How Medical Eye Exams Can Help You Discover Whether Cataract Surgery is Necessary.
Medical eye exams become increasingly necessary as we get older and more likely to experience certain eye conditions, including presbyopia and cataracts. Here is how to know whether and when cataract surgery is necessary. Quigley Eye Specialists have provided exceptional eye care services to the South Florida community for more than 30 years.
There are approximately four million cataract surgeries performed in the United States annually. Surgical intervention is the only medical procedure that can completely cure cataracts, so anyone whose vision is impeded by worsening cataracts will have to have surgery to restore their sight.
However, surgery is not necessarily urgent for everyone diagnosed with cataracts. Having medical eye exams regularly is critical to determining the severity of the condition and whether surgery is something that can be postponed or scheduled immediately. If cataracts are detected, your doctor will help you understand what you can expect if you elect to wait.
Cataracts cause vision to deteriorate over time, but when a patient is in generally good health, the progress might be slower than it typically would be for patients with certain medical conditions. The following conditions can accelerate vision loss:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Eye sunburn (photokeratitis)
If your cataracts are severe enough to cause blurred vision, and diminished color perception, it is time for surgical intervention.
Laser-assisted cataract surgery is a straightforward procedure with minimal recovery time for most patients, usually within one week. An exception being swimming which is often after 2-3 weeks. Moreover, many patients report that their vision is markedly improved as quickly as an hour after the procedure.
Cataract surgery involves a procedure called phacoemulsification, which dissolves the lens of the eye so that it can be easily suctioned from the eye area. A lens implant is then installed. The procedure requires only topical numbing agents, and downtime is typically no longer than two weeks.
If you also have other eye concerns, such as astigmatism, you can opt for simultaneous surgical correction. Talk to your doctor to see if this is an appropriate option for you.
Quigley Eye Specialists are dedicated to helping patients overcome their eye health challenges, and offer innovative, comprehensive treatment options for a variety of conditions. To schedule a consultation at the South Florida location closest to you, please visit our location page.
