Posted by: Associates in Ophthalmology (NJ) in Cataracts
Is your vision beginning to grow dimmer and duller due to cataracts? If you have cataracts and they’re starting to interfere with your daily life, it’s time for cataract surgery.
This is an exciting time for you. Since cataracts began to grow in your eyes, they have slowly degraded your vision.
Over time they block more light from reaching your retina and your brain. Once they begin to disrupt your daily life, they have developed enough to get them removed. That means, with cataract surgery, you can get crisp, sharp vision again, especially if you get a premium IOL implanted.
Premium IOLs can be expensive and are usually not covered by insurance. But, if you have a flexible spending account or FSA, you can use those funds to cover the cost of your premium IOL.
Keep reading to see why you should consider premium IOLs and if you can use your FSA dollars to pay for them.
What Happens During Cataract Surgery?
During cataract surgery, your surgeon removes and replaces your natural lens with an intraocular lens or IOL. IOLs handle the duties that your natural lens can no longer handle because of cataracts.
The procedure begins with your surgeon giving you numbing eye drops. They prevent you from feeling any pain.
Next, they create an incision in your cornea, the outer layer of your eye. Once they make the incision, they can access your natural lens, which sits behind it.
When they can reach your natural lens, they have to break it into tiny pieces to make it easier to remove. After it gets broken up, they pull your lens out with light suction.
Then, they replace it with your IOL. After the IOL goes in, the corneal incision gets closed and heals on its own without stitches or adhesive. Then you get sent home to rest and recover.
What Are Premium IOLs?
IOLs come in a wide variety of styles and capabilities. The most basic IOL is the standard or monofocal IOL.
It gives you clear vision at one refractive distance. Most people correct their distance vision with a monofocal IOL, which means they need glasses for up-close tasks.
Premium IOLs correct your vision at more than one distance. They function more like your natural lens, allowing you to transition between distances.
Depending on the premium IOL you choose, you may never need glasses again. Other premium IOLs may still need the help of glasses in rare instances, like reading a prescription label.
But, no matter which premium IOL you choose, your dependence on glasses is significantly reduced. Cataract surgery is a medically necessary procedure. Without it, cataracts cause complete vision loss.
That’s why insurance and Medicare cover the cost of getting cataract surgery. But, they only cover it if you get a monofocal IOL.
You need to pay out of pocket if you want a premium IOL. Luckily, you can use your FSA for cataract surgery with a premium IOL.
If you have an FSA, be sure to discuss a premium IOL with your eye doctor. The benefits and visual freedom they provide are worth the cost!
Do you think it’s time to get your cataracts removed? Schedule a cataract screening at Associates in Ophthalmology in Livingston, NJ, to see if it’s time to use your FSA to get clear vision again!
