Many people wonder when to have cataract surgery. They have been told by their eye doctor that they have a cataract — a condition in which the natural lens in the eye becomes cloudy that generally affects people over the age of 55.
Individuals with cataracts may have noticed that things look blurry, hazy, or that colors look less distinct and vibrant. But, generally speaking, cataract surgery is not urgent.
Hesitance to Have Cataract Surgery
Sometimes patients are hesitant to have cataract surgery. This is unfortunate because the procedure is a very brief outpatient procedure with a low incidence of complications. In fact, multiple studies indicate that the success rate is over 98%.
When to Consider Cataract Surgery
The timing of cataract surgery is important because as a cataract matures, it becomes thicker, denser, and incrementally more difficult to remove.
At Atlantic Medical Eye Care, we believe that the right time to have cataract surgery is when vision impairment interferes with the activities of daily living — activities such as:
- Reading
- Watching television
- Doing puzzles
- Sewing and crafts
- Taking medications accurately
- Ambulating without falling
- Driving
Cataract Surgery Can Improve Your Quality of Life
Don’t wait unnecessarily to remove your cataracts. Cataract surgery has one of the highest success rates of any surgery performed. Additionally, patients describe the improvement to the quality of their lives as profound.
If you suspect you may have cataracts, or if you’ve been putting off surgery to remove your cataracts, contact us today to set up a consultation to evaluate your eyes. If could be the best decision you make this whole year.
If a condition is not life threatening, I delay surgery for as long as possible. Cataract surgery falls under that category.
It takes quite a while to go blind from age related cataracts. However, cataract surgery has all sorts of complications that can negatively affect vision.
On the other hand, I’ve had skin cancer surgery ASAP after the diagnosis since left untreated it can kill you. I’ve also had biopsies of questionable skin lesions.
I’m delaying BPH surgery and what was diagnosed as a slow growing tumor because the anesthesia risk alone doesn’t warrant the risk.
At 75 years old, you have to think long and hard about any elective surgeries. My grandfather died from one.