Raindrop Corneal Inlay Recall Issued Over Corneal Haze Problems

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Martha Garcia

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Amid concerns about the risk of complications with Raindrop corneal inlay procedures, RVO 2.0 Inc. is recalling nearly 3,000 corrective vision implants, due to a risk of corneal haze and other vision problems.

A Raindrop Near Vision Inlay recall was announced by the FDA on March 5, including a warning that indicates the implant may pose a serious risk for consumers and may impair their vision.

The FDA classified the action as a class I recall, which is the most serious type of medical device recall, reserved for products that may result in serious injury or death.

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The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay is a transparent, curved hydrogel disc that is smaller than the eye of a needle. It is designed to be surgically implanted into the cornea of the eye to improve near vision and offer an alternative to eyeglasses or contact lenses. The Raindrop Inlay reshapes the central region of the cornea to offer an area in the eye with increased power for focusing on near objects and improve vision overall.

RVO 2.0 indicated data from the post-approval study concludes there is an increased risk of corneal haze. Corneal haze is a type of cloudiness in the cornea caused by inflammation. The haziness can impair the vision of the consumer with the inlay.

The FDA issued a safety warning about the issue on October 23, 2018, indicating that doctors should stop using the medical device because three out of every four patients suffered from vision problems after having the inlay implanted, according to a post-marketing study.

An “Urgent Medical Device Recall” letter was sent to customers on November 13, 2018, instructing customers to stop implanting the Raindrop Inlay and return unused products.

Patients who have the inlay implanted in their eye should contact their doctor and receive an evaluation to determine how to proceed. If they experience any visual symptoms, like blurry vision or glare, they should seek an evaluation sooner.

The class I recall affects all lots of the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay model number RD1-1 distributed August 1, 2016, to March 7, 2018.

For more information about the recall or the device contact Optics Medical at (949) 330-6511. Any side effects related to the Raindrop Inlay should be reported to the FDA MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program immediately.

Martha Garcia
Written by: Martha Garcia

Health & Medical Research Writer

Martha Garcia is a health and medical research writer at AboutLawsuits.com with over 15 years of experience covering peer-reviewed studies and emerging public health risks. She previously led content strategy at The Blogsmith and contributes original reporting on drug safety, medical research, and health trends impacting consumers.

Tags: Corneal Haze, Medical Device Recall, Raindrop Near Vision Inlay, Vision Loss
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21 Comments

Carol
I had the raindrop therapy in 2016, and my cornea never healed. I had to have four cornea transplant because my cornea kept melting, and I’ve had to prosthetic eyes.. I have been diagnosed legally blind, and I still after seven years daily pain . They’re so much more. I have had to quit working. It has changed my life big time and I don’t see any hope for the future. Having in normally they had to take out the pupil the iris I’m under the care of for I Specialist now. The medical bills have been out rages. Praying for some help, but I keep getting told something has to be done in the first year and I did not know that. No problem has been ongoing for seven years now . Not to mention wouldn’t have done to my mental health.. Please come here, if any of you have filed a lawsuit, or if you know of any class action lawsuit, let me help. Thank you so much. I am sorry for all of you and I’ve had problems and are still having problems. I can definitely relate.
Ervin
I had the Raindrop procedure done. I have a permanent scare on my cornea. I have to wear glasses just to correct my vision to 20/40 at best. I don’t think they put enough research into the procedure. I had mine removed four years ago now
Dawn
I have had the RainDrop removed and I now have permanent damage . Blurred vision, corrective lenses will NOT allow me to achieve 20/20 vision due to the permanent damage. I can not believe that there is not more support for us.
Jennifer
Desperately searching for an attorney to take my medical device failure case. I had the Raindrop removed in 2020 due to corneal hazing and now I need a cornea transplant. My vision is failing. If anyone is having any luck, please post.
Loye
Raindrop implanted in my left eye during clinical trial period in 2014. Worked very well for many years. Heard about the recall the end of last year and decided to get an exam on my own as no one had notified me of any troubles with the device. On exam, the comment by the opthamologist was ” oh yeah, this is bad. We need to remove the device immediately. The Raindrop was removed in Feb. 2022. Antibiotic and steroid eyedrops for 3 months. No resolution of haze, blurriness, double vision, and halos. Vision in left eye went from 20/15 in 2014 t0 20/100 now. Is anyone aware of any class action suits related to the device?
Diane
I have just learned of this recall when I went to a new eye doctor for left eye irritation and pain. I had the raindrop implanted in 2017 and was never notified by the eye surgeon of this recall and possible side effects. It only worked for a couple of months so I went back to the surgeon and he pushed artificial tears, stating that the problem is my dry eyes. I have never had problems with dry eyes and still don’t but he stated it would help. He also put plugs in stating that it will help keep them moist and help with vision. At the appointment with the new eye doctor I could not see nearly as well out of my left eye as i did with my right. I believe it was 20/20 in right and 20/40 in left where my last appointment my distance vision was equal both eyes. I had LASIK as well at the same time as the raindrop. I need to confirm lasik was done in both eyes, but I’m waiting for a call back from the eye surgeon to confirm and for him to advise me on y next step.
Trudy
I had the raindrop installed in 2017 and within a few years my vision had returned to blurry and the dryness is extreme. I have returned for all of my visits and the doctors have scoffed at my concern. They tell me at each visit that my vision is fine but I honestly cannot read without my glasses. I have had to wear glasses for the last few years as I just cannot read small print anymore.
David
I still have pain in my left eye since the device was removed. The pain occurs almost every morning when I wake, it seems the flap that was created never heals and it gets pulled when I open my waking eyes, very painful. Vision in that eye is way worse that when all this started.
Patricia
I had Raindrop inlay implanted May 2017. I developed haze and 6 months later it was removed>’cleaned out and very strong eye meds used to prevent it from happening again”. The haze got worse, then eye pain, dryness and was given Durazol drops (this is the strongest steroid). I demanded it be surgically removed after 3-4 months due to many side effects. I was told to let the eye heal and then see what could be done. 4 months later still haze, dryness, blurriness and still given Durazol. Finally it was discovered I had a cataract…in that eye…and I’m not even 60! Meanwhile the company goes out of business and recalls RAindrop citing 43% rejection side effect aka: haze! When is there going to be a class action??
shelley
I had the implant in August of 2018 and my vision has gotten persistently worse. Like others have stated my distance vision has continued to decrease, before the implant is was better than 20/20. I am not sure what to do at this point but feel like I should have it removed before it is too late. I would like to hear from anyone that has had it removed if your distance vision has improved.
Deborah
I had the raindrop implant in May 2017 . Have not experienced the corneal hazing . But I now have no distance vision in that eye . I can barely read the top line on the eye chart . Before the surgery , I never had any problem with distance vision. I was only looking to improve my close up vision. Well that didn’t work either . For about 3 months after the surgery I could read without reading glasses , then my vision went back to the same as it was before the procedure . So now I have no distance vision in that eye , completely blurry , and no improvement in my close up vision . Still need reading glasses . But what really concerns me is the loss of distance vision . Raindrop was touted as a Near vision restoration procedure . Loss of distance vision was a side effect I wasn’t prepared for ! I also was not notified of the recall . I found out on my own . Don’t want to make a bad situation any worse . So I haven’t done anything about having it removed . Not really sure what to do . No advice from the eye surgeon . Would appreciate advice from others . Thank you .
Carol
I had mine implanted in Jan 2017 and removed Oct 2019 due to haze and cloudy vision. I’ve gone thru several rounds of eye drops with no change. I am reluctant to keep doing this as steroid eye drops can cause cataracts in the future. At my last appointment my dr told me I may need laser surgery in the future. I got a second opinion who agreed and is sending me to a corneal specialist 3 hours away. I am annoyed that this was recalled in Oct 2018 and I was not notified. If I had it removed sooner perhaps the damage would not be as bad as it is. I am annoyed that I am expected to pay for the treatment of this. I know the company that produced the raindrop went out of business but there should be some sort of bond to cover issues like this. I just don’t know how to find any info
Ervin
I had the raindrop done 6 months later started noticing some minor cloudiness so I want back to the eye doctor. They gave me some eye drops for dry eye. I had the inlay removed September of 2019. I have a permanent scare in my right eye best vision is 20/40
Neal
Surgery to implant Raindrop 2-2018. After 6 months haze set in. Have been on 3 different steroids since witwithout clearing haze. Also have to use pressure med to keep numbers down. Some blurry vision but cost of ongoing follow up and prescription drops has driven me to think inlay must come out. Surgeon leaving it up to me to decide but has quoted $1,300 for removal. Since this is an FDA Class 1 Recall Status should I have to pay to remove a recalled device?
Chris
Can they be sued for this? I now have the glaze in my eye and doctor keeps prescribing eye drops and they even have the gall to keep billing me for the removal of the recalled device.
Russ
It was almost exactly 2 years since my Raindrop was implanted that it needed to be removed. It was implanted in January 2018 and removed January 2020. I started getting corneal hazing approximately 3 months ago. Dr. tried clearing it up with Durezol 0.05% drops. I have blurry vision in that eye now I hope it clears up. Dr. says it should improve after healing from removal procedure. I guess time will tell…..
Kendra
Yes it’s removed by Kellogg eye center University of Michigan – Vast improvement. Dr nellasamby. Best choice made yet!
Roxanne
My mother had Raindrop implanted. The phone number to contact here is disconnected, and the doctor who implanted is now referring her out even though they themselves have removed all other implants they have previously put in. I need to know what my mother can do and this instance.
L
Kendra, I have had a Raindrop Inlay 2 years. I’ve complained of blurry vision in that eye since the day it was implanted. I’m debating on getting it removed. Dr says he does not see haziness and implant is working as expected. I’m so confused and anxious about what to do. At this time, I only use glasses for nighttime driving and dark environments. Are you happy with your vision after getting the implant removed?
Kendra
Have u had ur Raindrop lens removed ? Mine was implanted in Jan 2018 and removed 4 months ago. If so what was the outcome ?
Chuck
Just went to Dr yesterday and found that the implant is cloudy. Prescribed Durasel eye drops every 4 hours with a follow up with the actual surgeon in two weeks. Waiting on the call to schedule that. I noticed approx 6 months ago that my implanted eye felt like there was something in the eye and I was having issues with distance sight. I’ve had all of one day to try to digest all this and am not happy…obviously.

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