EVO ICL cost vs LASIK: what US clinics charge per eye

The EVO ICL cost in the US, at the clinics that publish a price, is $3,225 to $3,575 per eye at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center and $3,900 per eye at Utah Valley Eye Center, about $1,025 to $1,500 more per eye than LASIK at the same clinics. EVO ICL is not laser surgery: it is a lens implanted inside the eye, in front of your own lens, and it leaves the cornea in place. Below are the published prices for both, what each covers, who each suits according to the FDA, and what to ask before you pay.

EVO ICL cost vs LASIK, clinic by clinic

Few US clinics publish an EVO ICL price; most ask you to book a consultation first, and many pages quote national ranges instead of their own fee. These two publish both the ICL and the LASIK price per eye, which makes a like-for-like comparison possible:

Prices read 8 November 2026 from each clinic's own page. We double per-eye prices only where we say so. Toric lenses for astigmatism are included at Utah Valley Eye Center; Moran does not say.

For a national comparison, LasikPlus lists all-laser LASIK at $2,495 to $2,895 per eye (LasikPlus), so ICL at the Utah clinics costs more than LASIK at a national chain too. Clinics in big coastal cities may charge more than either Utah clinic; we have not found one that publishes its ICL fee. More LASIK prices are on LASIK cost in the US.

What EVO ICL is, and how it differs from LASIK

The FDA calls these lenses phakic intraocular lenses: they are implanted in the eye without removing the eye's natural lens, through a small incision at the front of the eye, and sit just in front of or just behind the iris (FDA). The EVO ICL sits behind the iris and in front of the natural lens, and Moran says it corrects nearsightedness from -3 to -20 diopters and astigmatism up to 4 diopters (Moran Eye Center). All phakic lenses the FDA has approved correct nearsightedness. Cataract surgery also implants a lens, but it replaces your own clouded lens and is priced differently: see cataract surgery cost in the US.

LASIK works differently: a laser reshapes the cornea, the clear front of the eye, by removing tissue. The FDA lists a cornea that is too thin as a reason a refractive procedure may not be right for you (FDA). If your cornea is not suitable for LASIK, a lens implant is one of the alternatives to ask about.

Risks and who should not have it

The FDA lists the risks of phakic lenses separately from LASIK (FDA):

• Further surgery. The lens may need to be repositioned, replaced or removed if it moves, is the wrong size or power, or causes visual symptoms.
• Eye pressure. Pressure inside the eye can rise after surgery and may need medicines or surgery to control.
• The cornea. If too many cells on the back of the cornea are lost, it can become cloudy, which can lead to vision loss and, in some cases, a corneal transplant.
• Night vision. Glare, halos and double vision in low light can make night driving difficult.

The FDA also says phakic lenses may not be right for you if your prescription has changed in the last 6 to 12 months, if you have a low or abnormal endothelial cell count, a shallow anterior chamber or large pupils, if you play contact sports with a high risk of eye injury, or if only one eye sees well (FDA). It adds that most medical insurance will not pay for refractive surgery.

What to ask before you pay

1. Get a per-eye price in writingAsk whether it includes the evaluation, the lens, facility and anaesthesia fees, drops and every follow-up visit.
2. Ask about astigmatismA toric lens corrects astigmatism; ask whether it costs extra.
3. Ask what happens if the lens is wrongAsk who pays if the lens has to be repositioned or exchanged.
4. Ask for your measurementsCorneal thickness, anterior chamber depth and endothelial cell count decide whether you are a candidate for either procedure.

Comparing laser eye surgery abroad instead? Our laser eye surgery abroad page lists clinic prices by country; most clinics there price LASIK, SMILE or PRK rather than ICL.