> I think it's pretty obvious that on the whole, quality is generally proportional to cost.
There are numerous examples that this is not true, and is a very common consumer misconception. If you found a LASIK place that charged $50,000 for the procedure, doesn't that make it a better quality procedure by your own definition? What about $500,000?
Expensive wine comes to mind. It's easy to find examples of consumer perceived value in the wine industry. I can get a $20 bottle of wine at Costco that costs $40 at a nice restaurant. I'll still pay the $40 because it adds to the dining experience, but at the end of the day I'm drinking the same $20 wine. Natural diamonds have massive perceived value but you can get a lab produced, flawless version for a fraction of the price. Consumers put a higher value on natural diamonds because of clever marketing and decades of supply chain manipulation to make them seem rare.
> Different surgeons use a variety of different equipment and have widely varying levels of experience.
That's true and definitely something to consider other than just the cost. The cost of something shouldn't be the sole indicator of the quality, so telling people to stay away from cheap LASIK centers solely on cost is not giving a complete picture. It's going to vary from center to center often times regardless of cost. Here's a good read on perceived value: https://moneyandvalues.blogspot.com/2008/03/psychology-of-mo...