Glaucoma Surgery Cost and Financing

Glaucoma is a disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye, also known as intraocular pressure. This condition can affect one or both of your eyes and permanently lead to blindness. It affects 1% to 2% of the population around the world, and while it's most common in those over age 40, it can affect people of all ages, including infants.¹

Many people who have glaucoma may not even realize it because symptoms can be mild and include a gradual loss of peripheral vision over time. While there is no cure for glaucoma, surgery can stop any further damage to your eye and preserve your vision.

Below, we dive into the cost of glaucoma surgery, if insurance covers it and how financing can help.

What Is Glaucoma Surgery?

Glaucoma surgery treats glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve located in the back of the eye.² Surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist and involves different types of procedures to reduce pressure within the eye including:

• Incisional trabeculectomy
• Tube shunt implantation
• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)

The intent of glaucoma surgery is to lower eye pressure in order to prevent or slow damage to the optic nerve either with surgery or medication.

The different types of glaucoma that surgery can treat include:³

• Open-angle
• Angle-closure
• Congenital

Open-angle is the most common type of glaucoma and accounts for 90% of cases.⁴

The type of eye surgery your doctor recommends will depend on the type and severity of your glaucoma and the general health of your eyes.² Surgery can't cure glaucoma or undo vision loss, but it can help protect your vision — and stop it from getting worse.

All types of glaucoma surgery help drain fluid out of the eye to reduce intraocular pressure. Surgery may involve creating a small slit within the eye to help excess fluid drain away, or by inserting small tubes within the eye to do the same thing.²

How Much Does Glaucoma Surgery Cost?

The average cost of glaucoma surgery varies depending on the type of procedure performed. Laser surgery tends to be less expensive because it doesn't require anesthesia. Depending on the type of surgery you need, expect to pay anywhere around $450 per eye on the low end, $2,000 to $7,000 per eye in the mid-range or as much as $11,000 per eye for surgery on the high end.^4,5

In general, laser procedures done in an ambulatory surgical center or ophthalmologist's office will be much less expensive than those done in a hospital, usually averaging around $1,000 to $2,000 per eye.⁴ Note that most incisional (non-laser) surgeries require a hospital setting and will run closer to the high end of $11,000 per eye.^4,5,6

Laser procedures

Laser procedures can be performed in the ophthalmologist's office or at an ambulatory surgical center. Costs can range from $450 on the low end in certain states to as much as $2,000 per eye in other states.^4,5 These procedures include:

• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). During these types of procedures, your doctor will make very small incisions within the eye using a laser to promote better drainage and reduce pressure. Costs may be as low as $1,000 or up to $2,000 per eye for outpatient surgery depending on a number of factors.⁴
• Laser peripheral iridotomy. Your doctor will make an incision with a laser in your iris during this procedure to help with eye drainage.⁷ Costs may start around $1,000 and go up to $2,000 per eye for outpatient surgery.⁴
• Laser trabeculoplasty (including selective laser trabeculoplasty). This procedure involves the use of a laser to make tiny incisions within the channels that help with eye drainage known as the trabecular meshwork.^4,8 Costs typically may start at $450 on the low end and run up to $2,000 per eye for outpatient surgery.^4,5
• Laser cyclophotocoagulation. This type of surgery involves the use of a laser to target the flow of fluid into the eye and lower it. Costs typically may be as low as $1,000 or as high as $2,000 per eye for outpatient surgery.⁴

Note that if any of these laser-based procedures are performed in a hospital rather than an outpatient surgery center or ophthalmologist's office, you can expect to pay upwards of $4,900 or more per eye.^5,9

Incisional surgery

Incisional surgeries that require a hospital setting can cost anywhere from $7,300 up to $11,300.^4,5 During surgery, you will need anesthesia, and a doctor will make incisions in the eye or implant tubes into the eye to help drain away excess fluid and reduce intraocular pressure. These procedures include:

• Filtering surgeries. During these types of surgeries, your doctor will either remove part of your trabecular meshwork or make very small incisions in the white of your eye to help with eye drainage.⁴ These procedures don't involve the use of a laser. Expect to pay between $7,300 and $11,300 per eye for surgery.^4,5
• Drainage tube insertion, also known as glaucoma implant surgery. During these procedures, your doctor will implant small tubes within the eye to help with drainage.⁴ A laser isn't used in this procedure. Expect to pay between $7,300 and $11,300 per eye for surgery.^4,5

Is Glaucoma Surgery Covered by Medical Insurance?

The cost of glaucoma surgery is usually covered by medical insurance or Medicare when it is considered medically necessary. However, take note that some insurance companies will only cover this surgery — and consider it medically necessary — if other types of treatment, such as pressure-lowering eye drops, have failed to control your glaucoma.⁶

Your vision insurance may not cover glaucoma surgery but your private medical insurance typically will. The out-of-pocket costs you will incur depend on your plan and provider but may include copays, deductibles or coinsurance costs.^6,10

Cost of glaucoma surgery without insurance

The cost of a glaucoma surgery without insurance can cost as low as $450 or up to $11,000 per eye, depending on the type of surgery you have and if it's in a hospital or not.^4,5

Cost of glaucoma surgery with insurance

Your health insurance may pay for some or all of your surgical costs.^6,10 Expect to pay your deductible, which can cost up to $1,500 or more. You may also have additional costs, such as a copay of up to 20% of the procedure. This may run as low as $90 or as high as $2,200 depending on multiple factors.^4,5

How to Pay for Glaucoma Surgery

If you are in need of glaucoma surgery and don't have private medical insurance or Medicare, or if you need a way to pay for copays, deductibles or other out-of-pocket costs, there are several payment options to consider:

• Cash or savings. If you have the funds readily available, you can use them to pay for your surgery.
• Health savings or flexible spending account. You may be able to use a tax-free Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for the glaucoma procedure.
• Standard credit cards or the CareCredit credit card. Almost all vision care providers accept general-purpose credit cards and many accept the CareCredit credit card, which may be a convenient way to pay for the glaucoma procedure.

Alternatives to Glaucoma Surgery

There are some alternatives to glaucoma surgery for you to consider. These include medicated eye drops and cataract surgery. Each comes with some pros and cons.

Medicated eye drops

Medicated eye drops help reduce intraocular pressure in the eye without surgery.^7,11 On average, expect to pay anywhere from $150 on the low end to $1,080+ on the high end for prescription eye drops each year.⁵

Cataract surgery

In some cases, cataract surgery, which involves the removal of the lens of the eye, can help with glaucoma by reducing your intraocular pressure.^7,11 For this type of surgery, expect to pay $3,783 on the low end to $6,898 per eye on the higher end.¹²

Glaucoma surgery vs. alternatives

Unlike prescription eye drops, glaucoma surgery is a permanent solution to your eye problems, especially if the drops haven't been controlling your glaucoma. But, eye surgery may carry risks of damage to the eye, infections or blindness.¹¹

Cataract surgery may also help reduce the pressure in your eye, but like glaucoma surgery, it comes with risks of infection, damage to the eye or blindness, too.¹¹

CareCredit Financing for Glaucoma Surgery

If approved, you can use your CareCredit credit card at locations within the CareCredit network to finance glaucoma surgery or other vision correction procedures and eye care treatments immediately.^* You can also use your CareCredit card again and again to pay for other health, wellness and vision care needs. Use the Acceptance Locator or download the CareCredit Mobile App to find an eye care professional near you who accepts the CareCredit credit card.

Author Bio

Susan Paretts is a freelance writer with 18 years of experience covering health and wellness, pet care, and more. Her work has been published by the American Kennel Club, Bayer Animal Health, Elanco, LIVESTRONG.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chewy, and more.