Need a short and up-to-date heads-up on cataract surgery. My wife has been slated for urgent bilateral cataract surgery late August, and we aren’t au courant with likely costs. She’s 74. We are both pensioner residents and have Cartes Vitales but our Mutuelle only covers hospitalisation. I understand that ocular surgery doesn’t usually involve admission.
Shall we have to pay for the surgery, which was deemed urgent? I see from the Amelie site that it’s about Euro 250 for each eye, but I can’t see if the CV covers all the cost, or a fraction. And what about aftercare and follow-up appointments? These things happen at the most inconvenient times, do they not?
Our mutuelle people seem to be on holiday, the phone doesn’t answer. If no-one knows, I shall contact Fabien but don’t want interrupt his summer hols.
Not got the answer but wishing your lovely lady all the best…My mom in uk is being watched for cataracts but so far they are doing just that…watching…3 month appointments…a friend of hers has had both eyes done now…in and out in a day…xx
Generally the op should be covered 100%, unless you choose a surgeon who is not secteur 1, or to have special lenses, Tales about 20 minutes an eye, so normally done as an out patient, so ambulatoire. So would be the forfait journalier, 18euros, if done in a public hospital I imagine as that’s all we’ve ever been charged for ambulatoire.
"Il y a prise en charge uniquement pour les opérations de la cataracte, les myopies fortes unilatérales et autres défauts visuels causés par des pathologies spécifiques. Dans ce type de cas, une opération est le seul traitement efficace pour soigner l’œil malade.
La Sécurité sociale vous rembourse alors la totalité de l’intervention chirurgicale. Toutefois, selon les techniques opératoires utilisées et le type d’implant, un complément honoraire peut être demandé. De plus, si vous restez en observation une nuit, les frais d’hospitalisation ne sont couverts qu’à 80%. Vous pouvez alors faire appel à votre mutuelle santé pour couvrir les dépassements d’honoraires. Par ailleurs, les consultations de dépistage chez un médecin ou un ophtalmologiste sont également prises en charge à 100% si le praticien appartient au secteur 1."
Hello Peter
My mum who is 86 years old had this done a couple of years ago. She doesn’t have a mutuelle and as Jane says she was covered 100%.
She had one eye operated on and then a week later the other one was done.
She was very nervous as she hates hospitals (owing to some very bad past experiences) but the staff were wonderful.
I took her in, she had drops in her eye then after a short wait until they took effect was wheeled to the theatre. Around 20 mins later she was out, dressing on eye, and beaming that she hadn’t felt a thing and that it wasn’t at all like she expected. Back home the same day. So no angst for the second op; and she couldn’t believe what a difference it’s made, everything clear and sharp after ‘foggy years’.
She sees the specialist once a year and has to pay a small amount towards that, and has a prescription for drops (not everone needs them) that she pays for once a month.
Best wishes to your wife, it’s worrying I know, but it will make a big difference
I had a cataract op done on my left eye at Limoges CHU 2 years ago - in and out in a day but under general anaesthetic as the surgeon had quite a bit of extra work to do on the eye. In September, I’m back in again for the right eye but in view (no pun intended) of other medical issues (heart and kidneys to name but two) she has decided that she needs to monitor me more closely so will be treated this time as an inpatient. In on the evening before the op and out the day after (if all goes well)
Limoges CHU is secteur 1 so with cent per cent coverage for multiple issues (not least of which diabetes) and excellent mutuelle cover (arranged by @fabien) the hospitalisation will be fully covered.
Got to have an eye injection 4 days before the op… last time the cost of these injections was nearly 750€ a go just for the product! This time only one injection (thankfully) but in the past, it has been a course of 3 injections (ugh).
I hope your wife’s treatment Peter is less onerous… give her my best wishes.
Thanks, Ann, again all reassuring stuff, personal experiences, relayed to Berlina, who is a nurse but like most has a horror of a knife taken to the eyeball. The cost analysis is also a relief as like the rest of you we are in a bit of a squeez theez deez.
Wow, Graham, that’s a tidy heap of medical misery for anyone, you have our sympathies, and thanks for the low-down and good wishes, every little helps. So far the process has been surprisingly smooth and efficient, the ophtalmologie clinic was crawling with clerks, technicians and patients, ten waiting rooms down underground tunnels, patients wandering round like moles on weed…
Thanks, Bill, we’re glad we chose a home two minutes walk from the doctor’s cabinet, five minutes from the pharmacy, two opticians, two nursing cabinets, a podologist, a kine, a dentist the local undertaker, and the parish priest…
You look as fit as a fiddle in your photo, and no beer belly! Your OH is clearly looking after you very well.
Thanks, Helen. Will pass on your wishes. Your healing energy is strong. I do know what you suggest about ‘the other realm’ and the ‘wise ones’ who dwell there. These words are just an approximation to what we can not, and probably should not, lightly speak…
Tim had both eyes done last year, he now has perfect vision, but we had to pay 250 for each eye. It was worth it. The French need alot of paperwork!!! but he was in and out in under 4 hours with a few weeks between each one. His cancer treatment had made the cataracts much worse. good luck
