Comparison of the Cost-Effectiveness of SMILE, FS-LASIK, and PRK for Myopia in a Private Eye Center in Spain

PURPOSE: To describe and compare the cost-effectiveness of small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), femtosecond laser–assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK), and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for treating myopia and myopic astigmatism in a private eye center. METHODS: The perspectives for this cost-effectiveness analysis were for the payer and the health care sector. For the payer's perspective, a decision tree model was made, with a time period of 30 years, and the average weighted utility values and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) were computed for each procedure. The average weighted costs were derived for each procedure and divided by the QALY to obtain the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). For the health care sector's perspective, the direct and indirect costs of acquiring the equipment and maintaining the facilities—including consumables and personnel salaries—were obtained to compute the minimum number of patients treated per year. RESULTS: The weighted utility values were 0.8 for SMILE and PRK and 0.77 for FS-LASIK. The weighted QALYs were 24 for SMILE and PRK, and 23.1 for FS-LASIK. The average weighted costs were 335.45, 443, and 346.96€, respectively. The resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were 13.98 €/QALY for SMILE, 18.46 €/QALY for PRK, and 15.02 €/QALY for FS-LASIK. There was a negative correlation between the ICER and the time (in years) after the surgery. To achieve a profit, the minimum number of patients treated per year is 155 for SMILE, 136 for PRK, and 155 for FS-LASIK. CONCLUSIONS: Laser corneal refractive surgery is cost-effective for a person desirous of refractive correction for myopia. SMILE had the lowest ICER, followed by FS-LASIK and PRK. This trend was noted at all time periods. The cost of investing in laser refractive surgery facilities is outweighed by the potential income in high-volume eye centers. [ J Refract Surg . 2022;38(1):21–26.]