How Much Does a Vitrectomy Cost?

Updated on July 1, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 11 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A vitrectomy usually costs $7,603 to $13,524 per eye for a self-pay outpatient surgery package, with MDsave showing an estimated national average of $14,809 and an MDsave national average of $10,564 for vitrectomy surgery prices. Selected local cash schedules can list some vitrectomy-related CPT codes around $1,800, but that lower figure may not represent the same all-in package.

The final price depends on why the vitrectomy is being done, which retina code is used, whether endolaser or membrane peeling is performed, whether gas or silicone oil is placed in the eye, and whether a later oil-removal procedure is planned.

Vitrectomy pricing is usually built from the retina surgeon fee, ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient facility fee, anesthesia, operating-room supplies, endolaser, tamponade material, eye drops, follow-up visits, and any second surgery. Insurance can lower the allowed amount, but the patient may still owe deductible, coinsurance, copay, or out-of-network costs.

Article Highlights

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• A self-pay vitrectomy package usually costs about $7,603 to $13,524 (equivalent to 11.3 workweeks at $30 per hour, or about $5,400 in 1990 dollars) per eye in current cash-market listings.
• The MDsave national average is $10,564, while its estimated national average is $14,809.
• One local eye-surgery cash schedule lists selected vitrectomy-related CPT codes at $1,800, but that may be a narrower price than a full surgery package.
• Medicare Procedure Price Lookup lists an average patient cost of $779 in an ambulatory surgical center for CPT 67113, a complex retinal detachment repair code.
• Silicone oil can create a later removal bill. One Medicare-fee transparency file lists CPT 67121 at $909.87 to $1,819.74.
• Gas-bubble cases can restrict flying, altitude travel, and sleep position until the surgeon clears the eye.

How Much Does a Vitrectomy Cost?

Vitrectomy-related service	Current price signal	What the price usually means
Standard self-pay vitrectomy package	$7,603 to $13,524 (about $5,400 in 1990 dollars)	Prepaid outpatient package range shown in current cash-market listings
MDsave national vitrectomy benchmark	$10,564 MDsave average and $14,809 estimated national average	Useful national cash-price anchor for uninsured or high-deductible patients
Retinal detachment repair package	$8,359 MDsave national average	Retinal detachment repair listing, which may include vitrectomy depending on the surgical plan
Selected local cash CPT schedule	$1,800	Local cash price example for several retina codes, not automatically a national all-in bill
Complex retinal detachment repair Medicare patient estimate	$779 in an ambulatory surgical center	Medicare patient-cost benchmark for CPT 67113, not a normal uninsured cash quote
Silicone oil removal signal	$909.87 to $1,819.74	Separate posterior-eye implanted-material removal price signal in one fee transparency file

The $1,800 Cash Quote

The biggest money difference is whether the quote is a narrow CPT cash price or a fuller outpatient surgery package. One eye-surgery cash schedule lists several vitrectomy-related CPT codes at $1,800 (about $720 in 1990 dollars), including CPT 67040 for vitrectomy with endolaser panretinal photocoagulation, CPT 67041 for removal of preretinal cellular membrane, CPT 67042 for removal of internal limiting membrane, CPT 67108 for retinal detachment repair with vitrectomy, and CPT 67113 for complex retinal detachment repair through its cash procedure price list.

That does not mean one surgeon is charging $1,800 and another is charging $10,564 for the same final bill. The lower number may be a local cash surgical-center schedule, while the higher number is a broader prepaid procedure package. The patient should ask whether the quote includes the retina surgeon, facility, anesthesia, intraocular gas or silicone oil, endolaser, membrane peel, follow-up visits, and any planned second procedure.

The hidden second-procedure issue is silicone oil. If silicone oil is used instead of a temporary gas bubble, it may need to be removed later. Retina Specialist says oil removal may be coded as CPT 67036 when removed by pars plana vitrectomy or CPT 67121 when removed by aspiration in its silicone oil removal coding guide. One eye-center price-transparency file lists CPT 67121, removal of implanted material in the posterior eye, at $909.87 to $1,819.74.

What This Is in Plain Terms

A vitrectomy is eye surgery that removes the vitreous, the clear gel inside the middle of the eye. Cleveland Clinic explains that the surgeon removes the vitreous and may repair the retina before replacing the space with sterile salt water, a gas bubble, or silicone oil through its vitrectomy procedure guide.

The operation is usually done by a retina specialist when the problem is in the back of the eye. The surgery may be needed for vitreous hemorrhage, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, macular hole, macular pucker, severe eye injury, infection inside the eye, or other retina-related problems.

Vitrectomy is not one single-priced procedure. The surgical code changes when the doctor removes a membrane, repairs a macular hole, treats diabetic bleeding with laser, repairs a retinal detachment, or handles a complex retinal detachment.

Diagnosis Changes the Price

Retina coding guidance separates common vitrectomy situations by code. Retina Today describes CPT 67036 as mechanical pars plana vitrectomy, CPT 67040 as vitrectomy with endolaser panretinal photocoagulation, CPT 67041 as removal of preretinal cellular membrane, CPT 67042 as internal limiting membrane removal, and CPT 67043 as subretinal membrane removal in its retina surgery coding guide.

That code ladder matters because two patients can both say they had a vitrectomy but have different surgery. A vitreous hemorrhage case with endolaser, a macular pucker case with membrane peel, and a retinal detachment case with gas or silicone oil are not the same bill.

Medicare also treats some vitrectomy uses as medically necessary. CMS says vitrectomy may be reasonable and necessary for vitreous loss incident to cataract surgery, vitreous opacities due to hemorrhage or other causes, retinal detachments secondary to vitreous strands, proliferative retinopathy, and vitreous retraction in its vitrectomy coverage decision.

Insurance, Medicare

With private insurance, vitrectomy is usually handled as medically necessary eye surgery when the diagnosis and prior authorization rules are met. The patient cost depends on deductible, coinsurance, copay, network status, facility choice, and whether the retina surgeon, surgery center, and anesthesia group are all in network.

Medicare Procedure Price Lookup lists an average patient cost of $779 in an ambulatory surgical center for CPT 67113, complex retinal detachment repair with vitrectomy and membrane peeling, through the Medicare procedure price lookup. That number is a patient-share benchmark under Medicare rules, not what an uninsured patient should expect to pay in cash.

The facility side can be larger than the surgeon fee. The cash quote should say whether the price covers the surgeon, facility, anesthesia, supplies, operating-room time, and recovery. A patient who receives only a surgeon estimate may still get a facility or anesthesia bill later.

Gas Bubble, Silicone Oil

At the end of surgery, the eye may be filled with saline, air, gas, or silicone oil. AAO explains that an ophthalmologist may replace the vitreous with air, gas, silicone oil, or another substance in its vitrectomy treatment overview.

Gas can go away on its own, but it can also create travel and positioning limits. The American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that flying with an air or gas bubble in the eye can be extremely dangerous in its air travel eye-surgery warning.

Silicone oil has a different cost pattern. It can provide longer support in complex cases, but it may require surgical removal later. Tennessee Valley Eye Center’s price-transparency file lists CPT 67121 at $909.87 for its Medicare fee and $1,819.74 as an average hospital outpatient fee for removal of implanted material in the posterior eye through its eye procedure fee schedule.

Recovery Costs and Restrictions

The old statement that a patient can return to daily activities the next day is too broad. Some people may do light activities quickly, but work, driving, reading comfort, lifting, sleep position, and travel depend on the exact retina problem and what was placed in the eye.

Cleveland Clinic says people may need to stay away from work or school for about 2 to 4 weeks, and that driving may be delayed for days or weeks. If a gas bubble or silicone oil is used, face-down positioning may be required.

NHS patient guidance says if oil or a gas bubble is placed, the patient may be asked to spend much of the day and night with the head in a specific position, often face down, and avoid sleeping on the back until the bubble has dissolved or the oil is removed. Its vitrectomy surgery leaflet also says patients should not fly if an air or gas bubble is in the eye.

Three Realistic Cost Cases

Case 1: Routine self-pay vitrectomy package. A patient pays cash through a prepaid outpatient marketplace. The expected package range is $7,603 to $13,524. If the quote includes surgeon, facility, anesthesia, and normal supplies, the patient has a clearer all-in number.

Case 2: Local cash CPT schedule. A patient finds a local surgical-center schedule showing selected retina codes at $1,800. That may be a real local cash price, but it needs confirmation. The patient should ask whether it includes anesthesia, facility, surgeon, retina supplies, post-op visits, and the exact eye code.

Case 3: Silicone oil case. A patient has complex retinal detachment repair and silicone oil is used. The first surgery may be priced inside a vitrectomy or retinal detachment package, but oil removal can create another procedure. Using the $909.87 to $1,819.74 CPT 67121 signal, the second-step cost can be meaningful even before travel, drops, or missed work.

Worked Example

Assume a self-pay patient is quoted the MDsave national average of $10,564 for vitrectomy. The surgeon uses silicone oil because the retina needs longer support.

Later, the oil is removed. Using the CPT 67121 price signal of $909.87 to $1,819.74, the two-procedure total becomes about $11,473.87 to $12,383.74 before eye drops, travel, time away from work, or extra follow-up visits.

If a gas bubble had been used and no second removal surgery was planned, that extra $909.87 to $1,819.74 line may not appear. The tradeoff is that a gas bubble can bring strict flying, altitude, sleep, and face-position rules until the surgeon confirms it is safe.

When Paying for Vitrectomy Makes Sense

Makes sense if:

• A retina specialist says the eye condition threatens vision or cannot be managed with office treatment alone.
• The quote names the planned CPT code and the diagnosis driving the surgery.
• The estimate includes surgeon, facility, anesthesia, and retina supplies.
• You know whether gas, air, saline, or silicone oil is likely to be used.
• Your insurer confirms medical necessity, prior authorization, and network status before a scheduled case.

Does not make sense if:

• You are comparing a local CPT cash line with a full outpatient package as if they include the same items.
• The estimate does not say whether membrane peel, endolaser, or retinal detachment repair is included.
• Silicone oil may be used but no one has discussed possible later removal cost.
• You plan to fly soon and may receive a gas bubble.
• The quote covers only the surgeon fee and leaves out facility or anesthesia billing.

What We Checked

• Checked current self-pay vitrectomy pricing against MDsave’s $7,603 to $13,524 range and its $10,564 national average.
• Confirmed the selected $1,800 cash code examples through Dr. Black’s Eye Associates and Vision Surgical Center’s cash procedure price list.
• Cross-referenced the vitrectomy code family through Retina Today’s coding guide linked above.
• Verified Medicare medical-necessity categories through the CMS vitrectomy coverage decision linked above.
• Checked silicone oil removal coding through Retina Specialist and the CPT 67121 price signal through the Tennessee Valley Eye Center fee schedule.
• Confirmed recovery and gas-bubble restrictions through Cleveland Clinic, AAO, and NHS sources linked above.

Related Eye Surgery Costs

Vitrectomy is a retina and vitreous surgery, so it should not be compared with elective vision-correction pricing. A cosmetic or refractive quote is closer to LASIK surgery than to retina surgery.

If the main problem is a detached retina, the estimate may belong in a retinal detachment repair category instead of a plain vitrectomy category. That makes the closest comparison the detached retina surgery cost.

If the operation is being compared with other eye procedures for muscle alignment or childhood vision problems, those are different billing paths from retina surgery. A strabismus operation is closer to lazy eye surgery pricing.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does vitrectomy cost without insurance?

A realistic current self-pay package range is about $7,603 to $13,524 per eye. Some local cash schedules may show lower CPT prices, but they may not include the same items.

Does insurance cover vitrectomy?

Often, when the procedure is medically necessary and the plan rules are met. The patient may still owe deductible, copay, coinsurance, or out-of-network costs.

Why can a vitrectomy quote be only $1,800?

It may be a local cash schedule for a specific CPT code. Ask whether it includes surgeon, facility, anesthesia, supplies, follow-up visits, and any planned second surgery.

Does silicone oil increase the cost?

It can. Silicone oil may need a later removal procedure, and one fee transparency file lists CPT 67121 at $909.87 to $1,819.74.

Can you fly after vitrectomy?

Not if an air or gas bubble is still in the eye. The surgeon must clear flying or altitude travel because gas expansion can raise eye pressure dangerously.