Astigmatism Toric Lens Implant Cost

Question: What is the cost for astigmatism toric lens implants? What would be a general idea of the cost of range of what I should pay for toric IOL implants? It seems like they are very expensive. What should I expect to pay if I opt for this?

Answer: When you have astigmatism before having cataract surgery you need to realize that it needs to be corrected or else you just won’t see as well as you should after the cataract operation. There are three ways to correct astigmatism after cataract surgery.

First, you can simply have glasses with the astigmatism correction.

Second, you can have an additional eye surgery procedure called Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI).

Third, you can have an astigmatism correcting toric lens implant. ALL three have cost associated with them. Eyeglasses cost several hundred dollars and needs to be replaced every so often. LRI can also cost several hundred dollars and may or may not be covered by insurance and NOT by Medicare-and it may need to be enhanced at some future point. Astigmatism correcting toric lens implants-including the extra measurements and calculations and testing that is required for them-can cost between $1100-$1800 per eye depending on the amount of extra testing required as well as the individual cataract surgeon fee. Each cataract surgeon sets their own fee but in general that is the approximate range throughout the U.S. Astigmatism correcting toric lens implants are the most natural and stable and permanent way of correcting astigmatism with the best potential vision after cataract surgery.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Monovision Cataract Surgery & Lens Implant Result

Question: I had cataract surgery one week ago and I had a Tecnis® Lens Implant for near vision in my left eye, with cataract surgery planned in a few weeks for far vision in my right eye.  The problem is that after one week my left eye is seeing well at a distance but blurry for near.  Is this a mistake on my cataract surgeon's part with calculation or does this happen? I'm 63 years old and had been wearing one contact lens for years for monovision, so I was a good candidate and was looking forward to the same after cataract surgery.  My cataract surgeon talked about inserting another lens (piggyback) to help but I am wondering what to do.

Answer: By a week or so after your cataract surgery and lens implant, if you were supposed to have the  focus of the  first lens implant set for near vision you should actually be experiencing the  desired effect of blur at distance and greater clarity at near distances. If you are not getting this effect you need to bring it to the attention of you cataract surgeon prior to have the cataract surgery and lens implant in the right eye. Typically it should be possible to mimic the  near and far monovision you achieved with contact lenses in the  lens implant calculations. 

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Removing Contact Lenses before A-Scan

Question: My father has thick cataracts and he is 87 years old. He presently wears Acuvue® Oasys® contact lenses for 2 weeks straight because he is disabled, then I put new ones in for him. Should he go without wearing his contact lenses for 2 weeks before getting an A-scan? One eye doctor says yes and the other said not necessary. Question 2: Would there be any other reason for using a toric lens implant on a patient that doesn't have astigmatism?

Answer: Generally speaking removing soft contact lenses 2 weeks prior to an A-Scan is usually not necessary. However, because your father wears the  soft contact lenses for a 2 week extended wear period-and if he has some other even mild predisposition to corneal swelling as a result of reduced cell counts on the  innermost layer of his cornea due to age-it is possible that that there is some corneal swelling and possible distortion. This would make it necessary to remove the contact lenses for some period of time prior to measurement and might explain the difference in opinion between eye doctors. You should follow the specific instructions of the cataract surgeon who is taking the measurements, selecting the lens implant and performing the cataract surgery. There would be no reason for using a toric lens implant in a patient who does not have astigmatism, however, again, with 2 week extended wear in a person with even mildly compromised corneal deswelling capability, there is the  possibility that the  cornea has become “warped’ mimicking the  presence of astigmatism. This will typically resolve after the contacts are removed for a period of time.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.