I've heard Dr.
I've heard Dr. Ruit speak and met and talked with Geoff Tabin. In fact, like a lot of people, I was interested in working with his group. Turns out, though, that this was how I learned one of several valuable lessons. They teach local people to do the operations and other care so they don't need foreigners coming in. What a concept, self-sufficiency for your own people.
Also, because I'm sure the person in the comments isn't the only person to wonder about the money - The base fee paid for cataract surgery per Medicare is $600/eye including 90 days of post-op care. What will cost you more is electing options like various laser-assisted techniques that are not presently considered least expensive standard of care, or something other than basic single vision distance implant lenses. Again, least expensive standard of care.
The reason these surgeries are relatively lower cost is multiple, including they do not look for the same level of results as we do. Less equipment, simpler equipment, resterilizing rather than using disposable equipment, generally no fancy surgery centers, a much simplified surgery, making their own lenses locally, etc.
No one in this country goes blind from cataracts anymore unless something has gone very wrong with the system, whereas this happens all the time in third world countries. The vision they get back is not to the level of 20/20 or better at all distances under all circumstances I will sue you if I ever have to wear glasses afterwards. Nor is that what they expect. But they get very good vision and the quality of the locally made lenses has been shown to be quite good.
Is the quality of care they get poor? Not at all, but we get Cadillac treatment. Our baseline care is very fancy.
Besides, $25/eye is still a larger percentage of the income of a poor person (which is most people) in Nepal, than $600/eye is of the average American. Plus, most people have insurance so they aren't paying everything out of pocket, anyway.
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/2164/Two-Eye-Surgeons-Have-Restored-Sight-In-4-Million-Blind-People-In-The-Developing-World
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/2164/Two-Eye-Surgeons-Have-Restored-Sight-In-4-Million-Blind-People-In-The-Developing-World
Also, because I'm sure the person in the comments isn't the only person to wonder about the money - The base fee paid for cataract surgery per Medicare is $600/eye including 90 days of post-op care. What will cost you more is electing options like various laser-assisted techniques that are not presently considered least expensive standard of care, or something other than basic single vision distance implant lenses. Again, least expensive standard of care.
The reason these surgeries are relatively lower cost is multiple, including they do not look for the same level of results as we do. Less equipment, simpler equipment, resterilizing rather than using disposable equipment, generally no fancy surgery centers, a much simplified surgery, making their own lenses locally, etc.
No one in this country goes blind from cataracts anymore unless something has gone very wrong with the system, whereas this happens all the time in third world countries. The vision they get back is not to the level of 20/20 or better at all distances under all circumstances I will sue you if I ever have to wear glasses afterwards. Nor is that what they expect. But they get very good vision and the quality of the locally made lenses has been shown to be quite good.
Is the quality of care they get poor? Not at all, but we get Cadillac treatment. Our baseline care is very fancy.
Besides, $25/eye is still a larger percentage of the income of a poor person (which is most people) in Nepal, than $600/eye is of the average American. Plus, most people have insurance so they aren't paying everything out of pocket, anyway.
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/2164/Two-Eye-Surgeons-Have-Restored-Sight-In-4-Million-Blind-People-In-The-Developing-World
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/2164/Two-Eye-Surgeons-Have-Restored-Sight-In-4-Million-Blind-People-In-The-Developing-World
And lastly: everyone involved from the surgeons to the nurses has a correspondingly lower wage because cost of living, which brings down the price by a Algren large factor all by itself.
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