so laser treatment sometimes needs repeating, and the College says glasses may still be needed for reading as you get older

If your astigmatism is too high for laser

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists names two lens treatments for prescriptions outside the laser range. Both have their own guide.

Option Who it suits Astigmatism it corrects Price per eye
LASIK, LASEK or SMILE Over 18, within the laser range Usually up to 6 dioptres £549 to £3,750
Lens implant (ICL) Guide Under 60, outside the laser range or with cornea problems Up to 4.5 dioptres in the College's usual range; toric ICLs are made up to 6 From £3,395
Lens replacement Guide Usually over 50, with a prescription beyond the laser range or early cataract A toric lens has the correction built in; the College says laser can be added to extend the range From £2,000
Glasses or toric contact lenses Anyone Made to your prescription Ongoing; glasses may be free or discounted on the NHS

Two lens treatments cover prescriptions outside the laser range.

  • LASIK, LASEK or SMILE Who it suits: Over 18, within the laser range Astigmatism it corrects: Usually up to 6 dioptres Price per eye: £549 to £3,750
  • Lens implant (ICL) Guide Who it suits: Under 60, outside the laser range or with cornea problems Astigmatism it corrects: Up to 4.5 dioptres in the College's usual range; toric ICLs are made up to 6 Price per eye: From £3,395
  • Lens replacement Guide Who it suits: Usually over 50, with a prescription beyond the laser range or early cataract Astigmatism it corrects: A toric lens has the correction built in; the College says laser can be added to extend the range Price per eye: From £2,000
  • Glasses or toric contact lenses Who it suits: Anyone Astigmatism it corrects: Made to your prescription Price per eye: Ongoing; glasses may be free or discounted on the NHS

Per eye, read from the clinics' websites on 11 October 2026.

Toric means the lens has astigmatism correction built in. ICL prices: Optimax £3,395, Optical Express from £3,595, Optegra £3,595, Centre for Sight £4,196 for a toric lens, London Vision Clinic from £4,600. Lens replacement runs from Optical Express's single-focus price of £2,000 (in 2017, 18.6% of the patients it assessed had at least one eye that qualified) to Centre for Sight's £4,998 for a multifocal toric lens. A toric lens can cost more. At Centre for Sight a monofocal lens is from £3,602 and a toric monofocal lens from £4,105. All per eye, read from the clinics' websites on 11 October 2026.

NHS. The NHS says laser eye surgery and lens surgery are “not usually offered on the NHS”. It may fund laser surgery for an eye condition that could lead to loss of vision, or for sight that glasses or contact lenses cannot correct. Local policies can be stricter. Cheshire and Merseyside’s says laser correction for astigmatism “is not routinely commissioned” and lists no exceptions, because glasses are thought to be more cost-effective and low risk. More on when the NHS pays.

Insurance. Bupa’s guide for Bupa By You policies starting on or after 1 September 2026 excludes “treatment to correct your eyesight (for example, long or short sight)”. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists says surgery to correct the need for glasses is not covered by private health insurance schemes. Check your own policy, and see our insurance guide.

Paying monthly. Every clinic in the price table offers finance through a lender. Only Optimax and Centre for Sight publish a representative example on their price pages, and both are in the note under the table. Finance is a loan, so check the APR, the lender and the total payable before you sign. More in paying monthly for laser eye surgery.

Questions people ask about laser surgery for astigmatism

Your prescription can still change naturally at any age. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists says laser treatment “sometimes needs to be repeated”, and up to 1 in 10 people need further surgery to improve the result. In a study that re-examined 56 eyes 10 years after SMILE, prescriptions drifted back by about a third of a dioptre on average (Blum et al., 2019).

The College says you are most likely to be suitable with up to 6 dioptres of astigmatism, 10 of short sight or 4 of long sight, over 18, with a prescription that has been stable for two years. Cataracts or eye-surface problems can rule it out. Moorfields Private adds pregnancy and breastfeeding, and says laser may not be recommended with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma or herpes infection of the eye. Under-60s outside the laser range are often offered a lens implant instead.

A 2022 review of 17 studies and 1,985 eyes found similar vision after both, but SMILE tended to under-correct astigmatism of 2 dioptres or less. The College says eye comfort may recover slightly faster after SMILE, though the differences between techniques are small. Your surgeon will say which suits your cornea. More in our SMILE guide.

Numbing drops are used for every type. Moorfields Private says patients may feel about 30 to 40 seconds of pressure during LASIK or SMILE, and mild discomfort for 4 to 6 hours afterwards. After LASEK or PRK, the College says the eye surface is normally very sore while its skin layer regrows, which takes about a week.

After LASIK, many people are back at work the next day, according to the College. After LASEK or PRK, bandage lenses usually come out on day 4 to 7, and it can take a week or longer to reach the driving standard. Glare and dry eye usually improve within a few months, and the result can take up to two years to stabilise fully.

Usually not. The NHS says laser eye surgery is “not usually offered”, and may fund it only for an eye condition that could lead to loss of vision or for sight that glasses and contact lenses cannot correct. See when the NHS pays.

In the UK Biobank study of 83,751 adults aged 40 to 69, 69% had at least 0.5 dioptres of corneal astigmatism and 11% had 1.5 dioptres or more. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists says most of us have at least some.

We pass your answers and contact details to a partner clinic near you. The clinic calls to book a consultation (free at most partner clinics). Clinics pay us for referrals, so you pay us nothing.

Related guides

Sources and how we checked the prices

Every price on this page was read from the clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Clinical figures come from the sources below. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic before you book.

  1. Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Laser Vision Correction patient information, PROF/2024/499 (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 3 December 2024
  2. Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Professional Standards for Refractive Surgery, 2024/PROF/497 (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 1 December 2024
  3. Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation patient information, PROF/2024/500 (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 3 December 2024
  4. Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Refractive Lens Exchange patient information, PROF/2024/498 (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 3 December 2024
  5. NHS, Laser eye surgery and lens surgery (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 15 February 2024
Show all 29 sources Show fewer sources
  1. NHS, Astigmatism (opens in a new tab), Reviewed 19 September 2024
  2. Song et al., SMILE versus LASIK for astigmatism corrections: a systematic review and meta-analysis, American Journal of Ophthalmology 247 (opens in a new tab), Online 19 November 2022
  3. Sekundo et al., lenticule extraction with the VISUMAX 800, 6-month multicentre outcomes, Journal of Refractive Surgery 41(3) (opens in a new tab), March 2025
  4. Chua et al., eighteen-year prospective audit of LASIK outcomes for myopia in 53,731 eyes, British Journal of Ophthalmology 103(9) (opens in a new tab), September 2019
  5. Eydelman et al., symptoms and satisfaction of patients in the PROWL studies, JAMA Ophthalmology 135(1) (opens in a new tab), January 2017
  6. Llovet et al., infectious keratitis in 204,586 LASIK procedures, Ophthalmology 117(2) (opens in a new tab), February 2010
  7. Blum et al., 10-year results of small incision lenticule extraction, Journal of Refractive Surgery 35(10) (opens in a new tab), October 2019
  8. Pontikos et al., corneal astigmatism in the UK Biobank, PLOS ONE (opens in a new tab), 19 September 2019
  9. STAAR Surgical, EVO and EVO+ Visian Toric ICL directions for use, eDFU-0010 Rev 03 (opens in a new tab), Fetched 11 October 2026
  10. Moorfields Private, laser eye surgery (suitability and comfort) (opens in a new tab), Fetched 11 October 2026
  11. Bupa By You policy guide, exclusion 16, BINS 23455 (opens in a new tab), Policies from 1 September 2026
  12. NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, laser treatment for myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, policy CMICB_Clin034 (opens in a new tab), 1 April 2023
  13. Optical Express laser eye surgery pricing (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  14. Optical Express lens surgery pricing (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  15. Optimax prices (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  16. Optegra laser eye surgery costs (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  17. Optegra ICL costs (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  18. Moorfields Private laser eye surgery cost (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  19. Centre for Sight pricing (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  20. Centre for Sight laser eye surgery (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  21. Centre for Sight laser lens replacement (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  22. London Vision Clinic prices (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  23. Focus Clinics pricing (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  24. Focus Clinics LASIK costs (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026

Written By

William Amps is the lead writer at Lasik Eyes, where he covers laser eye surgery, lens replacement, cataract treatment and the UK clinics that provide them. He has spent years researching the private eye surgery market, comparing clinic prices, interpreting published outcome data and translating the jargon of refractive surgery into plain English for people weighing up whether it’s right for them.

His work on Lasik Eyes focuses on the questions patients actually ask: what the procedure really costs, how clinics differ, what the risks are and what the research says about long-term results. Every price, procedure and clinic review he writes is checked against the provider’s own published information and updated as the market changes.

His articles are intended to help you ask better questions at your consultation, not to replace the advice of a registered optometrist or ophthalmic surgeon.

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