Most of the cataract surgeons in India practice what they call surgical packages for what they charge for doing cataract surgeries. Some tips for patients to help in what to pick.
CONTENT
What is included in cataract surgery packages?
What is not included in cataract surgery packages?
How to confirm what you have got?
Can you bring your own lens?
Brands of lens
What is not included in cataract surgery packages?
Cost of the post-operative drugs
Additional intervention after the surgery like Yag Laser, Vitrectomy.
Treatment of any complication arising after surgery.
How to confirm what you have got?
Discharge summary
At the time of discharge, the patient gets the discharge and treatment summary. It mentions the name of the surgeon, anesthesia, details of the procedure done, and features, title, and brand of the lens implanted in the eye. Moreover, the brakes down of the charges for each item are usually not provided.
Can you bring your own lens?
No
The hospital gives a reasonably long list of the lens. One can choose from the available options. moreover, hospitals usually do not allow surgical implants and disposables from outside. It is because the hospital has to maintain a massive inventory of every disposable and lens in different sizes and numbers and often in multiple names as the backup.
hospitals have various similar pieces in back up, If the case of damaged or contamination of during surgery. Later is not possible if patients bring a single piece from outside.
Moreover, surgeons often have the expertise and a comfort level with certain brands of the lens, which they implant daily. Most of the surgeons have severe reservations against trying a new lens, in that event of the stress of doing surgery. So they usually do not agree with this.
Brands of lens
All are more or less same
There are many different types of lenses available in India. Most surgeons/hospitals offer surgical packages based on Indian (cheap) and imported (expensive) lenses.
The imported lens is costlier but preferred options than its Indian counterpart by both patients (rich) and doctors alike. There are no scientific studies that validate the difference in the quality of the two; this notion continues due to the common perception that imported goods are superior in quality.
