Tecnis Symfony Lens Cost
According to the Better Vision Guide, more than 25 percent of Americans who are older than 40 have cataracts, a condition which impairs your vision as your natural lens becomes cloudy.
What does this mean for you?
Basically, as you start to grow older, there’s a good chance you will become this statistic as the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) estimates this number will increase to more than 50 percent by the time the average American hits 75 years old.
In 2016, the FDA approved a new type of intraocular lens, the Tecnis Symfony® lens — an artificial lens which replaces your clouded cataract lens. This press release, at the time of this publishing, notes this new category of intraocular lenses is the only option available which offers a full range of continuous high-quality vision after cataract surgery was performed, while also alleviating the effects of presbyopia, helping people focus on nearby objects.
The cost of the Tecnis Symfony® lens
The cost of the Tecnis Symfony® lens greatly depends on your eye doctor, your geographical location, the technology they use and your insurance, if you were to have coverage. Based on the estimates online, the costs, including the surgery, can range anywhere from $2,800 to $3,600 per eye. Depending on your eye doctor’s billing practices, you may be responsible for additional costs such as facility fees, a LASIK enhancement and/or follow-up visits in the future, for example. As all offices will vary, it’s so important to talk with your doctor to know, for certain, what your fee will include.
Most private health insurance plans, including Medicare, will cover cataract surgery with traditional lenses, however, astigmatism corrections, if needed, will often be denied. The same can be said about new technology IOLs. Be sure to check with your health insurance policy and your eye doctor’s office ahead of time to know exactly what you will be responsible for on the day of the surgery. One source we found, for example, stated they had this lens implanted, but she had to pay a $900 difference per eye after Medicare paid its share.
According to one member on this Patient.info forum thread, he said he was quoted $3,500 per eye, but he was unsure as to what was included. Another member on this same forum thread said they were quoted a total of $5,500, a quote which included the laser and the hospital stay.
The Tecnis Symfony® lens procedure
During the procedure, the natural lens of the eye is removed, and the artificial lens, the Tecnis Symfony® lens, in this case, is inserted into the eye. During cataract surgery, the most commonly IOL used is a monofocal lens, which allows someone to see at a certain distance, while closer objects may be a struggle, whereas the Tecnis Symfony® lens was created to help improve both of these ranges and help the quality of the vision.
What is a Tecnis Symfony® lens?
Whenever a clouded cataract lens is removed during surgery, it is replaced by an artificial lens, which is also known as an intraocular lens or IOL for short. The Tecnis Symfony®, simply, is one of the many branded IOL technologies on the market, just like the many brand names of food on the shelf. Based on your eye doctor’s preferences, he or she may consider this technology based on your current conditions.
The Tecnis Symfony® technology is known to be effective; however, it’s only known to fix near or distance vision. Compared to other newer technology, advanced IOLs are able to correct vision across all distances, making it great for those who do not want to worry about glasses. This doesn’t mean the Tecnis Symfony® lens is a bad choice, however, as proponents, according to the Better Vision Guide, believe they often see an increase in side effects.
According to MillennialEye.com, this IOL diffracts light in a way that is able to allow an extended range of focus, rather than focusing on light at distinct points. Rather than producing two distinct focal points, this lens is geared more toward elongating the eye’s focus, creating a more continuous spectrum of sharp vision from a distance to near point points. This, in turn, as it is not focused on the two distinct points, glares and halos, a common side effect among IOLs, may not be as noticeable.
The risks involved
As with any cataract surgery, not related to the lens, can include temporary, minor or affect the patient’s vision. Other complications, albeit rare, can include bleeding, an infection and/or the worsening of vision, while a slight loss in vision sharpness may be noticed as you decrease the usage of your eyeglasses. Even with glasses, patients may notice a loss of sharpness during poor visibility conditions such as fog or dim light, leading to driving difficulties. Some patients also report seeing glare, starbursts and/or related visual symptoms, impacting some patients when there are bright lights at night.
Tips to know
Being relatively new technology, there’s not a lot of information on the Internet; however, this Patient.info forum thread has close to 200 replies for those who have experienced and/or had them implanted.
The lens, today, is approved in more than 50 countries around the world, with data coming from over 2,000 eyes from multiple clinical studies. In these studies, patients reported seeing objects clearly and sharply at near distances, immediate and far away, and all points in between. Other reports included providing a higher-quality vision and demonstrating a low chance of viewing halos and/or glares, a common side effect seen among IOLs on the market.
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Average Reported Cost: $5500
How much did you spend?
- Dr. C (Boynton Beack, Florida) paid $5500 and said:
After Medicare payments, the cost for Symfony lenses (Right and Left) including surgery costs was $2,750.00 per lens (Total out of pocket was $5,500.00).
Was it worth it? Yes
