CATARACT AWARENESS

Over the last 20 years there have been some incredible advances in Cataract surgery.

Today’s Cataract Surgery
- 10 minutes
- Doing normal activities the next day

Cataract Surgery in 1980
- 1.5 hours for the surgery
- 4 month recovery

There are risks for not having surgery
- Car accidents
- Falling & breaking bones

Signs you may have cataracts:
Cloudy or blurry vision
Temporary improvement in vision
Glare/light sensitivity
Fading and/or yellowing of colors
Double vision in one eye
Frequent eye glass or prescription changes (several in a year)

Did you know?
- Over half of Americans age 65 and older have cataracts
- Not all cataracts need surgery
- Cataracts are more common in women than in men
- Cataract surgery is one of the most common & safest surgeries performed in America

More Facts About Cataracts:
- Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process
- Cataract surgery restores quality-of-life functions:
- Patients who had cataract surgery enjoyed an improvement in their quality of life, reflected in their driving skills, community activities, home activities, and mental health
- Cataract surgery is not painful
- Vision loss caused by cataracts often goes undetected by the person with cataracts because the changes happen gradually and the brain adjusts for those changes
- Cataract Surgery typically takes only a few minutes and patients typically go home an hour after the procedure and resume day-to-day activities the following day
- Journal of the American Medical Association found that older people who have cataract surgery reduce their chances of having a car accident by more than 50 percent


Benefits to having Cataract Surgery
- Improved color vision: Colors are brighter and more vivid after cataract surgery.
- Greater clarity of vision: Vision is crisper and sharper after cataract surgery.
- Improved quality of life: Studies have repeatedly shown that people enjoy improved quality of life after successful cataract surgery. Many people can resume driving, thereby gaining greater independence. Favorite activities such as reading, sewing, carpentry, baking, or even using a computer are generally easier after cataract surgery. Even when retinal diseases or other problems prevent a total restoration of vision, the remaining vision is usually improved by a cataract surgery.
- Greater freedom from corrective lenses: Because lens implants are selected to compensate for pre-existing focusing problems, most people find that their vision improves considerably after surgery. Ideally, people are able to see clearly without glasses after surgery, although glasses may be necessary for some activities such as reading or driving. Even people who still need to use glasses most of the time can usually use thinner lenses than they relied upon in the past. The only minor drawback of this improved eyesight is that most people will need to replace their glasses after surgery, even if they only need to use them occasionally

To find out if cataracts are the cause of your vision problems call us for an evaluation today, 453-3937. The doctors at Eye Clinic & Laser Institute can help improve your quality of life through better vision.