Ray Tracing LASIK

At Focus Vision in Brisbane, laser eye surgery starts from $3,500 per eye for TransPRK (no-touch surface laser) and $4,250 per eye for LASIK and CLEAR/SMILE. All prices are all-inclusive — there are no hidden costs for higher prescriptions, and every package includes all pre-operative assessments, the procedure itself, and one full year of aftercare appointments. Interest-free payment plans are available from as little as $34 per week. For a full price comparison with other Brisbane clinics, see our Costs page.

The main difference is that LASIK involves creating a corneal flap, while SMILE (performed as CLEAR at Focus Vision) is a flapless, 'keyhole' procedure. CLEAR is often preferred for patients with dry eyes or those playing contact sports, as it preserves more corneal stability. Both achieve excellent visual outcomes.

Ray Tracing LASIK is a fully customized laser treatment that uses wavefront data to correct higher-order aberrations for superior night vision and contrast. Focus Vision is currently the only clinic in Queensland offering this technology.

Most people over 18 with a stable glasses prescription are suitable candidates. The key factors are: a stable prescription for at least 12 months, healthy corneas with adequate thickness, no active eye disease, and not currently pregnant or breastfeeding. Patients with thin corneas, high prescriptions, or dry eyes may be better suited to TransPRK or ICL surgery instead. The best way to find out is to take our free laser suitability test online, or book a free assessment with our optometrist team at Focus Vision in Woolloongabba.

The procedure itself is painless — anaesthetic eye drops are applied before treatment, so you feel no sharp pain. You may be aware of a light pressure sensation for approximately 20 seconds during LASIK flap creation. After LASIK or CLEAR, most patients experience a gritty or watery feeling for a few hours, which settles overnight. TransPRK patients experience 3 to 5 days of moderate discomfort as the corneal surface heals, which is managed with prescribed drops and pain relief.

• LASIK/CLEAR: 24-hour vision improvement; return to work in 1–2 days.
• TransPRK: 3–5 days of discomfort; return to work in 7-10 days.
• ICL/Cataract: Dramatic improvement within 24 hours; return to work in 2–4 days.

Medicare does not cover elective laser vision correction, including LASIK, CLEAR/SMILE, or TransPRK. However, some private health insurance funds — including BUPA, Medibank Private, Navy Health, and Defence Health — may provide a partial benefit for certain procedures under extras cover. Focus Vision will check your specific entitlements as part of your free assessment. Interest-free payment plans are available to make surgery accessible regardless of insurance status.

Focus Vision is co-founded and led by two internationally fellowship-trained corneal subspecialists — Dr Brendan Cronin and Dr David Gunn — who trained at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and Bristol Eye Hospital in the UK respectively. We are the only laser eye surgery clinic in Queensland to offer Ray Tracing LASIK, and our laser suite is housed inside the South Brisbane Day Hospital — one of the very few accredited private day hospitals in Australia where laser eye surgery is performed. This means the safety, hygiene, and monitoring standards of a fully accredited hospital apply to every procedure.

Both are surface laser techniques with no corneal flap. In standard PRK the epithelium is removed manually; in TransPRK the laser removes it in a single no-touch step before seamlessly reshaping the cornea. Each has advantages. At Focus Vision we always select the technique best suited to your individual eyes based on the detailed measurements taken at your assessment.

No. You should wait three to six months after you have finished breastfeeding before undergoing surgery. Pregnancy and nursing cause hormonal changes that can temporarily alter your corneal shape and prescription. Waiting ensures your results are based on a stable, permanent measurement.

You cannot 'ruin' the surgery by moving. We use a gentle device to keep your eyelids open, preventing blinking. Additionally, our advanced lasers use active eye-trackers that monitor your eye position 1,000+ times per second, automatically pausing the laser if you move outside a microscopic range.

Generally you are awake, however as our laser is in a hospital you can have CLEAR performed while you sleep. We are the only laser eye clinic in Brisbane that is able to offer laser eye surgery while you sleep.

No. You must arrange for a friend or carer to drive you home. While your vision improves rapidly, your eyes will be sensitive to light and you may be mildly sedated. Most patients are cleared to drive themselves to their follow-up appointment the next morning.

The reshaping of your cornea is permanent. However, laser surgery does not stop the natural aging of the eye. While your distance vision remains corrected, most people will still develop presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) in their mid-40s or 50s as a separate age-related change.

Temporary halos are a normal part of the healing process and usually resolve within weeks. Modern Ray Tracing LASIK specifically targets the microscopic imperfections that cause glare, meaning most patients actually experience sharper night vision after surgery than they did with glasses or contacts.

Yes. If your corneas are too thin for LASIK, you may be an ideal candidate for TransPRK (a surface-based laser) or ICL (Implantable Contact Lens) surgery. These procedures provide the same high-quality visual results without the need to remove significant corneal tissue.