Raindrop Eye Surgery Cost
The Raindrop® near vision inlay recently received FDA approval, making it the second corneal inlay to receive it, according to the Better Vision Guide.
Designed to improve vision loss due to Presbyopia, the inlay, when implanted beneath the surface of your eye, will reshape your cornea to help you focus and correct your vision.
How much does Raindrop® eye surgery cost?
The costs of the Raindrop® near vision inlays will depend on the doctor you choose and your geographical location. From what we researched online, the cost of the entire procedure, without any insurance coverage, will be about $4,000 to $5,500. In most cases, your health insurance will not cover the procedure as it’s deemed cosmetic, but it does not hurt to confirm this statement. As of 2018, it does appear the company has gone of business.
According to this NBC News article, they note the biggest downside to this type of inlays are the costs — around $4,000 to $5,000, with Medicare or private health insurance companies covering it.
This WTOP.com article, in its interview with Dr. Mark Whitten of Whitten Laser Eye, said the Raindrop Inlay costs about $4,000.
What is the Raindrop® near vision inlay?
According to Better Vision Guide, the Raindrop® near vision inlay was developed by Revision Optics and is a microscopic hydrogel device made up of 80 percent water and is smaller than that of a needle. This inlay is inserted into the non-dominant eye to help treat presbyopia and is recommended for patients who have good distance vision between the ages of 41 and 65 but has trouble reading things up close.
The inlay, essentially, works by reshaping the cornea in order to help you focus and correct your vision. When implanted, the inlay allows for more effective fluid and nutrient diffusion via the cornea, and because of the microscopic hydrogel, it makes it similar to a natural cornea.
The procedure
The entire procedure is very simple and is almost always performed in an outpatient center. Before the procedure begins, your surgeon will first administer numbing eye drops to help avoid any discomfort.
During the procedure, your surgeon will guide a laser to create a small flap on your cornea, and after the flap is created, the Raindrop® inlay is implanted beneath the flap, reshaping the curvature of your cornea. When the inlay is safely in place, the incision is smoothed over and the procedure completes
The entire procedure, according to the LaserVue Eye Center, will take about a total of 10 minutes and no stitches will be required
Recovery
Most people are able to resume normal activities within 24 to 48 hours, but your results will vary. Generally, your eyes will need to adjust as your brain gets used to the inlays, and because of this, you may notice vision fluctuation over the weeks after the surgery completes. After the procedure, your doctor will prescribe medicated eye drops and should be administered as prescribed to help with the recovery.
Tips to know
If you had a cataract surgery in the past, then you will not be considered a candidate for the surgery. The same can be said who suffer from dry eyes or those with a corneal disease that makes the cornea abnormally thin or cone-shaped. There may be other factors that could not make you a great candidate, but to be for certain, it’s highly advisable you schedule a consultation with a local ophthalmologist who works with these inlays.
Over two years, a clinical trial, including 373 people, were evaluated after using the inlays for two years. Of the 373 participants, 92 percent saw 20/40 vision or better.
Side effects, as with any inlays or surgeries, can exist, including glares or halos in your vision or the feeling as if something was inside of your eye. Corneal swelling, scarring or clouding can occur, with the risk of a diminished distance vision or even retinal detachment. The FDA does note the risks are rare and the procedure is considered to be safe at this time.
The Raindrop inlay is similar to the Kamra inlay in some ways, but the Raindrop inlay differs in a way that the inlay makes a microscopic hill or bump in the cornea, increasing your depth of focus, while the Kamra inlay makes the pupil smaller like a pinhole and has to be perfectly aligned with lasers.
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