OBJECTIVES: Implantable medical devices are used only once at the beginning of a treatment and are usually compared with continuous use medications. Since the device is implanted only once, in a short-term cost analysis its cost will be higher than that of any drug, which affects the third payer decision making. If the cost-effectiveness analysis uses a life-time horizon where device is cost-saving, such a long period of time generates uncertainty in a third payer. The objective of this study is to establish that budget impact analysis (BIA) performed with longer time horizons than usual, serve as a tool to determine the investment recovery time of an implantable medical device. METHODS: A BIA with an eleven-year horizon, with Colombian population older than 40 years in 2018, was made to determine the investment recovery time of trabecular micro-bypass stents in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma versus eight medications strategies and laser trabeculoplasty. This medical device was selected because there are several comparators in the market and the cost-effectiveness analyses usually conclude that it is cost-saving in a life-time horizon. Both direct and indirect costs had an annual rate discount of 5%. RESULTS: Highest discounted total cost during the first two years was trabecular micro-bypass stent; the third year, timolol+dorzolamide+travaprost had the highest cost. The fourth year, timolol+dorzolamide+brimonidine and selective laser trabeculoplasty had a higher cost than stent. The sixth year, timolol+travaprost, timolol+travoprost (BAK Free) and brinzolamide+brimonidine had a higher cost than stent. The seventh year, timolol+dorzolamide+bimatoprost had a higher cost than stent. The eighth year, timolol+brimonidine had a higher cost than stent. Finally, the eleventh year, timolol+dorzolamide+latanoprost had a higher cost than trabecular micro-bypass stent. CONCLUSIONS: BIA is an analysis tool that could be used to determine the investment recovery time, especially in implantable medical devices that are paid only once.