You are frustrated about your vision. You have problems with the lens in your eye, but what do you do?
Did you know that you can replace the lens in your eye with a tiny, artificial lens? It is known as an intraocular lens, and it is very common.
Approximately 530 per 100,000 people undergo cataract surgery each year. How do you know if lens replacement surgery is right for you?
If you are considering lens replacement surgery or other lens replacement strategies, you’ll need to consider factors like lens replacement surgery cost and recovery times.
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about replacement refractive lens surgery.
What Is Lens Replacement Surgery?
Several surgical procedures can replace and exchange the refractive lens of the eye. When cataracts obstruct vision, these surgeries can give new life to patients who are struggling to see.
The patient should no longer have a need for glasses or will have significantly reduced need because their refraction has been corrected via the new lens.
What Are The Options?
There are three common options that patients can talk to their surgeon about.
First, refractive lens exchange involves the complete removal of the natural lens of the eye. The surgeon will then replace it with an intraocular lens that is meant to last an entire lifetime thereafter.
Second, cataract surgery is a similar option. Usually, the main reason for this surgery is different, however. Patients need the surgery because of the development of cataracts or cloudiness.
Surgeons can recommend a different lens tailored to suit this specific need. Monofocal, multifocal, accommodating, or toric intraocular lenses are all options.
What Are The Costs?
These surgeries are not cheap, however. Estimates suggest that the overall cost for a refractive lens exchange ranges between approximately 3000 to $5,000 per eye.
In certain cases, surgeons may be able to work with you to find alternative methods for payment. They may be able to develop payment plans on your behalf that make it easier to pay over time. You should have a discussion with your doctor to see if there are alternatives available for your situation.
What Is the Recovery Like?
Recovery time for these procedures will depend on the specific patient situation. However, most patients will be able to recover from their surgery within 2 to 8 weeks.
You can learn more about the recovery for refractive lens exchange here.
Is Lens Replacement Surgery Right For You?
At the end of the day, lens replacement surgery is an excellent option for patients with cataracts were other vision problems. If you have the ability to pay for this procedure, you can restore your site to excellent effect. Your doctor will help you decide which strategy will be best for your symptoms, and your overall life goals.
Most likely, you will not be in recovery for more than a month or two.
If you enjoyed this article about refractive lens surgery, please check out the other articles on our block!