Is It Time for Cataract Surgery?

Is It Time for Cataract Surgery? Cataract Awareness Month

6/14/2016

Being diagnosed with a vision-threatening condition can not only be upsetting and alarming, but also lead to lots of difficult questions. Fortunately, cataracts, although vision threatening, are a slower to progress condition that allows time to consider and weigh questions such how much are my cataracts affecting my daily life and as when is the right time to have cataract surgery. So for this Cataract Awareness Month, we’re considering the question, “Is it time for cataract surgery?”

If you’ve been diagnosed with a cataract in one eye or cataracts in both eyes, your eye doctor has likely discussed managing your symptoms with conservative measures such as new prescription lenses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, and magnifying lenses. The hope is that those measures will allow you and your eye doctor to manage your symptoms and vision loss until it’s time for cataract surgery. But when is that time?

There are a couple of signs that it’s time to start considering for cataract surgery more seriously, each of which we’ll examine below.

Interference with Everyday Activities

If the symptoms of cataracts can no longer be managed conservatively and vision loss is interfering with everyday activities, it may be time to consider cataract surgery. Everyday activities are those things we need to do to function and live normally, such as reading, driving, watching TV, cooking, and getting around safely.

Cataract surgery can improve one’s quality of life, as well as make it safer. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), benefits of cataract surgery include:

40% lower mortality risk for patients who had cataract surgery
16% decrease in odds of hip fractures after cataract surgery
13% decrease in odds of car crashes after cataract surgery
21% gain in quality of life after cataract surgery in one eye
36% gain in quality of life after cataract surgery in two eyes

Because of the benefits, safety, and effectiveness associated with cataract surgery, more people are having cataract surgery each year and at a younger age, according to AAO.

Limitations in Eye Examinations or Other Eye Treatment

If cataracts are preventing the examination or treatment of another eye problem, it may be time to have cataracts removed. While cataracts threaten vision slowly over time, other eye conditions such as certain types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can threaten vision quickly and may cause irreversible eye and vision damage if not evaluated and treated immediately. As such, it is important for your eye doctor to be able to evaluate your eyes completely. If your cataracts are more advanced and are blocking or preventing your eye doctor from seeing the important structures in the back of your eye such as your retina, macula, and optic nerve, you may need to have your cataracts removed to allow your eye doctor to preform a complete eye examination.

Cataract Surgery Safety & Effectiveness

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), “Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It is also one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward.” While surgery is nearly always a last resort measure for treating any condition, it’s comforting to know that cataract surgery is considered to be safe and effective.

In the last post in this Cataract Awareness Month series, we’ll talk about cataract surgery further and take a detailed look at small incision cataract surgery and whether it’s right for you.

Consult with a Cataract Surgeon

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cataracts, are considering cataract surgery, and would like to discuss surgery with an ophthalmologist who specializes in the treatment of cataracts, please call us to schedule an appointment with our cataract surgeon, Dr. Richard Strecker. Dr. Strecker is available to answer your questions, discuss the surgical procedure and associated risks, and speak with you to determine if it might be time for cataract surgery.

11 Comments

Tiffany Locke link

3/8/2017 09:35:55 pm

I did not know that cataract surgery can lower mortality risks by 40%. It makes sense that it would, since it would allow you to see better in order to avoid more accidents. Making sure you get the best surgeon would probably ensure that everything goes well and allow you to get the benefits.

Harper Campbell link

8/1/2017 11:14:56 am

My eyes haven't been the best lately, but I am curious to know if they are in need of surgery now or not. I like how you pointed out that if vision loss is interfering with my everyday day activities then it might be time to talk to the doctor about getting it taken care of. This is a simple thing to look for, and will really help in making sure that cataract surgery will actually be useful for me.

Ashley Turns link

8/9/2017 06:06:54 pm

Thank you so much for saying that cataract removal surgery is on the of the safest types of surgeries that one can have. Surgery can be scary and it is a comfort to know that cataract surgery is not only effective, but also very safe. My own aunt has been considering receiving cataract surgery and I will be referring her to this site to help her make her decision.

Spencer Montgomery link

10/3/2017 12:23:53 am

I was not aware that a cataract surgery could decrease 13% in odds of car crashes. If I had a cataract, I would definitely consider this surgery. Informative post.

Taylor Bishop link

11/8/2018 09:13:35 am

Thanks for explaining when it could be good to get cataract surgery. I actually didn't know that they could possibly prevent the examination of another eye problem. It seems important to monitor the cataracts often especially so you know when it's getting worse.

Larry Weaver link

1/28/2019 02:41:30 pm

Thanks for the advice to consult with a surgeon when it comes to eye surgery. My mom has had some vision problems, and I am wondering if she might need surgery. Maybe it is time I help my mom talk to a doctor to see if surgery might be right for her.

Gerty Gift link

3/6/2019 08:51:32 am

I thought it was interesting that you mentioned having a 40% lower mortality risk for patients after cataract surgery. I wouldn't have thought that cataract surgery would help in this area at all. It's definitely something that makes me feel more aware and want to make sure I get surgery if I have cataracts.

Sariah Meagle link

4/12/2019 01:46:07 am

My father was rather alarmed when he learned that he had cataracts. I suppose it was expected because he has been experiencing vision interference with his everyday activities. Since you mentioned that cataract surgery is one of the safest procedures out there, I'll ask him if he wants to have IOL premium implants to replace his corneas so that he can tell the doctor about it when he decides to undergo surgery.

Dave Anderson link

5/14/2019 04:58:14 pm

That is interesting that if cataracts a preventing treatment for another eye problem, it might be good to get them removed. Maybe it is time to get my cataracts removed to treat my eyes. Soon I will have to research cataract surgery just in case it is needed.

David Johnson link

11/21/2019 12:51:59 pm

That's crazy that there is a forty percent decrease in mortality risk. I'll have to look into cataract surgery. Since turning fifty, my vision has become more and more obscured, making it difficult to drive.

Chris Pederson link

12/17/2020 01:31:47 pm

Thanks for the tip to get surgery if your cataracts interfere with everyday activities. I never knew when a good time to get it done would be. I do have trouble reading so I'll talk to a doctor about it.

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog