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How to get more LASIK patients: a plan for eye practice teams

A front desk team member at a eye care practice handles a new patient call

Refractive surgery is a considered purchase. People research for weeks, compare practices, and many turn out not to be candidates at all. That shapes how an eye practice gets more LASIK and refractive patients: be easy to find and reach, screen kindly on the first call, explain cost early, and follow up without pressure. This guide is for practice owners, surgical coordinators and front-desk teams.

  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Expect that many inquiries will not be candidates

The FDA’s page “When is LASIK not for me?” lists reasons someone is probably not a good candidate, including a prescription that changed in the past year, being in the early 20s or younger, pregnancy or breastfeeding, some diseases and medications that affect healing, and cost, since most medical insurance does not pay for refractive surgery. A practice that knows this measures itself on consultations and procedures, not raw inquiries, and has a respectful answer ready for people who are not candidates today.

2. A first-call script that screens without turning people away

  1. Thank them and ask what made them look into vision correction now.
  2. Ask a few general questions your surgeon has approved, such as whether their glasses or contact prescription changed recently. Leave medical judgment to the evaluation.
  3. Explain what the evaluation involves and how long it takes. If they wear contact lenses, tell them early how long to leave them out before the evaluation: the FDA explains that contact lenses change the shape of the cornea for up to several weeks, which can affect measurements.
  4. Be clear about cost: whether the evaluation has a fee, what changes the price, and payment options.
  5. Book the evaluation on the call, at a date that allows for the contact lens break.

3. Answer fast, because people compare

Refractive shoppers often contact several practices in the same evening. The first practice that calls back with clear answers has an advantage. Set a response target for web requests and missed calls; see speed to lead for medical practices and missed calls in a medical practice.

4. A procedure page that answers the real questions

Give each procedure you offer (LASIK, PRK, SMILE, lens-based options) a page that covers who it may suit, who it does not, what the evaluation involves, recovery in general terms, what changes the price, and who the surgeon is. Link to the FDA’s patient pages rather than paraphrasing risks loosely. Have the surgeon review it, and keep claims accurate: the FTC expects health claims in advertising to be truthful and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence, as set out in its health products compliance guidance. Avoid promises such as “perfect vision” or “no more glasses guaranteed”.

5. Work with optometrists

Many refractive patients first ask their optometrist. Make referring easy, contact referred patients quickly, and report back after the evaluation and the procedure. Co-management and any payments between practices are areas where federal and state rules apply, so set them up with counsel. See patient referrals for medical practices.

6. Follow up with people who are not ready

Many people who come for an evaluation do not book the procedure that month: cost, timing, or nerves. With their permission, a follow-up a few weeks later, and again when their circumstances may have changed (a prescription that has now been stable for a year, for example), is often welcome. Stop if they ask you to.

7. Measure the whole path

  • Inquiries by source
  • Evaluations booked and attended
  • Candidates, and procedures scheduled
  • Cost per procedure by channel (see patient acquisition cost)

For channel choices such as local search, reviews and search ads, see healthcare lead generation strategies.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends eye practices requests from people asking about vision correction near them. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent to be contacted by that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request. A request is a starting point, not a candidacy decision: your evaluation decides that.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more LASIK patients?

Be easy to find and reach, call inquiries back quickly, explain the evaluation and cost on the first call, work with referring optometrists, and follow up with people who are not ready yet.

Why do so many LASIK inquiries not become procedures?

Some people are not candidates, for reasons the FDA lists such as an unstable prescription, and most medical insurance does not pay for refractive surgery. Measure evaluations and procedures, not just inquiries.

Can the front desk tell callers whether they are candidates?

No. The front desk can ask general questions the surgeon has approved and explain the evaluation; candidacy is decided by the doctor at the evaluation.

What should we avoid in LASIK advertising?

Outcome promises and claims you cannot support. The FTC expects health claims to be truthful and backed by reliable evidence, and state boards may have their own rules.

General information for practice teams, not legal or medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.

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