What to expect after surgery?Īfter the surgery, the eye will be bandaged until the next day, after which the patient will use drops for the next 4 weeks, and finally he will return for a consultation. After the surgery, the eye will be covered with a bandage that will be removed the day after the intervention and the patient will have to use antibiotic drops for a period of 45 days. However, most patients do not need stitches. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, the doctor may close the surgery with a self-absorbing suture. If the eye is filled with silicone oil, it must be removed in a subsequent procedure. To fix the retina and stabilize it, the doctor can inject a special gas, and this gas bubble will resorb itself.īefore completing the surgery, the doctor may fill the eye with a special oil, silicone oil. The operation is performed under a microscope and with the help of several fine instruments the surgeon will remove the vitreous as well as any scar tissue or foreign body from the eye. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia. Other conditions that may require vitrectomy are: After removing the vitreous fluid, it will be easier for the doctor to treat this condition. Macular hole is a condition that can cause blurred vision. It is located in the center of the retina and helps with visual acuity. Removing the vitreous can also give the doctor access to the macula. Vitrectomy may also be recommended in the case of retinal detachment. If the doctor cannot predict resorption of the opacification, vitrectomy will be recommended. In this case, removing and replacing the fluid may resolve or improve the problem. Any of these causes the defective formation of the image on the retina, because the light no longer penetrates properly through the vitreous body. It can fill with blood following a hemorrhage, stiffen or scar. Many eye conditions can lead to loss of transparency of the vitreous body. Other members said that if you haggle, you may be able to obtain a price of $6,500. On the other hand, the cost of a vitrectomy which involves the removal of the membrane of the retina would be around $1,500.Īccording to a member of the Tapa Talk online forum, the cost of a vitrectomy is $13,000, but you will have to pay just $1,200 if you have health insurance. However, in most situations, even though you might be on a high deductible plan, the insurance coverage will be much lower compared to what someone without health insurance would have to pay.įor instance, you will have to pay around $1,300 for a vitrectomy with a focal Endo laser, in case you pay cash upfront.

In this situation, you will only be responsible for your deductibles and co-pays. Though, if you are covered by health insurance, the costs of this procedure should be covered if this is medically necessary. You might also like our articles about the cost of Lasik surgery, lazy eye surgery, or detached retina surgery. According to various online sources, the costs would come down to what has to be done during the procedure and how much the facility is willing to haggle in case you don’t have a health insurance policy. The cost of a vitrectomy surgery would be anywhere between $1,200 and $7,500 per eye, depending on various factors such as the place where you are living, your health insurance policy, the facility you choose, the surgeon who performs the surgery, and what has to be done during the procedure.

In addition to an open discussion with the ophthalmologist, we urge you to find important information in the following lines. Patients who are recommended this surgery, regardless of the reason, must inform themselves about the stages of the procedure, its purpose, results, risks, post-operative recovery, and costs. Some eye problems cause intravitreal hemorrhage, in which case the gel loses its natural properties and the vitreous must be removed. In order for the image to form optimally on the retina, this gel needs to remain transparent. The surgery consists in removing the vitreous, the transparent gel that is in the center of the eyeball, between the lens and the retina. Vitrectomy is an ophthalmological surgical procedure that is recommended in the treatment of eye problems related to the retina or the vitreous of the eye.

Cost of retina surgery